FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Targets

MATCHES (EST)

• 3:00 pm: Barcelona vs. Juventus
• 3:00 pm: Chelsea vs. FC Krasnodar
• 3:00 pm: Dynamo Kyiv vs. Ferencvárosi TC
• 3:00 pm: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Istanbul Basaksehir
• 3:00 pm: RB Leipzig vs. Manchester United
• 3:00 pm: Rennes vs. Sevilla

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS

Neymar, PSG v. IBB ($23): PSG only need a draw to advance, but they're easily the best team to stack and you'll need at least one of their players in cash games. Neymar is the cash option because he's on set pieces and penalties, while Kylian Mbappe ($22) is boom-or-bust and more of a GPP play. Of course, as the biggest favorite on the slate with an implied goal total near three, it's reasonable to put both players in every contest. Neymar has scored in each of his last three starts and Mbappe is always in play for a brace. The main reason you can use both is because Istanbul Basaksehir have allowed four goals each of their last two matches and lost 2-0 in the reverse fixture despite Neymar not being in the squad. It's possible to fill all four forward spots with PSG players if you want because either Moise Kean ($15) or Angel Di Maria ($16) will also start, if not both. That's where all the upside comes from for PSG and it doesn't make much sense to use guys like Marco Verratti ($11) or Danilo ($11) unless you hate all the other value options. Unlike prior slates when there were multiple large favorites, this slate has one massive favorite and it'll be hard to fade their top players.

Tammy Abraham, CHE v. KRA ($15): Unlike PSG, Chelsea don't need any points and will likely use a lot of bench players against Krasnodar. I'm only listing Abraham because I don't think Olivier Giroud ($18) starts three times in seven days given his lack of playing time the last couple seasons. Instead, Abraham should be back in the call and hungry to score to show his worth. While Chelsea will rest some guys, that also means Kai Havertz ($16) or Christian Pulisic ($15) could start, meaning they're still in play for three or four goals. Abraham can be combined with the PSG guys because of price, and he also has the best odds to score outside of the Ligue 1 giants. While Krasnodar have played well and only need a point for Europa League, they were dominated 4-0 in the reverse fixture as Chelsea managed 71 percent possession. Even if Chelsea don't have to win, they're still at a massive advantage in terms of talent and that should lead to opportunities no matter who starts up front. If Giroud starts, I wouldn't be as confident because of price, but if you have money, he's a solid play, while Timo Werner ($20) is more of a GPP candidate because he could either brace in the first half or fail to hit the score-sheet and get subbed off in the 60th minute.

Bruno Fernandes, MANU at LEI ($19): There's not much at play in the final set of matches outside of Group H where three teams are tied with nine points (Man United, Leipzig, PSG). Man United and Leipzig will either play scared and defensively or go full out at each other. I'm leaning toward the latter because neither back line has had much recent success. Man United have allowed seven goals in their last four, while Leipzig gave up three goals to Istanbul last week in addition to going head-to-head with Bayern Munich in a 3-3 draw over the weekend. Leipzig can only advance with a draw if PSG lose, meaning they'll be pressing to win, opening up counter opportunities for Man United. Fernandes is the reason you don't have to stack PSG or Chelsea players. He has a bit of a knee issue but was healthy enough to come on when needed in league play and should start Tuesday unless Ole Gunnar Solskjaer goes defensively and sits back hoping for a scoreless draw. Fernandes managed 19.4 floor points against PSG last week and has made the score-sheet in five of his last six appearances. If you're expecting counters, Fernandes may not be the guy to score, but he's the only player to trust in this attack. Otherwise, it's a guessing game between whoever starts, whether that's Marcus Rashford ($18) or Mason Greenwood ($13. Either could brace or be subbed off early with zero floor points. On the other side, it's similarly unpredictable, but Christopher Nkunku ($15) has the best floor and Yussuf Poulsen ($18) has the best odds to score.

Viktor Tsygankov, DYK v. FCS ($16): On a slate with numerous European powerhouses, I'm recommending a Dynamo Kiev player? Yes. The match between Barcelona and Juventus doesn't mean much, and while that means it could be free flowing, they could also rest half their players, making it hard to put in a recommendation. As for Dynamo, they can advance to the Europa League with a draw or win. They're tied with Ferencvarosi, who have to push for the win. In the reverse fixture, a 2-2 draw, Ferencvarosi had a slight edge, possibly because they were at home. Tsygankov has been one of Dynamo's better fantasy performers in UCL play, bagging two goals and compiling six shots on target in four starts to go with a split role on set pieces. He's viable in cash games, but since not many will be using him, he makes more sense for tournaments where a goal and assist would be nice. Benjamin Verbic ($10) and Gerson Rodrigues ($9) have similar odds to score, while Tokmac Nguen ($14) has the best odds for Ferencvarosi. If you hate picking guys you don't know, you could always go with a Sevilla player in a match that doesn't matter that will probably end scoreless. Your pick.

DEFENDERS

Lasha Dvali, FCS at DYK ($5): Given the numerous meaningless matches, there's a chance more $5 defenders start, but for now, Dvali is the cheapest projected starter. His floor isn't guaranteed, but he hit 15 points against Juventus and could be asked to sit back and fight off any counterattacks by Dynamo, hopefully leading to around 10 fantasy points. My favorite play in the low end is probably Emerson Palmieri ($6), who had 19 fantasy points against Sevilla last week as he created three chances and secured a clean sheet. Since he's on corners, he can rack up a few more chances to go with another clean sheet against Krasnodar.

Alessandro Florenzi, PSV v. IBB ($8): There are plenty of expensive full-backs to get, but a lot of the regulars may not start and the one you want, Angelino ($15), isn't a great cash play. Alex Telles ($12) serves the same role on the opposite side and is cheaper, while the aforementioned Emerson is a steal. If you want to stick with PSG, Florenzi comes at nice value with his main downside being that he often gets subbed off early. Either way, he has 12 shots and 13 chances created in 12 starts in all competitions and will be up the field plenty against Istanbul. He's one of many PSG players who rested over the weekend, so there's a chance he goes the full 90. At this price, he's worth aiming for a goal or assist, similar to Emerson.

GOALKEEPER

Kepa Arrizabalaga, CHE v. KRA ($5): There could be a few $5 goalkeepers, as Romain Salin has started the last two matches for Rennes. Given that Chelsea don't need to win, Kepa could come back into the squad having not appeared since Oct. 17. He was never as easy to trust as Edouard Mendy, but Chelsea have the second-best odds to win and secure a clean sheet. Keylor Navas ($14) has the best odds, but I'm not sure I want to pay for it on this slate. Georgiy Bushchan ($8) is another cheap option as the third-biggest favorite, so there are plenty of choices if you don't have money.