FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Targets

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Real Madrid
• 3:00 pm: Sporting CP vs. Manchester City

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS 

Lionel Messi, PSG v. RMA ($21): Kylian Mbappe ($20) and Lionel Messi have the same goalscoring odds, which are right behind Riyad Mahrez ($17) for best on the slate. Messi has five goals in five UCL starts, with only one of those starts (against Manchester City) being a complete dud as he finished with three fantasy points. He'll be playing at home and was specifically brought in from Barcelona to help PSG advance further in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. Mbappe has at least 20 fantasy points in each of his past four Champions League starts and is a shade cheaper, though a stack of both players could be a better GPP play with a lot of people opting for the City stack in a matchup with a more favorable opponent. Leandro Paredes ($8) has started the past three league matches and is likely to be the cheapest starting midfielder or forward in this matchup. 

Toni Kroos, RMA at PSG ($15): Karim Benzema ($19) is the most-coveted Real Madrid player as he's put up four-straight Champions League matches with a goal, giving him four-straight matches over 28 points (three of the four over 39 points). He's battling a slight hamstring issue but did travel with the team to Paris. Vinicius Junior ($18) is expected to start and may be forced to shoulder more of the attacking load if Benzema is sidelined. He hasn't quite been as good as Benzema, but he does have three matches over 24 points in six starts. If you're looking for a safe play, I would look no further than Toni Kroos ($15), who's scored in consecutive UCL matches and has a high floor due to his role on set pieces. He contributes a consistent amount of chances created and shots on goal, making him a better cash game play than GPP. Marco Asensio ($16) is also in play if he starts again, as he's been splitting sets with Kroos as of late.

Riyad Mahrez, MCI at LIS ($17): City are heavy favorites despite playing away in Portugal and Riyad Mahrez has the highest goalscoring odds on the slate. He's struggled to be a consistent starter in the Premier League but has been in the starting XI for all of Manchester City's Champions League matches, where he's scored five goals, taken 14 shots on goal and created nine scoring chances in six starts. He's cheaper than the likes of Kevin De Bruyne ($21), Phil Foden ($19) and Raheem Sterling ($18), but he has been more productive than all three so far in this competition. 

Pedro Porro, LIS v. MCI ($13): Over the past few seasons, Manchester City have been one of the stronger backlines in Europe, which makes it tough to depend on any of the more expensive Lisbon attackers. Porro is one of the cheapest expected attackers and has been able to produce serviceable outings without finding the back of the net or providing assists, making him a key floor play. If he makes the starting XI, a double-digit outing is a decent expectation as he's scored more than 9.5 fantasy points in all four of his starts. He operates on the right wing and would make value with a scoring chance created and a minor amount of peripheral stats. 

DEFENDERS 

Zou Feddal, LIS v. MCI ($10): After Dani Carvajal ($13), Zou Feddal has the second-highest floor of any of the defenders. He operates as a center-back and is likely to be under siege from Manchester City's attack, which could lead to a big day in terms of clearances and interceptions. He's hit double-digit points in his past four Champions League starts and that's a fair expectation heading into Tuesday's match. Sebastian Coates ($14) also starts at center-back for Sporting Lisbon but is slightly more expensive. He's scored 14-plus points in all of his Champions League outings this season and will be tasked, along with Feddal, in slowing City's devastating attack. Joao Cancelo ($15) is the most-expensive defender, mostly due to putting up three outings with more than 30 points in three of his five UCL starts. 

Ferland Mendy, RMA at PSG ($8): Mendy is one of the cheapest expected starters and will offer much-needed budget relief in a stacked two-match slate. His peak performance was 12.6 points so you'll be rolling the dice a bit, but that might be necessary given the lack of cheaper options. He's returning from injury, which also puts Marcelo ($8) in play if Mendy misses the starting XI. Dani Carvajal ($13) has been Real Madrid's best defender in Champions League with a top performance of 31.8, while hitting double digits in two of the other three starts. Marquinhos ($12) has 33 clearances, which ties him for the most in the Champions League with two other defenders. He's at a reasonable price in a matchup that could once again allow the center-back to add to his clearance total. 

GOALKEEPERS 

Antonio Adan, LIS v. MCI ($6): In such a small slate with high-powered attacks, it's likely that a large amount of people go for the cheapest goalkeeper, which is what I'm advocating for in Antonio Adan. He's more than half the price Ederson ($13) is and should see plenty of chances for save opportunities, which means even if Lisbon lose in a non-blowout, Adan should still be able to finish in positive territory. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid is the marquee matchup here, making me a bit unsure of which goalkeeper I prefer in that match. Thibaut Courtois ($9) is cheaper than Keylor Navas ($11) while playing on the road, which gives him a slight edge in my opinion. It'll be tough for either Navas or Courtois to keep a clean sheet.