Yahoo DFS Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Champions League: Wednesday Cheat Sheet.

MATCHES (EST)

3:00 p.m: Shakhtar Donetsk v. Lyon
3:00 p.m: Valencia v. Manchester United
3:00 p.m: Young Boys v. Juventus
3:00 p.m: Ajax v. Bayern Munich
3:00 p.m: Manchester City v. Hoffenheim
3:00 p.m: Benfica v. AEK Athens

FORWARDS

Cristiano Ronaldo, JUV at BSCY (€28): Juventus need only a draw to solidify the top spot in their group, but that shouldn't imply that they won't put Ronaldo out there to do some damage. He was suspended for the reverse fixture, and while we haven't seen the huge blowout performance that he's always capable of, Ronaldo has still scored at least 9.60 fantasy points in three straight Champions League matches. Even if he doesn't find the back of the net, he continues to show a strong floor, averaging 6.92 shots, including 2.69 on goal, during Serie A play, as well as 6.62 shots, including 1.81 on target, and 2.11 fouls drawn per 90 minutes in his four UCL appearances (one was cut short at 29 minutes because of a red card). There are a number of players on the slate with significantly high upsides, but it's tough to argue that anyone's is higher than Ronaldo's, which is why he figures to be the highest owned player despite no players having a higher salary.

Memphis Depay, LYN at SDK (€24): Lyon also just need a draw, but they are facing a Shakhtar Donetsk side that need a win to knock Lyon out of the last round of 16 spot (Man City are likely to win the group), so we can't just expect them to sit back and defend (I'm not sure Lyon even know how to do that). Memphis has been excellent in his four Champions League starts, scoring at least 8.90 fantasy points in each, and he's in fantastic form, with two goals on 15 shots (five on target) and six assists on 17 chances created, helped by 12 accurate crosses, in his last five games. Shakhtar are a decent defensive side, but they'll have to open up in their effort to win, which could give enough room for Memphis to make a big impact. If you're looking for more upside from Lyon in terms of goals, Bertrand Traore (€20) or Moussa Dembele (€16) would work, depending on who starts.

Phil Foden, MCI v. HOF (€13): Was this not the Manchester City forward you were expecting? Foden's spot in the starting XI is hardly guaranteed, and he'll likely start as a central midfielder, but getting access to the Man City attack against a weak Hoffenheim defense at this price is certainly worth a shot, though one that's probably better for GPPs than cash games. Foden isn't really much of a shot-taker, and so you're really rostering him with the hope he can magically end up on the scoresheet while providing salary savings to spend up elsewhere. Then again, you could always just pay for Gabriel Jesus (€25), who has the highest anytime goal scorer odds on the slate.

MIDFIELDERS

Riyad Mahrez, MCI v. HOF (€23): Manchester City need just a draw to finish atop their group, and while we could see some rotation, they only have 15 fit first-team players, so we'll still see some stars in the lineup. Whether it's Mahrez or Leroy Sane (or both) in the starting XI, we should expect plenty of production against a Hoffenheim side that's posted only one Bundesliga clean sheet this season, including allowing multiple goals in three of their last four overall. Meanwhile, Man City are the biggest favorite on the slate with the highest implied goal total, so while the match doesn't have huge implications, we can still likely get plenty of fantasy production out of it.

Taison, SDK v. LYN (€22): Shakhtar Donetsk have to win if they want to advance to the round of 16, and Taison showed his impressive upside in their last UCL match, scoring two goals on four shots, including three on target, and assisting another on one of his three chances created. His floor isn't that high, even if he's good at drawing fouls, but the expectation is that he'll be shooting just as much as he normally does, if not more, because Shakhtar need to score to win. Marlos (€22) is another option for Shakhtar, and even though they have to win, I'm not sure I'd roster both in the same lineup because of their fairly high salaries versus guys from Man City, Lyon and even Bayern Munich.

Leon Goretzka, FCB at AJA (€13): Speaking of Bayern Munich, Goretzka could be their cheapest starting midfielder, and while he's mostly responsible for the defensive work, his high passing numbers (274 completed passes in his last four games) will keep him involved against an Ajax side that theoretically could push to win, while Bayern only need to hold the ball and settle for a draw to guarantee the top spot in their group.

DEFENDERS

Yaroslav Rakitskiy, SDK v. LYN (€15): Rakitskiy is a rare breed among defenders, as he's a center-back who takes set pieces, a role that's helped him score at least 6.40 fantasy points in four Champions League starts despite zero goals, zero assists and zero clean sheets. The Lyon attack will likely ensure that clean sheet streak continues, but with Shakhtar needing to score to have a shot at winning, there could be plenty of dead-ball opportunities for Rakitskiy to make an impact.

Joshua Kimmich, FCB at AJA (€18): No defender is priced higher than Kimmich, but his recent results would certainly be worth his salary, as he has three assists on seven chances created, nine fouls drawn and nine accurate crosses in his last three games, not to mention a very impressive 251 completed passes. Bayern just need a draw to finish atop the group, and while Ajax may push because a win would put them in first place, there's little reason to think Kimmich won't be able to do whatever he wants, even playing as a central midfielder like he's done in the past three games.

Mattia De Sciglio, JUV at BSCY (€14): De Sciglio is admittedly not a great upside play, but Juventus have the best clean sheet odds on the slate and he's the cheapest potential path to their back line. Juventus need a result to ensure they finish atop the group, while Young Boys are locked into last place, so if there's any motivation to consider, it all sides with the Old Lady.

GOALKEEPER

Odisseas Vlachodimos, BEF v. AEK (€13): Neither team has anything to play for in this match, so there's some risk that defending will become optional, and while Vlachodimos hasn't had a clean sheet during the Champions League, he'll now face an AEK side that is arguably the worst team on the slate, even if they scored twice against Benfica in Greece back in October. The bigger benefit is that he's cheaper than many of the top options even though he has the co-highest clean sheet odds (tied with Juventus) and has the second-best odds to win (trailing only Man City).