Yahoo DFS Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (EST)

3:00 p.m: Ajax v. Real Madrid
3:00 p.m: Tottenham v. Borussia Dortmund

FORWARDS

Vinicius Junior, RMA at AJA (€15): Vincius has just one goal in his last six La Liga starts, but it's not for a lack of trying, as he fired off 21 shots, including 11 on goal, over that span, and he also created 10 chances and drew 11 fouls. Real Madrid are heavily favored despite playing away, and while Vinicius' playing time is hardly a lock for 90 minutes because of Real Madrid's available subs, his cheaper salary will help fit in other strong attacking pieces.

Karim Benzema, RMA at AJA (€25): There shouldn't be much hesitation in stacking the Real Madrid attacking line, and while Gareth Bale (€29) comes in with the best anytime goal scorer odds, he also has the highest price of anyone on the slate. Meanwhile, Benzema has actually been producing, scoring three goals on seven shots (four on target) and creating six chances in his last three games, including a tough win over Atletico Madrid.

Son Heung-Min, TOT v. BVB (€23): If you want to pay down for Vincius but don't want to combine him with Benzema or Bale, Son has arguably just as much upside and enters with three goals on 14 shots (four on target) in his last three starts. While Dortmund top the Bundesliga, their defense has been suspect at times, and there's little reason to think they won't have their hands full with Son, who is much more reliable than teammate Fernando Llorente (€15), even if the latter has a goal and three assists in his last three games.

MIDFIELDERS

Luka Modric, RMA at AJA (€16): Modric has taken on a much bigger attacking load of late, coming in with two goals on nine shots (four on target) and two assists on 14 chances created in his last five games. Part of the attacking uptick is that he had a few opportunities to take set pieces, and while he's unlikely to have that role Wednesday because Toni Kroos (€26) is likely to get those, Modric is still simply doing way more and costs significantly less. Kroos won't be under-owned even though he's tied as the most expensive midfielder on the slate, but don't be shocked when he under-delivers for that price, especially when a guy like Dortmund's Jadon Sancho (€16) could easily match him for much less.

Hakim Ziyech, AJA v. RMA (€24): Ziyech's price feels a bit high because Ajax are the biggest underdog on the slate (granted, there are only two underdogs), but for how much he does across the stat sheet, it may be silly to fade him. He scored at least 7.70 fantasy points in all five group stage matches he played, including four games with at least 10.20, which included zero goals and one assist. Getting on the scoresheet won't be easy against Los Blancos, but Ziyech has proven time and again that he's active enough in the peripheral categories to justify the price.

Christian Eriksen, TOT v. BVB (€23): The absences of both Harry Kane and Dele Alli have put a little more pressure on Eriksen of late, and while Son and Llorente have stepped up, Eriksen has taken three shots or put two shots on goal in each of his last five games, scoring one goal on 14 shots and assisting two others on 12 chances created in that span. Llorente gives him a nice target in the box to send crosses in to, and while the price isn't cheap, Eriksen has the upside to pay it off.

DEFENDERS

Raphael Guerreiro, BVB at TOT (€19): If you're looking for upside at defender, look no further than Guerreiro, who had two goals on nine shots (six on target) and one assist on 13 chances created in his last four Bundesliga matches. He's been lining up as an attacking midfielder for much of this season, and while Dortmund are away underdogs Wednesday, the match is expected to be close and Dortmund could be on the attack often as they try to get the all-important away goal.

Kieran Trippier, TOT v. BVB (€15): Trippier's partial role on set pieces gives him decent upside, though it's more for assists than the goals Guerreiro has been scoring. That being said, he's still a solid open-play attacker, and he's likely to be active on the wing while trying to link up with Son and throw crosses in to Llorente. The clean sheet is certainly possible since Dortmund are missing a number of key attackers, but Trippier is more a play because of his potential upside.

Raphael Varane, RMA at AJA (€11): To be clear right off the bat, Varane isn't a great fantasy-point scorer, as he seems to do everything a defender can do that isn't counted in most fantasy games. That being said, he's very cheap and has the best clean sheet odds, so those looking to pay up at the other positions could be fine with the little returns from Varane.

GOALKEEPER

Hugo Lloris, TOT v. BVB (€14): Lloris is tied with Ajax's Andre Onana as the cheapest expected starting goalkeepers on the slate, which is a bit surprising given that he's actually favored at home against a Dortmund side that's missing a number of key attackers, including their top two goal scorers. Paying up for Thibaut Courtois (€17) is certainly viable because he has the best win and clean sheet odds, but the drop to Lloris is enough to help pay a little more in an attacking position.