DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich
• 3:00 pm: BSC Young Boys vs. Villarreal
• 3:00 pm: Chelsea vs. Malmö FF
• 3:00 pm: Lille vs. Sevilla
• 3:00 pm: Manchester United vs. Atalanta
• 3:00 pm: Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Juventus

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday EPL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Romelu Lukaku, CHE v. MAL ($9,500): Chelsea are the biggest favorite on the slate and have the highest-implied goal total at home against Malmo. Lukaku has anytime goalscoring odds of -240, considerably better than the -185 odds of Robert Lewandowski ($12,500). Bayern Munich play away to Benfica, which isn't quite as good of a spot as Malmo at home and Lewandowski being $3,000 more expensive has me leaning toward Lukaku. Other options in this range include Leroy Sane ($9,400), who's been taking the odd set piece and probably has the higher floor of the expensive forwards. Cristiano Ronaldo ($9,300) will be a popular option in tournaments. He has the third-highest goalscoring odds at -130 for a home matchup against Atalanta. 

Timo Werner, CHE v. MAL ($8,000): Werner has played the full 90 minutes in all four of his Premier League starts this season but has yet to see action in the Champions League. Him and Kai Havertz ($7,100) are tied for the fourth-best goalscoring odds at -105. None of the expensive forwards have a majority role on set pieces and these European slates are usually more about finding the goals anyway. Other options here include Federico Chiesa ($8,400) in a favorable spot away to Zenit and Mason Greenwood ($7,500), who was fantastic over the weekend in a goalscoring display against Leicester. 

Federico Bernardeschi, JUV at ZEN ($5,800): Bernardeschi is likely to be the only forward with a majority role on corner kicks and I'd expect the cheap salary makes him popular in cash games. He hasn't scored for Juventus since 2019 and has topped six fantasy points just once in six starts across all competitions this season. The Villarreal-Young Boys matchup might be a better target for GPPs. Yeremi Pino ($5,300) and Christian Fassnacht ($5,100) are the cheapest options on each side.

MIDFIELDERS

Bruno Fernandes, MAN v. ATA ($9,200): The Manchester United-Atalanta matchup has the highest total on the slate. Bruno has been splitting corner-kick duties and has anytime goalscoring odds of +120. I'd expect him to go somewhat overlooked as people focus on Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Mason Mount ($8,700) seems to have lost his role on set pieces, but his position in Chelsea's front three and the fact that he won't be popular makes him appealing for GPPs.

Joshua Kimmich, BAY at BEN ($8,100): Kimmich probably has the highest and safest floor on the slate. He's put up double-digit fantasy points in nine of 10 games this season. He's shown upside too, with three goals and three assists across all competitions this season and will likely have to make the scoresheet to be optimal in tournaments. Serge Gnabry ($8,600) and his +135 goalscoring odds might be better suited for that format.   

Xeka, LIL v. SEV ($4,600): With the plethora of high-priced options at forward and defender, I'd expect people to pay down at one of the midfield spots. Xeka has been taking the majority of set pieces for Lille and he's lasted the full 90 minutes more often than not this season. He doesn't offer much upside, though, as he's yet to score or assist this season and has topped six fantasy points just three times in eight starts. Jorginho ($3,700) is another option in this range. His possible role on penalty kicks and Chelsea as a massive favorite gives him goalscoring odds of +170. 

DEFENDERS

Ben Chilwell, CHE v. MAL ($6,000): Three weeks ago against Juventus, Chilwell subbed on at halftime and took all seven of Chelsea's corner kicks. He's started both of Chelsea's league game since then and scored a goal in each of them while taking a monopoly of corners. His salary is just way too cheap for this spot. I expected him to be priced around $8,000, similar to where we saw Trent Alexander-Arnold yesterday. If Marcos Alonso ($5,700) starts on the left wing instead, he'd be a similarly good option.

Reece James, CHE v. MAL ($5,400): Chilwell took all of the corners in the last two matches but James didn't play in those as he recovered from an ankle injury. I'd expect to see him resume his role on right-sided set pieces and similar to Chilwell, the salary is just too cheap for a home matchup against Malmo. Looking elsewhere in the top range, Juan Cuadrado ($5,900) has been playing in the midfield and is still taking a few corners. Luke Shaw ($5,500) continues to split set pieces but doesn't offer as much open-play upside. The Chelsea wing-backs are the priority for me.

Lucas Hernandez, BAY at BEN ($3,800): If you want to pay down at defense, Hernandez would be a good option if he starts at left-back as opposed to center-back, where we've normally seen him this season. Alejandro Grimaldo ($4,100) and Joakim Maehle ($4,200) are playing for underdogs, but both love to get forward playing in the midfield and still offer goal and assist upside even in tougher spots. 

GOALKEEPERS

Edouard Mendy, CHE v. MAL ($5,900): Mendy has been the best goalie in the world over the past year, keeping clean sheets in 57 percent of his matches since joining Chelsea. They have a whopping 61-percent chance to keep a clean sheet at home against Malmo. No other team on the slate has odds better than 35 percent.

Juan Musso, ATA at MAN ($4,200): I usually pay down on these bigger slates and Musso offers plenty of save upside against the likes of Ronaldo, Fernandes and Paul Pogba, three players who love to shoot from distance. Odisseas Vlachodimos ($3,800) and Johan Dahlin ($3,600) have similar save upside but both are likely to concede multiple goals.