DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Atalanta vs. Villarreal
• 3:00 pm: Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona
• 3:00 pm: Benfica vs. Dynamo Kyiv
• 3:00 pm: Manchester United vs. BSC Young Boys
• 3:00 pm: Red Bull Salzburg vs. Sevilla
• 3:00 pm: VfL Wolfsburg vs. Lille

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Cheat Sheet 

FORWARDS

Thomas Muller, BAY vs. BAR ($9,000): Highlighting Muller at the top is based on the assumption that he'll be taking set pieces and that he'll start. Bayern Munich are without Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry while Leroy Sane ($9,600) isn't expected to start. Muller has taken the majority of Munich's sets over the past three matches. It's possible that Marc Roca could take some, but he's only played 23 minutes all season. Assuming Muller takes corner kicks, he probably has the highest floor on the slate. He also has a goal and seven assists in his last six starts. Looking at goalscoring props, Robert Lewandowski ($11,000) (-190) and Cristiano Ronaldo ($10,800) (-165) have the best odds. Both players are better options for GPPs than cash games, though. Benfica are the biggest favorite at home against Dynamo Kyiv and they have a 2.15 implied goal total. Rafa Silva ($7,600) and Darwin Nunez ($7,300) are affordably priced and have considerable goal/assist equity in this spot with Benfica needing to win in order to advance to the knockout stages. Elsewhere, Jadon Sancho ($7,700) and Mason Greenwood ($7,300) make for appealing tournament targets as Manchester United have a favorable matchup at home against Young Boys.  

Roman Yaremchuk, BEN vs. DYK ($5,900): Only Lewandowski and Ronaldo have better goal odds than Yaremchuk and he's basically half the price. He's way too cheap considering Benfica's soft matchup and motivation to win. He's among the best GPP options on the slate and even though goal-dependent center forwards aren't normally good options for cash games, he's cheap and has enough goal equity to be viable in any format. Rafa Mir ($5,800) has +150 goal odds and will be significantly less popular than Yaremchuk. Sevilla are slight favorites away to Red Bull Salzburg and need a win to advance from their group.  

MIDFIELDERS

Bruno Fernandes, MU vs. YB ($10,500): Manchester United are big favorites at home against Young Boys and they have a 2.15 implied goal total. Fernandes split set-piece duty over the weekend in the Premier League but in the eight games prior to that, he'd only taken one corner kick. It can't be assumed that he'll take any on Wednesday but even without them, he still has a decent floor and +120 goal odds in a favorable matchup. Ruslan Malinovskyi ($9,500) might have the higher floor. He continues to take the majority of set pieces for Atalanta, who need to win against Villarreal in order to advance. Malinovskyi has two goals in his last four matches and has played at least 87 minutes in two of his last three starts. 

Joao Mario, BEN vs. DYK ($4,900): Mario takes corner kicks for the biggest favorite on the slate. He normally doesn't have much open-play upside and doesn't play 90 minutes that often, either. A home matchup against Dynamo Kyiv is a good spot, though, and Benfica need to win so Mario's floor should be slightly higher than we've seen recently. Keep in mind that Benfica's last four matches in the competition were against Bayern Munich and Barcelona. For more value, it's possible that Manchester United rotate. Juan Mata ($4,600) would be a relatively appealing option as it's likely he'd split set pieces. If Donny van de Beek ($4,100) starts in an attacking role, he'd make for a good GPP option with United in a favorable spot and likely to score goals. My preferred option in this range is Aster Vranckx ($4,000). Wolfsburg need to win at home against Lille and Vranckx has been splitting set pieces with Maximilian Arnold ($7,200) over the past three games. Just 19 years old, Vranckx is a highly-rated central midfielder. He's yet to score or assist for Wolfsburg but has five shots and 12 crosses in his last two matches and has played 90 minutes in four of seven starts this season.  

DEFENDERS

Alex Telles, MU vs. YB ($6,700): Telles has started Manchester United's last four matches in place of the injured Luke Shaw and he's taken a majority of set pieces in all of them. He's also played the full 90 minutes each time. United are in good spot at home against Young Boys in a game where they should have plenty of the ball and create chances throughout. Alejandro Grimaldo ($5,800) is another option in this range. Benfica have the best clean sheet odds and Grimaldo plays in an advanced role on the wing while still taking the odd set piece. Ludwig Augustinsson ($5,700) will start at left-back in place of Marcos Acuna. He's taken corner kicks when he's been on the field but has only started three matches this season and only played 90 minutes one time. I'd rather take a chance on Davide Zappacosta ($5,500), who has more open-play value on the right wing and higher goal/assist equity. 

Gilberto, BEN vs. DYK ($4,600): Gilberto is a similar option to Grimaldo but is $1,200 cheaper. Benfica have the best matchup on the slate. Further down, the Lille full-backs are affordable and somewhat safe but neither Reinildo Mandava ($4,100) nor Zeki Celik ($3,700) have much of a ceiling. I'd prefer to save more salary and roster a center-back from a favorite. Jan Vertonghen ($3,300) would be a decent option. 

GOALKEEPERS

Odisseas Vlachodimos, BEN vs. DYK ($5,900): Benfica have nearly 50-percent odds to keep a clean sheet at home against Dynamo Kyiv, the highest on the slate by a considerable margin. It isn't normally as advantageous to spend up at keeper on six-game slates, but if I have the salary, that's where I'm going. 

Geronimo Rulli, VIL at ATA ($4,000): Rulli should have plenty of saves to make against Atalanta, who need to attack. So should Marc-Andre ter Stegen ($3,900) against Bayern Munich, but none of the keepers in the bottom range inspire much confidence. I'd rather find the salary for the cheapest home goalie, Philipp Kohn ($4,600). Salzburg are 25 percent to keep a clean sheet at home against Sevilla, while Villarreal are 13 percent and Barcelona are 8 percent.