This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Champions League: Tuesday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EDT)
2:45 p.m: Manchester United (England) v. FC Basel (Switzerland)
2:45 p.m: Barcelona (Spain) v. Juventus (Italy)
2:45 p.m: Olympiacos (Greece) v. Sporting CP (Portugal)
2:45 p.m: Benfica (Portugal) v. CSKA Moscow (Russia)
2:45 p.m: Chelsea (England) v. Qarabag (Azerbaijan)
2:45 p.m: Roma (Italy) v. Atletico Madrid (Spain)
2:45 p.m: Celtic (Scotland) v. Paris Saint-Germain (France)
2:45 p.m: Bayern Munich (Germany) v. Anderlecht (Belgium)
GOALKEEPER
Gianluigi Buffon, JUV at FCB ($5,500): The FanDuel scoring system favors Buffon more than most other goalkeepers Tuesday. Juventus held Barcelona to a scoreless draw last year in the semi-final, and that was when Neymar played for the club. Now that Neymar has left for PSG, Barca poses even less of a threat. However, stalwart center-back Leonardo Bonucci left Juventus for AC Milan over the summer, so the departures sort of cancel each other out. Either way, Buffon should make plenty of saves, with Barca pressing forward to avenge last year's defeat.
DEFENDER
Marcos Alonso, CHE v. FKQ ($7,000): It is almost too low of an asking price for the wing back. There are not many elite defender options on Tuesday, so Alonso's incredible matchup against FK Qarabag makes him by far the best option at the position. Most of the other attacking fullbacks are either on the road or in tough matchups, so Alonso looks to be worth every penny.
Diego Godin, ATL at ROM ($6,000): Godin is one of the best centerbacks in the world, and in a slate where there are not many great options at fullback, he suddenly has strong fantasy value. He should have plenty of clearances, and he is one of the best goalscoring centerbacks in the world.
Layvin Kurzawa, PSG at CEL ($5,500): Kurzawa has been an elite fantasy option all year as the starting leftback for PSG. They will likely attempt to steal all three points from Celtic, and if that is going to be done, Kurzawa will have to join in on the attack, where he has shown he is lethal this season.
MIDFIELDER
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, MUN v. BSL ($10,000): Man United has to take all three points here, and the side will certainly look to its talisman to lead the charge. Mkhitaryan takes some of the team's set pieces, and in a matchup against Basel, there is sure to be a ton of them. He has three goals and eight assists in 12 appearances for the Red Devils this season, and it would be shocking if he didn't add to that total Tuesday.
Thiago Alcantara, BYM v. ADL ($9,500): Thiago plays a bit deeper in the midfield than a traditional no. 10, but he still he gets plenty involved in the attack, especially in one-sided affairs like Tuesday's against Anderlecht. There are always 5-0 or 6-0 blowouts in the group stage of the Champions League, and Bayern Munich has consistently done it in matches like this one.
Radja Nainggolan, ROM v. ATL ($7,000): Like Thiago, Nainggolan is a true center midfielder and not solely an attacking one. He is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in world football, and his track record proves he has goals in him. Last year he scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 35 Serie A starts, with 90 shots total on the season. He provides the defensive peripheral stats that are critical to success on FanDuel while also offering the necessary attacking upside to allow for success in GPP tournaments.
FORWARD
Lionel Messi, FCB v. JUV ($12,500): It seems that forward is the position to invest in Tuesday. You can only pick two, so it would be wise to pick two of the top three options. Messi is a very hard fade against any team, but Juventus is one of the strongest defenses in the world, so Messi could struggle breaking through the opposing back line. That being said, fade Messi at your own peril, for no player has the upside that Messi offers, and he can still manage to produce without scoring, which is unlikely for the other top two options.
Romelu Lukaku, MUN v. BSL ($11,500): Lukaku is the next candidate to occupy the forward position. He has a much better matchup than Messi, though he is much more goal dependent, which means he has to score or your team is likely to lose. He has scored six times in his last seven games for Man United, not to mention he scored four goals in two games for Belgium over the international break.
Robert Lewandowski, BYM v. ADL ($11,500): Like Lukaku, Lewandowski is a goal-dependent forward who is in a great spot to score. Anderlecht could easily concede more than three goals, and it is hard seeing Lewandowski not getting one of them. Lukaku and Lewandowski seem to be the top two chalk options at forward due to their high likelihood of scoring a goal, but there is still one more player who could offer a pivot from a fade of one of the top forwards if you want to save at the position.
Leigh Griffiths, CEL v. PSG ($6,000): Griffiths has been on a tear lately. He racked up a few assists and scored a goal for Scotland over the international break, and he has scored five goals for Celtic this season. He is the center forward for Celtic, but he can do more than just score goals. He is a very capable provider, and he has proven that he can pick up a few assists if he is unable to find the back of the net.
