FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Targets

MATCHES (EDT)

• 3:00 pm: AC Milan vs. Atlético Madrid
• 3:00 pm: Borussia Dortmund vs. Sporting CP
• 3:00 pm: FC Porto vs. Liverpool
• 3:00 pm: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City
• 3:00 pm: RB Leipzig vs. Club Brugge
• 3:00 pm: Real Madrid vs. Sheriff Tiraspol

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS

Karim Benzema, MAD v. TIR ($22): Real Madrid are the biggest favorite on the slate with the highest implied goal total, which means plenty of fantasy players will be looking their way. With Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland ($23) potentially sitting out due to injury, Benzema could have the highest anytime goal scorer odds among starters. That being said, with how big of a favorite Real Madrid are, it's possible even Benzema doesn't start, which could allow us to get Luka Jovic ($14) leading the line. His salary and anytime goal-scoring odds would easily make him one of the most popular players on the slate, but it may be chalk worth eating and figuring out how to differentiate elsewhere. Pretty much anyone who starts in the attack for Real Madrid will be a viable target, which means Vinicius Junior ($19), Eden Hazard ($16), Marco Asensio ($17) and/or Isco ($14) will be part of their stacks. Going deeper, we could even see people rostering Eduardo Camavinga ($10) or Casemiro ($12) simply because Madrid are such big favorites; Camavinga has the better open-play upside, though Casemiro continues to be a great target on set pieces.

Dominik Szoboszlai, LEI v. BRU ($16): After being rested over the weekend, Szoboszlai could come back into the starting XI to reclaim an almost exclusive role on set pieces for the third-biggest favorite on the slate. Christopher Nkunku ($20) already has five goals in all competitions this season, though it's Andre Silva ($18) who has the highest anytime goal scorer odds (-105 v. +200) from Leipzig. Szoboszlai will create the most chances, and there could definitely be some concern about Silva because of his extremely minimal shot volume and minutes. However, if you just want to play the odds, he is more likely to score than Emil Forsberg ($17), who has been shooting more recently and has actually scored more goals (he's +150 to score).

Neymar, PSG v. MCI ($20): It's pretty wild to see Neymar not the most expensive player on a slate, but a matchup against Manchester City will do that. Lionel Messi ($22) and Kylian Mbappe ($21) are more expensive than Neymar, but he has arguably the higher floor with comparable upside. PSG are actually home underdogs, but it's not like the Manchester City defense has been elite, allowing three goals to RB Leipzig in their last Champions League match (in fairness, they shut out Chelsea this past weekend in Premier League play). Either way, Neymar won't be as popular as he usually is, and this match could end up being very high scoring, so don't shy away from guys on the other side like Kevin De Bruyne ($20), Raheem Sterling ($17), Riyad Mahrez ($17) or Jack Grealish ($17) if they're in the starting XI.

Donyell Malen, DOR v. LIS ($17): If you're willing to blindly play the odds, then Malen may come into focus if Haaland and Marco Reus ($20) are held out with injuries. Malen's minutes have been quite suspect, but being in the attacking group for the second-biggest favorite of the slate has to put him in the GPP conversation. If you'd rather not pay as much for your blind plays, Dortmund could also start Youssoufa Moukoko ($7), whose salary is so cheap that he allows for significant flexibility in the other spots. Otherwise, Thorgan Hazard ($16) is the most regular starting player who should be in the first XI from an upside perspective, while Jude Bellingham's ($18) recent play will have people looking his way even though he's a much more defensive player.

DEFENDERS

Sebastian Coates, LIS at DOR ($9): The Dortmund attack will have much less bite if Haaland and Reus are held out, but there should still be plenty of defensive stat accumulation opportunities for Coates, who is the rock in Sporting's back line. The upside is limited given that they're decent away underdogs, but Coates' salary and solid floor from his defensive work should make him a viable option. If you'd need a glimmer of upside, Pedro Porro ($10) has been taking penalties for Sporting recently.

Virgil van Dijk, LIV at POR ($11): van Dijk has a very reliable floor, and while he may not get a ton of defensive work against Porto, it's not like the home side is just going to sit back and take pressure. Of course, if they did do that, van Dijk is still a big target on set pieces who could make an impact on any corner. Liverpool tend not to go all-out attack in their away Champions League games, but if you think they really take it to Porto then Ivan Marcano ($11) and Pepe ($10) should probably get looks, with Wendell ($7) providing the most salary relief from their back line.

GOALKEEPER

Andriy Lunin, MAD v. TIR ($5): Real Madrid being a huge favorite could give them an opportunity to use Lunin over Thibaut Courtois ($14), which would easily make him the most popular goalkeeper on the slate. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said recently that he'd like to get Lunin some minutes, and thankfully we'll know if he's starting before lineup lock. Paying all the way up for Courtois seems unnecessary because of the attacking power we want in our lineups, but a minimum-priced goalkeeper for the biggest favorite absolutely cannot be ignored. If Courtois does start, Jan Oblak ($10) and Mike Maignan ($9) both seem reasonably priced as the starters in the game with the lowest implied goal total.