Fantasy Champions League: Tuesday Cheat Sheet

MATCHES (EDT)

2:45 p.m: FC Basel v. Ludogorets
2:45 p.m: Manchester City v. Borussia Monchengladbach
2:45 p.m: Bayern Munich v. FC Rostov
2:45 p.m: PSV Eindhoven v. Atletico Madrid
2:45 p.m: Barcelona v. Celtic
2:45 p.m: Dynamo Kyiv v. Napoli
2:45 p.m: Paris Saint-Germain v. Arsenal
2:45 p.m: Benfica v. Besiktas

ODDS REPORT

EXPECTED CORNER TAKERS

FC Basel: Luca Zuffi
Ludogorets: Wanderson
Manchester City: Kevin De Bruyne
Borussia Monchengladbach: Raffael, Ibrahima Traore
Bayern Munich: Douglas Costa, Thiago Alcantara, Franck Ribery
FC Rostov: Timofei Kalachev
PSV Eindhoven: Jetro Willems, Davy Propper
Atletico Madrid: Koke
Barcelona: Ivan Rakitic, Neymar, Lionel Messi
Celtic: Scott Sinclair
Dynamo Kyiv: Andriy Yarmolenko
Paris Saint-Germain: Angel Di Maria
Arsenal: Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil
Benfica: Pizzi, Alejandro Grimaldo
Besiktas: Caner Erkin

PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS

GOALKEEPER

Manuel Neuer, MUN v. ROS: Both Bayern Munich and Barcelona are heavy home favorites. In cash games especially, given the tight goalkeeper pricing at the top, it makes sense to pay up for the safety of a likely win and clean sheet bonus. Visiting FC Rostov have scored at least two goals in three of their last four games, but playing at Bayern Munich is a different animal compared to Russian Premier League opponents such as Krylya Sovetov Samara. Neuer and Bayern have kept five straight clean sheets across all competitions and should make it six on Tuesday.

Oleksandr Shovkovskiy, DYN v. NAP: Dynamo Kyiv open group play with a visit from in-form Napoli, who are second in Serie A and have scored seven goals in their first three games of the season. With that being said, Kyiv are a tough nut to crack at home and have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven UEFA Champions League games. Regardless of how defensive Kyiv play, Napoli will test Shovkovskiy throughout. If the 41-year-old goalkeeper is up to the task, he's capable of a big scoreline at a discount compared to the top options.

DEFENDER

Faouzi Ghoulam, NAP at DYN: The Algerian left back has 27 crosses through the first three games of Serie A competition and will look to carry that over to Champions League play on Tuesday. If the slew of open play crosses he provides weren't enough, Ghoulam is usually good for a dusting of fantasy points across nearly every category. His relatively safe floor makes him a fine play across all formats.

Alejandro Grimaldo, BEN v. BES: Speaking of crossing fullbacks, Grimaldo has 23 crosses in four games to start the Portuguese Primera Liga season. The former Barcelona B defender chips in on set pieces occasionally and has a favorable home match against Besiktas to open up group play. Combine Grimaldo's crossing numbers with a potential clean sheet bonus and double-digit upside at a reasonable salary is the result.

MIDFIELDER

Douglas Costa, MUN v. ROS: Exposure to the Bayern Munich attack is a recipe for success but it won't come cheaply. Bayern have scored eight goals in two matches to kickstart their Bundesliga campaign and are three-goal favorites against Champions League minnows FC Rostov. Costa recently returned from injury and there's speculation that he could make his first start of the season. The Brazilian has a share of set-piece duty, and his ability to quickly pile up shots and crosses makes him a favorable target if given the start. If Costa doesn't start, teammate Franck Ribery makes for a viable pivot.

Pizzi, BEN v. BES: Pizzi takes the majority of Benfica's set pieces and has 23 crosses in four domestic games. He has yet to score this season, but came close on Friday firing off six shots with three on target. He plays an important role in the Benfica attack and is sure to be involved on Tuesday.

FORWARD

Lionel Messi, BAR v. CEL: Messi is projected to start against Celtic on Tuesday after overcoming a lingering groin injury. Given the nature of the injury, it wouldn't be surprising to see him pulled early once Barcelona have a comfortable lead. It's obviously not ideal to pay up for a player that may not produce for a full 90 minutes, but Messi has shown before that he's fully capable of posting monster fantasy numbers in limited minutes. As three-goal favorites against Celtic, all Barcelona attackers are in play. With Messi slightly more than teammate Luis Suarez, the former is the top play across all formats with the latter making for a nice GPP option.

Raheem Sterling, MCI v. BOR: While teammate Sergio Aguero is certainly deserving of consideration, pairing him with Messi will eat up a ton of total salary. Sterling serves as a cheaper alternative to provide some exposure to the potent Manchester City attack. He has two goals and three assists in five games to start the season, and with City expected to score multiple goals against Borussia Monchengladbach, there's a good chance Sterling will be involved.