This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 3:00 pm: Liverpool vs. FC Porto
- 3:00 pm: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City
FORWARDS
Mohamed Salah, LIV v. POR (€27): Liverpool are the biggest favorite on the slate, and with a decent implied goal total, there seems little reason to fade Salah other than his price. Even so, his matchup against Porto at Anfield is much easier than what the Manchester City guys face, and Harry Kane (€27) for that matter, and it's probably more of a case that people will roster Salah and then decide which other forward(s) to use. A Liverpool attacking stack of Salah and Sadio Mane (€24), or even Salah, Mane and Roberto Firmino (€21) is viable considering their match is the most likely to be one-sided, though you'll have to find some value plays to make up for spending so much at forward and possibly utility.
Sergio Aguero, MCI at TOT (€27): I don't see the benefit in playing any of the Porto forwards other than the fact they'll be low owned, but how far is two low-owned fantasy points really going to get you? Aguero is the pay-up option if you're targeting Manchester City, who are favored away to Tottenham, and I actually don't think Kane is all that far behind Aguero. That being said, given their matchup, it's tough to see why they are worth more than guys like Mane or Firmino, who are playing for a solid favorite with a higher implied goal total.
MIDFIELDERS
Kevin De Bruyne, MCI at TOT (€21): There is a legitimate case to be made that De Bruyne should be the most expensive midfielder on the slate, so getting him at a slight discount is a nice little bonus. He's back to taking most of Manchester City's set pieces, and while this match is expected to be close, that doesn't mean there aren't fantasy points to be won. De Bruyne is more distributor than goal scorer, but the midfield pool Tuesday doesn't really have a plethora of goal scorers anyway, so you may as well target one with a huge role on a favored side. David Silva (€22) isn't a bad look either, but there isn't enough for me to prioritize him over De Bruyne, who plays a similar role to Christian Eriksen (€23) but plays for the side expected to score more.
James Milner, LIV v. POR (€16): Milner could start at left-back in place of the suspended Andrew Robertson, and his role on set pieces always keeps him in consideration when Liverpool are favorites. His goal upside is fully dependent on penalties, and he's not Luka Milivojevic, so any upside consideration is more likely to include an assist off a corner. Given their favored status, it wouldn't be surprising to see a few Liverpool midfield stacks, with fantasy players just hoping they can get some possession points out of guys like Fabinho (€14), Naby Keita (€16), Georginio Wijnaldum (€14) or Jordan Henderson (€13) and maybe get lucky on a fluke goal.
Dele Alli, TOT v. MCI (€21): If you think Tottenham have a legitimate chance of scoring against Manchester City, Alli should be in consideration after taking multiple shots or creating multiple chances in each of his last five games, making the scoresheet twice in that span. Eriksen will always grab more attention because he has a role on set pieces, but Alli could be the lower-owned attacker who actually pays off his salary.
DEFENDERS
Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV v. POR (€16): Given Liverpool's odds to win, and solid odds at a clean sheet, there are likely to be plenty of stacks that include Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk (€16). Both play very important roles along the back line, with Alexander-Arnold providing the upside as he flies up the wing while van Dijk brings a solid passing floor to the table. They won't come cheaply (you can turn to Joel Matip or Dejan Lovren at €14 for that), but there aren't any defenders who are as reliable with as good a matchup.
Danny Rose, TOT v. MCI (€14): You can disregard the clean sheet potential, even if this match should be close, but Rose has been a solid attacker of late, sending in five accurate crosses, creating four chances while still winning seven tackles in his last three starts. He probably won't have a plethora of opportunities to move forward against the potent Man City attack, but a small role on set pieces (he took five corners in Spurs' last Premier League match) is pretty good for Rose's price.
Danilo, MCI at TOT (€13): If you're a believer in Man City, Danilo could provide the cheapest exposure to their back line if he starts in place of Kyle Walker (€15), who suffered a minor hamstring injury this past Saturday. There really isn't much upside with Danilo, and it's not like the Spurs attack is anemic, so really the most he's providing is a cheap price that allows you to spend up elsewhere.
GOALKEEPER
Alisson Becker, LIV v. POR (€17): Alisson figures to be the most popular goalkeeper in cash games and tournaments, which is understandable since he has the best win and clean sheet odds. Paying down to Hugo Lloris (€13) is an interesting concept because he could have the highest save upside (unless you think it's £14 Iker Casillas), but there is significantly less optimism that he'll be able to shut out Man City, or win for that matter.
