This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
- Tuesday, 3:00 pm: Liverpool vs. Barcelona
- Wednesday, 3:00 pm: Ajax vs. Tottenham Hotspur
FORWARDS
Son Heung-Min, TOT at AJA (€23): The Tottenham attack has really struggled, but Son should be able to help them out of their funk. He was suspended for the opening leg, and was then sent off in the first half of their Premier League game this past weekend, so he's well rested for their match against Ajax, who have a 1-0 aggregate lead. Prior to Saturday's loss to Bournemouth, Son had scored four goals on 25 shots (12 on goal) in his last six starts, and he comes in with the third-highest anytime goal scorer odds on the slate. If you're only playing for the possible Spurs goal, paying down for Fernando Llorente (€12) is a possibility because he's so cheap, but Son's floor is definitely higher.
Divock Origi, LIV v. BAR (€13): Liverpool will be without both Mohamed Salah (concussion) and Roberto Firmino (groin), which could leave Origi to lead the line as they try to make up a three-goal deficit. Sadio Mane (€24) is surely the Liverpool attacker that many will go to because he's been the Reds' best player this season, but you'll need a goal at that price and it makes some sense to save the €11. It's also possible that Daniel Sturridge (€16) starts up front, though with Liverpool playing Tuesday we won't have to worry about a second-day salary issue.
Luis Suarez, BAR at LIV (€22): With Barcelona having a three-goal aggregate lead, there doesn't seem to be much reason for them to attack consistently enough that they'll be racking up the fantasy points. Lionel Messi (€32) will still be decently popular because he's Lionel Messi, but paying that much for possibly one goal will be a hindrance elsewhere in a fantasy lineup. If you're playing for the Barcelona goal, why not save €10 for the former Liverpool forward who scored the opening goal in the first leg? Then again, if you're thinking about these guys, why not roster Dusan Tadic (€25), who could be forced to attack even more than usual if Spurs score first?
MIDFIELDERS
Hakim Ziyech, AJA v. TOT (€28): Ziyech has the highest floor of anyone on the slate, and while Ajax have a one-goal aggregate lead that includes an away goal, their style of play simply won't allow them to sit back and take punch after punch from Tottenham. After scoring at least 8.7 fantasy points in every Champions League start this season, there just isn't a great reason to fade Ziyech, as he is constantly scoring fantasy points thanks to his shots, accurate crosses, tackles won, interceptions and fouls drawn. Oh, and he has two goals and two assists in his last five UCL matches, which included the first leg against Spurs and two matches each against Real Madrid and Juventus.
Christian Eriksen, TOT at AJA (€23): Paying up for both Ziyech and Eriksen could be a popular strategy because they both play very important roles for teams that either like to or have to attack. Eriksen's partial role on set pieces will always keep him involved, but his shot volume is what separates him from other midfielders who rely more on dead balls like James Milner (€16) or Lasse Schone (€18). Tottenham have to score once just to extend into extra time, so we know they'll be looking for goals. Unfortunately, you can't really get much of a discount for the players who are more likely to score those goals, with Dele Alli (€21) and Lucas Moura (€17) not too far away from Eriksen, and their floors are much lower.
Sergio Busquets, BAR at LIV (€15): Barcelona's best defensive strategy this week may be to simply hold onto the ball as much as possible, a responsibility that will fall on the shoulders of their midfielders Busquets, Ivan Rakitic (€19) and (possibly) Arturo Vidal (€10). Relying on completed passes for fantasy points usually doesn't lead to a plethora of success, but Busquets has been doing enough defensively to supplement up to 100 passes. He's definitely a floor play, and if you're looking for more upside, taking the other side of this match makes more sense with guys like Milner, Jordan Henderson (€13) or Fabinho (€14).
DEFENDERS
Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV v. BAR (€15): A three-goal deficit seems like the right situation to bring Alexander-Arnold back into the starting XI, as he was replaced by Joe Gomez (€15) in the first leg because the latter is a better defensive player. Alexander-Arnold will likely have a role on set pieces, and with Liverpool needing to push, there's every reason to believe he'll be involved on the wing. Even though it's a small price difference, Alexander-Arnold has a higher floor than Andrew Robertson (€17), though both are likely to be moving up as much as possible.
Danny Rose, TOT at AJA (€13): While Liverpool could offer a pair of solid attacking fullbacks, the same could be said for Tottenham, with Rose costing less than teammate Kieran Trippier (€16), who could share set pieces with Eriksen. Rose does more defensive work than Trippier, and his attacking upside isn't as dependent on set pieces, though rostering both could be a viable strategy because Spurs need to score.
Sergi Roberto, BAR at LIV (€12): If you subscribe to the belief that Liverpool's attack is toast without Salah and Firmino, paying down for Roberto and the potential clean sheet isn't the worst idea. He does provide some peripheral points from tackles won and fouls drawn, but it's really his cheap salary that makes him viable.
GOALKEEPER
Alisson Becker, LIV v. BAR (€13): Alisson is the cheapest starting goalkeeper on the slate, and he could be a steal because Liverpool could get a clean sheet win but still not advance. A 2-0 loss would be perfectly fine with Barcelona, and the same could be said for those who roster Alisson. The save upside favors Marc-Andre ter Stegen (€18) or Andre Onana (€16), but you'll have to pay up for those potential points.
