This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Champions League: Wednesday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EDT)
2:45 p.m: CSKA Moscow (Russia) v. Manchester United (England)
2:45 p.m: Juventus (Italy) v. Olympiacos (Greece)
2:45 p.m: Sporting CP (Portugal) v. Barcelona (Spain)
2:45 p.m: FC Basel (Switzerland) v. Benfica (Portugal)
2:45 p.m: Atletico Madrid (Spain) v. Chelsea (England)
2:45 p.m: Paris Saint-Germain (France) v. Bayern Munich (Germany)
2:45 p.m: Anderlecht (Belgium) v. Celtic (Scotland)
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
GOALKEEPER
Gianluigi Buffon, JUV v. OLY ($4,500): Buffon may not be the keeper with the most saves on the slate, but at least he is in the best position to earn a clean sheet. Olympiacos lost at home to Sporting CP in the opening round, and the visit to Turin should prove to be too tall an order. For a $1,000 discount, Buffon makes for a safe chalk play.
DEFENDER
Layvin Kurzawa, PSG v. BYM ($6,000): Kurzawa is a world class defender and attacking full-back, so he fits well with the FanDuel scoring system. He grabbed an assist in the opening round, while he also collected some defensive stats to go along with it. His versatility of production gives him a high floor, while his aggression on the attacking end gives him a relatively high ceiling.
Alex Sandro, JUV v. OLY ($5,500): Sandro comes at a modest price here. He scored over the weekend in Serie A, so he clearly is in solid form, and his likelihood of earning a clean sheet is very high. Like Kurzawa, he is world class on both ends of the field, which gives him a safe floor.
Davide Zappacosta, CHE at ATM ($4,500): Zappacosta is priced more like a backup at this price, but it is likely because he is coming up against a tough Atletico Madrid team. Although he is very unlikely to produce a similar performance to the one as in his opening round, he is cheap and plays as a wingback, which allows him to get up the field on a more consistent basis.
MIDFIELDER
Miralem Pjanic, JUV v. OLY ($9,000): Box-to-box midfielders are at an advantage on the FanDuel format due to the recognition of defensive stats. Players like Pjanic, who play deeper in the midfield than most attackers, will record more defensive stats and passing stats, which are critical to raising your floor.
Marco Verratti, PSG v. BYM ($8,000): Verratti is a bit more defensive than Pjanic, which means he has a higher floor due to his defensive stats, but a lower ceiling due to his lack of attacking initiative. He is sure to earn a few points through passes and tackles, while he also can get involved as an attacker from time to time.
Alan Dzagoev, CSK v. MUN ($6,500): Dzagoev is the ace in the hole for Moscow. He has two goals and two assists this season with a man of the match performance. It is not the best matchup for him, but he has proven he can be dangerous against elite clubs in the past. It is typically difficult to fill up the three roster spots for the midfielder position, so Dzagoev makes for great value play.
FORWARD
Lionel Messi, BAR at LIS ($14,000):Even on the road Messi is scary to fade. He was a trendy fade last week, and look how that paid off, so be wary to test your luck this time around.
Paulo Dybala, JUV v. OLY ($10,000): Dybala has scored 12 goals in his last eight matches in all competitions for Juventus. Wednesday marks a great matchup, with Olympiakos visiting Turin, and it is hard to see the Argentine not scoring.
Leigh Griffiths, CEL at ADL ($7,500): Griffiths was $1,500 cheaper in the opening round with a nightmare matchup against PSG. Now on the road against the weakest team in the group, Griffiths has a great chance to break through with a goal, or if he can't score he has shown that he is capable of providing assists. He has four goals on the year, and he is coming off of a goal in last weekend's win over Rangers.
