Champions League Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 3/12/19

The Champions League, Europe's biggest soccer competition, knockout rounds return on Tuesday. FanDuel will be offering plenty of contests featuring the two Tuesday matches, both of which begin at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Atletico and Manchester City have the edge going into Tuesday's second legs. They are both favorites to advance to the next round, per FanDuel Sportsbook, with City at a 99.5% probability to head to the final eight. City scored three away goals and will now head home to try to finish off Schalke.

Atletico are in the driver's seat after winning the first leg, 2-0. An away goal would likely put this out of reach for Juventus. The implied percentage that Atletico move on is 83.2%. However as was seen last week in Madrid, the Champions League does not always play out by the odds.

Let's look at some players to target across the pitch at some different price points on this slate.

Forwards

Sergio Aguero ($12,500) -- Aguero is $500 less than Cristiano Ronaldo ($13,000), but he averages six more FanDuel points per match in the Champions League. He has scored at least 28 fantasy points in three of his four UCL matches. He scored a goal on two shots on target in the first leg against Schalke while adding three defensive actions. Aguero was just named Premier League player of the month after scoring seven goals in February. He has two hat tricks in his last eight matches across all competitions, with one coming in just 65 minutes of action. While Manchester City have some injury concerns, Aguero should still be able to find service against Schalke.

Alvaro Morata ($8,500) -- Morata has found new life at Atletico Madrid, totaling three goals and an assist in the last four matches. Morata has scored memorable goals on big stages in Europe, so playing a role in the Champions League should not faze him. He has made the most of his playing time with Diego Costa ($8,500) remaining sidelined with a leg injury. Even if Costa is recovered for Tuesday, he will be unavailable due to suspension. Morata averages over two shots and two successful dribbles per game in La Liga. He does not have the minutes in La Liga yet that he had in the Premier League, but his numbers, including his defensive output, are better nearly across the board.

Breel Embolo ($7,500) -- Schalke lost on Friday night, but Embolo scored both goals for the German side. He has a goal in the Champions League while averaging more shots and aerials won per game in the European competition. He is a versatile attacker who can play all along the front six and is a threat from indirect set pieces at six-feet tall. Manchester City's injuries are mainly in their defensive core, and Schalke need to press to stay in the competition. Embolo did not play in the first leg, but his form is hard to ignore. Embolo's play has garnered attention from other teams across Europe, and a solid effort in leg two could seal his future sale.

Midfielders

Raheem Sterling ($11,500) -- If form is the discussion, Sterling should be the first name mentioned after his hat trick this weekend. All the goals came after halftime, and Sterling was taken out of the game in the 64th minute. He earned man of the match honors for the third time in six games. He has appeared in seven Champions League matches and averages nearly 19 FanDuel points per game. He scored in the first leg against Schalke after an assist in the final match of the group stage. Sterling has created six chances over his last two Champions League matches as well as completing five tackles. City average nearly 60% possession in the Champions League, so Sterling should have plenty of chances to continue his top form.

Paulo Dybala ($9,500) -- Dybala is ready for the uphill battle and has tried to motivate his team ahead of the clash. Dybala has not been featured for Juventus recently as he played just 18 minutes this past weekend, but he is said to be feeling much better after a knock in Madrid. He has been called into the Argentina squad for upcoming international friendlies, showing he is healthy. Juventus are well ahead of the competition in Serie A, so they can afford to sit their stars in the league to prepare for the Champions League. Although he may not get the chance, Dybala is one of the best dead-ball specialists in the game. He has proven his worth in the Champions League by creating three chances in back-to-back games in the group stage. He also has five goals and averages over three shots per game in the competition. Dybala is primed to shine on this big stage in a match in which Juve will be on the front foot.

Suat Serdar ($6,000) -- Serdar is a wild card as Schalke need to fill in for the injured Daniel Caligiuri. Caligiuri has been one of the best performers for Schalke in the Champions League and has averaged over six defensive actions per match. Serdar is a young midfielder who has appeared in four Champions League matches but will likely be needed to fill in for Caligiuri and help turn defense into attack to give Schalke a chance. His defensive numbers are slightly better in the Champions League versus his output in the Bundesliga. He has also created three chances in the Champions League, showing that he can get involved offensively. Make sure to check the starting XI before the match to confirm that Serdar gets the nod.

Defenders

Juanfran ($5,000) -- The Atletico defender was used as only a substitute this past weekend, but he appears to still be a top choice for the Champions League. He played the full match in the first leg and helped in securing the clean sheet. Juanfran averages just under 13 FanDuel points in his four appearances in the Champions League. He averages over five defensive actions per match in the Champions League, with noticeably more interceptions in the European competition than domestically. He has also created five chances from the outside wing spot. More chances could come on the counter attack, but Juanfran will likely a the starting spot Tuesday for his defensive efforts. Four of the last five matches that Juanfran has played have ended in a clean sheet for Atletico.

Bastian Oczipka ($4,000) -- Oczipka has become the top choice for left outside wing for Schalke as the team plays a back three. He played in the first leg of the tie against Manchester City and had five clearances, an interception, and two tackles. Oczipka did record an assist against Werder Bremen in Schalke's most recent Bundesliga match, and he is more of an offensive-minded player as he averages just over four defensive actions per match and has played a true midfield role for Schalke. Attack is exactly what Schalke need as they must score to stay in the competition. It should be noted that given City's injury concerns, Pep Guardiola's bunch could offer a budget option on the back line, and that player would offer decent clean-sheet odds.

Keeper

Jan Oblak ($5,500) -- Oblak is $1,000 cheaper than Ederson ($6,500), who has a better chance at a clean sheet, per oddsmakers, but will likely face fewer shots. Meanwhile, Oblak has four straight shutouts in the Champions League and has not given up a goal across all competitions since February 9th. Oblak has allowed just four goals in his last 10 matches. Given his lower price and solid performance, Oblak is the best option on the slate. It is worth noting that it is unclear if Ralf Fahrmann ($4,500) or Alexander Nubel ($4,500) will start for Schalke, but whoever starts in goal for Schalke should be called into action several times. Fahrmann's last start was the first-leg loss to Manchester City.

Douglas Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Douglas Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username aquemini03. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.