SOCCER

DraftKings Champions League Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper: Tuesday 10/1/19

Manchester City is in position to dominate yet again. Which other teams are in good spots on Tuesday?

Matchday 2 of the Champions League kicks off on Tuesday with some of Europe’s best teams in action. This might feel like a Premier League slate to some because the biggest favorite by a huge margin is Manchester City at home against Dinamo Zagreb. EPL odds has them at -1400 to win the game. There are some other spots on this slate we can take advantage of, too, so let’s have a look.

Fowards to Target

Sergio Agüero ($10,200): Agüero was rested for the Premier League game on Saturday against Everton and could have been with this game in mind. Obviously, the guy who is the best goal scorer on a team that is this big of a favorite makes for a good play. Agüero is -350 to score at any time, the best goal scoring odds on the slate. He has legitimate hat trick upside in this game.

Ángel Di María ($9,700): Paris Saint-Germain are still going to be without the suspended Neymar when they go to Turkey to face Galatasaray. Edinson Cavani and Eric Maxim Chupo-Moting will also be out. When these guys were out against Real Madrid on Matchday 1, Di María showed out and became the star. He took all three corner kicks for PSG, had three shots and scored two goals. Now in an easier matchup where PSG are -320 to win, Di María offers a great floor/ceiling combination.

Paulo Dybala ($7,800): Overshadowed by some other teammates on Juventus, Dybala is at a nice price discount from some of the other forwards. He has been getting a lot of corner kicks this season and is also averaging 3.3 shots per game in Serie A this season. Juventus are -190 favorites at home against Bayer Leverkusen, who tend to play an open, attacking style that could lead to fantasy upside for Dybala.

Diego Costa ($5,200): The polarizing figure that is Diego Costa comes in at a very cheap price on the road at Lokomotiv Moscow. Costa may not have the 20-plus goal seasons in him like he did during his time at Chelsea, but he still has shown the ability to put the ball in the back of the net when given the opportunity. Atlético Madrid are -160 favorites and Costa will likely be the cheapest forward who will start on a favored team.

Midfielders to Target

Kevin De Bruyne ($10,000): De Bruyne has been possibly the best player in the Premier League thus far. He has eight assists in Man City's seven games this season. He's dominating set piece duties and has 54 crosses, too. His floor is the highest of any player on the slate and if Man City have a goal explosion like they did against Watford in the Premier League, his ceiling is sky high.

Mathieu Valbuena ($8,600): Olympiacos go to Serbia to face FK Crvena zvezda, or Red Star Belgrade in English. This match rates to be fairly even with Olympiacos at +140 to win. We don't have a lot of data for these teams, but using past knowledge of some players can give us an edge. Valbuena has been a crossing machine throughout his career in France and Russia. In the first game of the Champions League this year against Tottenham, he scored a penalty kick and also added an assist. In an easier matchup on paper, he could provide lots of fantasy points in numerous ways.

Marko Marin ($6,000): In a similar vein to the Valbuena play is Marko Marin, someone with a good track record of scoring some fantasy points. This is the rare game that Red Star will not be massive underdogs, so Marin is in play. He gets corner kick duty for a home team in a competitive game and is only $6,000. He managed seven goals in 30 games last season, so he isn't just a floor play. He also played two years for Olympiacos, so he's got the revenge game narrative working in his favor.

João Mário ($5,000): To fit in some of the expensive players on this slate, we need to find some values. João Mário provided an assist in the opening match against Leverkusen and has two assists in his last three games across all competitions. He also gets the corner kicks for Lokomotiv Moscow, giving a solid floor at a cheap price. If you roster him, the hope might be that Atlético Madrid take a lead and sit back in their defensive shape, allowing João Mário to rack up crosses.

Defenders to Target

Kierian Trippier ($5,900): A longtime favorite of Premier League DFS players, Trippier is now in play for his new team after his summer transfer. On Matchday 1 in a tough game against Juventus, Trippier still had a fantastic game, tallying 13 crosses and an assist. He took eight corners in that game, as well, and is one of the few defenders who will take them on this slate.

Benjamin Mendy ($5,300): Mendy is basically the only Manchester City fullback who has maintained fantasy relevance under Pep Guardiola. It has been interrupted by several injuries, but he has returned now. He is a player who loves to get forward and whip in crosses. At $5,300, his price does not reflect his value if he plays the whole game and it goes as we expect -- a dominant Manchester City win.

Maciej Rybus ($3,500): Rybus is another Lokomotiv Moscow player who is a good value. He's a defender that is willing to get forward and play crosses into the box. Again, if Lokomotiv fall behind to Atlético Madrid, the Spanish side are more the type to preserve what they have, providing opportunities for Rybus to attack and try to get his team back in the game.

Milan Rodic ($3,300): Rodic is a cheap home fullback who's team isn't a huge underdog. That alone is nearly enough to justify him as a value play. He did have some decent fantasy games in last year's group stage in tough matches against Liverpool, Napoli and PSG. This is a much easier matchup, and Red Star have generally performed well at home in European matches in the past few years, including two clean sheets in last year's group stage that would give Rodic three bonus points.

Goalkeepers to Target

Wojciech Szczęsny ($5,600): Szczęsny is playing at home for Juventus and has a good chance of getting a win and keeping a clean sheet. Juventus have only allowed 10 shots per game in Serie A this season, the second best in the league.

Hugo Lloris ($4,500): Lloris is discounted at home against Bayern Munich. This game rates to be fairly even between two big teams, giving him a chance of grabbing the win. Lloris could grab a few saves if Coutinho were to start for Bayern, given his propensity to shoot from long distance.


Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. 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.