SOCCER

DraftKings Champions League Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper: Tuesday 12/10/19

Romelu Lukaku has been in great form in Serie A this season. Can he deliver today in a key matchup versus a likely weakened Barcelona side?

The final matchday for the Champions League Group Stage is here. Some of the teams playing on Tuesday have already cemented their status in the next round, and some have it all to play for. So let's sort through which teams have something to play for and see which players are in the best spots today.

Forwards to Target

Willian ($9,300): Willian and Chelsea are the biggest favorite on the slate at -500, according to EPL odds. Chelsea need to win to have a chance to qualify from their group. Willian has been getting the majority of corner kicks for the Blues of late and is second on the team in crosses in the Premier League despite missing some time to start the season. Chelsea are facing Lille, who are at the bottom of Group H and have 45% possession Champions League matches this season, according to WhoScored.com. Willian offers a safe floor at the forward position.

Romelu Lukaku ($8,700): Lukaku has been a star for Inter Milan in his first season in Italy, scoring 10 goals in the league. He finally carried that form over to the Champions League in the last match, scoring a goal and adding two assists. Inter are facing a Barcelona team that has already locked up the group and will likely be resting a lot of their major players, including Lionel Messi. This has led to Inter being a -175 favorite. Lukaku is -135 to score a goal in this one and is arguably underpriced going against a lot of Barcelona B players.

Thorgan Hazard ($6,400): The second eldest Hazard brother has been a hit in his first year with Borussia Dortmund this season. He has been a great creative force with seven assists in the Bundesliga. He gets a share of corner kicks for Dortmund, which gives him the chance to rack up crosses and shot assists. He has six crosses in his last two Champions League appearances. Dortmund is a -350 home favorite against Slavia Prague in a game they need to win. Hazard is a fine play at the lower-to-mid price range of the forward position.

Midfielders to Target

Hakim Ziyech ($9,900): Ziyech is yet again the top play at the midfield position. He's been able to do his thing in the Champions League this campaign, scoring fantasy points in a variety of ways. Last match against Lille, he was able to score a goal and get an assist while recording multiple crosses and shot assists. He also scored in the first game against today's opponent, Valencia, and now gets to face them at home. Ajax are -160 favorites and will need a victory to insure that they will win this group.

Pizzi ($7,500): Pizzi is like a mini version of Ziyech. He has provided a solid floor when starting, scoring at least 9.7 DraftKings points in those games. Pizzi is tied for Benfica's team lead in goals in Liga NOS with nine, which is a rarity with him playing in the midfield position like he does. Benfica has an outside shot of advancing to the knockout stage, and to do so, they will need to overtake their opponents, Zenit St. Petersburg, in goal difference. They will need to go out and attack in this game, likely providing loads of opportunity for Pizzi to get on the score sheet in this match.

Marcelo Brozovic ($5,200): Brozovic is a value play at midfield who could inherit a larger role if some players miss the game for Inter. Antonio Candreva's status for this match is in doubt. If he were to miss out, Brozovic would likely get more corner kicks than normal as he does get a share of them already. He is able to also provide some value with tackles won and interceptions. If Inter are able to play well against Barcelona's lineup of squad players, Brozovic could have a better game than most would expect.

Defenders to Target

Alejandro Grimaldo ($5,500): Grimaldo is another Benfica player who could benefit if the team really needs to push for goals. He shares corner kick duties with Pizzi, giving him a decent floor. Grimaldo has 30 crosses in the five group stage matches this season, and he stands out on this slate that doesn't have many safe plays at the defender position.

Marcel Halstenberg ($4,500): Halstenberg is an attacking fullback for RB Leipzig who should get the start in this match, according to WhoScored's projected lineup. Halstenberg started the previous match against today's opponents, Olympique Lyon, and scored 12.8 DraftKings points with six crosses and three shot assists. He has shown goal upside in his career, as well, with four in 37 matches last season. He offers rare upside at the defender position for a fairly cheap price.

Goalkeepers to Target

Samir Handanović ($5,700): Handanović faces a team in Barcelona that should be watered down without their usual stars in attack. Inter have been the best defensive team in Serie A this season, allowing just 13 goals in 15 games. He is a good option toward the top of the goalkeeper tier.

Odisseas Vlachodimos ($5,100): Vlachodimos is the cheapest home goalkeeper who is a decent favorite to win the game. His opponents, Zenit, have averaged the least shots and least possession of the four teams in the group, so their offensive threat isn't overwhelming. They also have scored just seven goals in the five group stage games. Benfica will be pushing desperately for the win to stay in the competition, and if they do it get it, Vlachodimos should pay off for his fantasy owners.



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.