SOCCER

FanDuel Soccer: Champions League Daily Fantasy Helper for Tuesday 11/3/20

Robert Lewandowski is in an excellent spot versus Salzburg. Which other players are worth rostering on Tuesday?

The Champions League, the best soccer competition on the planet, rolls on, and FanDuel is offering plenty of contests for Tuesday's and Wednesday's group stage matches. This article will focus on the main Tuesday slate, which starts at 3 p.m. EST.

Group Stage - 3rd Game
Tuesday, November 3rd
Liverpool at Atalanta
Olympiakos at Manchester City
Marseille at Porto
Inter Milan at Real Madrid
Ajax at Midtjylland
Bayern Munich at Red Bull Salzburg


Per EPL odds, Manchester City (-550) is the slate's biggest favorite, with Bayern Munich (-300) in second. Ajax (-155), Real Madrid (-120), and Porto (-115) slot in behind Bayern, with Liverpool (+105) rounding out the slate on the road against Atalanta. From an odds perspective, City is the clear target on this slate, but their recent play has been far from inspiring, with a win against Marseille bookended by a draw with West Ham and a one-goal victory over Sheffield. Expect Bayern Munich to be the most popular side on the slate, as confidence in the German side remains high in the middle of their seven-game win streak. With three home favorites, two away favorites, and Liverpool in a tricky spot on the road, this slate should provide numerous opportunities to roster big-name players at even levels of popularity.

Two notes for this slate are Ajax's COVID-19 outbreak and the salary of Real Madrid's Eden Hazard. Ajax is expected to travel with just 17 players to their match against Midtjylland due to an outbreak of the virus and could provide numerous value options depending on how they line up. Hazard (leg) made his first start of the season, playing 60 minutes and scoring a goal in La Liga on Saturday, and could be in line for a similar task against Inter Milan on Tuesday. If he starts, his salary is just $5, and he would likely be one of the most popular value options on the slate.

Here are some players to target at various salary ranges.

Forwards/Midfielders

Robert Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman, Bayern Munich ($23 and $20) -- If Lewandowski is on the slate, he's in play. It's that simple and has been for the better part of a decade now. The world-class striker has been held off the score sheet in the Champions League so far this season but has FanDuel point totals of 65, 61, and 99.3 in his last three Bundesliga starts, with 10 goals and 4 assists in 5 appearances in the contest this season. He was rested in Bayern's league match this weekend and should be all systems go on Tuesday. Coman isn't guaranteed a start in this one, but he was also rested this weekend, which points towards his inclusion in the side. Coman has struggled in the Bundesliga so far this season, with just one assist in three appearances, but scored twice and provided an assist against Atletico Madrid in Bayern's first UCL tie and has one of the highest ceilings on the slate if he starts in this one.

Kevin De Bruyne and Ferran Torres, Manchester City ($22 and $16) -- All of Manchester City's forwards are in play in a fixture that should see them dominate possession and have numerous opportunities in the final third. With six points from their first two UCL matches and Liverpool on the schedule this weekend, City may rotate their squad for this one, so keep an eye on their starting eleven for potential value plays. De Bruyne has been exceptional since returning from injury, playing 82 and 90 minutes while providing 3 assists and taking 5 shots. The goals haven't been there for him this season, but they could come in this one, and his playmaking role makes him an ideal stacking partner with any of City's forwards. Ferran should receive another start on Tuesday with Sergio Aguero still sidelined and Gabriel Jesus looking unlikely to return before the match against Liverpool. He is goal-dependent but has two in his last three appearances, and his salary provides cheapish exposure to the largest favorite on the slate.

Antony, Ajax ($16) -- Ajax is dealing with a massive COVID-19 outbreak and will be without several of their starters for their trip to Midtjylland, with only 17 players making the trip. Andre Onana ($11), Dusan Tadic ($18), Davy Klaassen ($10), and Ryan Gravenberch ($8) are among those who will be unavailable, leaving Ajax with little depth on Tuesday. Antony has made just one appearance for Ajax this season, an 89-minute start against Atalanta in their previous UCL fixture in which he scored a goal and produced 31.2 FanDuel points. He should go the full 90 minutes in this one, and Ajax's potential drop in quality is offset by their matchup against a Midtjylland team that has struggled this season. Midtjylland gave Liverpool some trouble in their two-goal defeat last week but were pummeled by FC Nordsjaelland 4-1 on Saturday and come into this one having conceded 12 goals combined over their last four fixtures.

Defenders

Lucas Hernandez, Bayern Munich ($10) -- With Alphonso Davies sidelined for the next 5-7 weeks with a torn ligament, Hernandez's spot on the left of Bayern's defense is secure, and his salary provides solid value on Tuesday. Hernandez has produced double-digit FanDuel points in each of his last four matches and should be heavily involved in the final third with a solid chance at a clean sheet. Benjamin Pavard ($11) is also in a good spot on the right side of Bayern's defense and will likely be the more popular of the duo. Salzburg is undefeated in the Austrian Bundesliga through six games but have conceded 5 goals combined to Lokomotiv Moscow and Atletico Madrid through their two UCL fixtures. Hernandez was rested this weekend and should be ready, along with the rest of Bayern Munich, to provide Salzburg with their toughest test of the season across all competitions.

Marcelo, Real Madrid ($14) -- Inter Milan are expected to be without Romelu Lukaku in this one, which is wonderful news for Real's backline. Marcelo has made four starts for Madrid this season, going the full 90 in all of them, and recording FanDuel point totals of 10.6, 3.9, 19.9, and 17.7 with a total of 21 crosses combined across all four fixtures. Real are in desperate need of a win in this one after taking just one point from their first two matches against Shakhtar and Gladbach, and they may choose to lean on experience at the back with Marcelo. Assuming Eden Hazard ($5) remains in the lineup, he will be one of the most popular plays on the slate at his absurdly cheap salary, and Marcelo should link up with him down the left side of the pitch.

Goalie

Marco Spotiello, Atalanta ($8) -- This fixture has a wide range of outcomes, with both sides far from their best form heading into Tuesday's clash. Liverpool's usually-explosive attack hasn't scored more than two goals in a match since late September, and with six points in hand and a weekend match against Manchester City in the Premier League to look forward to, they could be in a letdown spot on the road against Atalanta. On the Atalanta side, there aren't many good signs to point to, as they have kept just one clean sheet in nine matches this season, but Spotiello is a decent spot to see a large number of save opportunities as a slight home underdog and is a decent option for large-field tournaments. Elsewhere, Ajax's Kjell Scherpen ($5) is an excellent value option, as he is expected to be forced into action due to the team's COVID-19 outbreak and provides exceptional value as a road favorite against Midtjylland.