SOCCER

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper for UCL 3/9/21

Cristiano Ronaldo needs a big performance to help his team advance to the next round. Which other players should you target on Tuesday's slate?

The second legs in the Champions League can be dictated by the result of the first eg. We should know how teams will try to play in these games, and we can use that to our advantage. Here are the games, with odds from EPL odds:

Home Draw Away
Dortmund (+120) +260 Sevilla (+200)
Juventus (-230) +360 Porto (+600)

Forwards To Target

Cristiano Ronaldo ($11,300): Ronaldo came up empty in the first leg and needs to step up if Juventus want to advance to the next round. His performance was surprisingly poor in that first leg, with him taking only one shot. This seems like an anomaly, as it's his only start since February 13th in which he's had less than seven shots. We know that in this game, he'll be shooting a ton in an effort to get Juve back into the tie. Ronaldo has by far the best goal-scoring odds on the slate (-190). He's a good play in all formats due to his high shooting floor as well as his potential to score multiple goals.

Marco Reus ($7,300): Reus is a decent play in the mid-tier of the forward position. He picked up an assist in the first leg against Sevilla and could have a chance to do so again with Dortmund being home favorites. With Jadon Sancho out injured, Reus could pick up the set pieces that Sancho leaves behind. The situation is ambiguous, as Sancho has missed just two games this season, and in the one on Saturday against Bayern Munich, Dortmund had no corner kicks. I'd take a shot on Reus before Thorgan Hazard for $1,200 more, as Reus' goal odds are much better.

Mehdi Taremi ($6,500): Taremi scored in the first leg and is worth considering as a value play. He's second on Porto in goals with nine this season. If Porto can hit Juventus on the counter attack, he has a chance to score again and will likely come at low popularity.

Also Consider: Erling Haaland ($10,900), Álvaro Morata ($8,300), Youssef En-Nesyri ($7,100)

Midfielders to Target

Sérgio Oliveira ($6,100): With the top two midfield-eligible players injured, there are not many great options at the position. This means we can look to Sérgio Oliveira, and it's not as scary to play him despite him being on the biggest underdog, because there just aren't many plays that we'll feel comfortable with. Oliveira was an underdog in the first leg and performed well with four shots and nine crosses. He is also Porto's penalty taker, so if they are lucky enough to get one, he would have a great chance at scoring a goal. That makes him one of the best plays at midfield, with a high floor that others on this slate do not possess.

Joan Jordán ($5,400): Jordán has been taking a good amount of corners of late for Sevilla instead of Papu Gómez. This gives him one of the better floors at a midfield position that doesn't have many floors we will like. He averages more than two crosses, one shot, one chance created and one foul drawn per 90 minutes, according to Rotowire. That's enough to firmly put him in consideration for this slate. He also has seven assists this season, so the potential for a goal contribution is there. If Sevilla get a large amount of corners, Jordán could certainly pay off this salary.

Otávio ($4,000): If you badly need the salary, Otávio could work. He had a horrible game last time out against Juventus, scoring -2.1 DraftKings points, but he plays out wide and should be able to get a few crosses into the box. He was able to draw 14 fouls and win 12 tackles in five group stage matches, so he has a floor that's hidden in the peripheral statistics. He's definitely a fine punt play.

Also Consider: Federico Bernardeschi ($7,600), Weston McKennie ($5,800), Jesús Corona ($4,900)

Defenders to Target

Juan Cuadrado ($6,900): Cuadrado was on fire in the group stage, with five assists in five matches. He also had 26 crosses in those five games. He's been one of Juventus' set-piece takers throughout the season and should have the same role in this game. If Juventus need to keep pushing forward for a goal for most of the game, Cuadrado will likely keep pushing forward from his right-back position. Cuadrado is likely a better play than any midfielder, so it should be a priority getting him into your lineups.

Jesús Navas ($5,100): Navas has picked up the nickname "Crossing Jesus" because of how often he whips the ball into the box. He did so nine times in the first leg against Dortmund and could do it even more in this game if Sevilla are desperate to get back into this game. He's averaged more than nine crosses per 90 in the Champions league this season, so he definitely could exceed his total from the first game if the circumstances call for it.

Nico Schulz ($2,700): If he is starting, Schulz is the easiest play on the slate. He would play left-back for Dortmund and is close to the minimum salary. He has been an attacking full-back in the past, as he averaged more than four crosses per 90 minutes in his two seasons with Hoffenheim. He has 12 international appearances for Germany with two goals, so he's a player with some pedigree. That's what makes him a stone-cold lock in all lineups if he's in the starting lineup.

Also Consider: Marcos Acuña ($4,900), Zaidu Sansui ($4,300)

Goalkeeper to Target

Marwin Hitz ($5,200): Hitz is a home favorite who can save you $600 if you go down to him from Wojciech Szczęsny. Sevilla don't have a ton of goal threats in their team and have scored just the seventh most goals in La Liga. In truth, with only four starting keepers to pick from, it's not a position to prioritize. It's unlikely that one keeper will separate himself from the rest of the three, and with keeper being the hardest position to project, it makes sense to play whoever fits in your lineup.



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.