FanDuel Soccer: Champions League DFS Helper for 4/13/21

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 knockout stage matches. This article will focus on the main Tuesday slate, which starts at 3 p.m. EST.

Per EPL odds, Chelsea (-120) is the slate's biggest favorite, with Bayern (+120) in second. PSG (+190) and Porto (+320) round out the two-game slate as underdogs. From an odds perspective, this is a relatively even slate, with two matches that could go either way.

Chelsea enters Tuesday coming off a three-goal victory over Crystal Palace. They hold a two-goal advantage from the first leg, which saw them comfortably defeat Porto despite being outshot 12 to 6. Playing at home, Chelsea can secure their spot in the semi-finals without needing to push for goals, and after their success in the first leg, look for them to continue to control possession.

Porto bounced back from their loss in the first leg with a two-goal victory over Tondela on Saturday. To secure their place in the next round, they will need to score at least twice and should be on the front foot for this entire fixture. They did outshoot Chelsea in the first leg, a small positive in an otherwise terrible result. Playing on the road as the largest underdogs on the slate against an in-form Chelsea side, this is a difficult task for Porto, but one they are more than capable of.

Bayern enters Tuesday off a one-goal draw with Union Berlin on Saturday. It is just the third time this season they have gone two games without a win, and the absence of Robert Lewandowski, combined with their continued struggles on defense, is looming large. Having conceded three away goals in the first leg, Bayern will likely need to win by multiple goals to secure their spot in the next round. They are certainly capable of doing so but asked to press, their backline will be as vulnerable as ever against PSG's world-class attack.

PSG backed up their win in the first leg with a three-goal victory over Strasbourg on Saturday. Last Wednesday's result was encouraging, as Bayern's injury-riddled defense has no answers for Kylian Mbappe ($23), and there is little reason to expect that to change in the second leg. That said, despite their impressive performance, they lead by just a single goal, and a side as talented as Bayern is more than capable, even without Lewandowski, of pulling off the comeback.

Here are some players to target at various salary ranges.

Forwards/Midfielders

Kylian Mbappe ($23), PSG -- Mbappe's FanDuel point production speaks for itself, with 42.6, 33.0, 78.3, and 61.0 points over his last four UCL fixtures, and he is no stranger to performing on the biggest stage. That was more than evident during the first leg, when he scored twice on two shots, first to open the scoring in the 3rd minute, and then again to regain the lead in the 68th minute. The combination of Mbappe and Neymar, who had two assists in the first leg, is simply too much for even the best backline to handle, let alone a Bayern side dealing with injuries. With Bayern required to score multiple goals, they could find themselves even more vulnerable to PSG's counterattacks, which further boosts Mbappe's outlook on Tuesday.

Leon Goretzka ($12), Bayern -- Goretzka was forced from the first leg after just 33 minutes due to a minor strain but managed to produce three shots in that limited time before leaving the pitch. Despite the final result, Bayern had plenty of success moving forward in the first leg, outshooting PSG 31 to 6. Now needing to score at least twice to advance, they should be on the front foot for this entire fixture, allowing Goretzka to be firmly involved in the attack despite his position as a defense mid in their 4-2-3-1 formation. He should be less popular than most of the other options on the pitch and offers decent upside for his salary. In four games from February 23rd to March 13th, he produced FanDuel point totals of 17.8, 38.9, 35.9, and 26.9 across all competitions. His salary doesn't account for the role he will play, with Bayern required to push for multiple goals.

Defenders

Zaidu Sanusi ($11), Porto -- Sanusi has only failed to produce fewer than 9.5 FanDuel points once in his nine UCL appearances this season, and that was during the team's second-leg victory over Juventus in early March. He produced one shot and three crosses in the first leg against Chelsea and managed a 46.7 FanDuel point performance against Olympiacos earlier in the competition. With Porto required to push forward in the second leg, he should be involved in the final third at a high rate for his salary. In lineups that are fading Chelsea, consider pairing him with Otavio ($13), as the two will combine to attack down the left side of Chelsea's defense.

Benjamin Pavard, Bayern ($14) -- Pavard played just 24 minutes in Saturday's draw against Union Berlin to allow him to rest up for Tuesday's showdown. He has produced double-digit FanDuel points in each of his last eight starts and contributed three shots, two on goal, and one assist during the first leg. With Bayern in a rare position of playing from behind, Pavard should remain heavily involved in the final third, especially if PSG opts to sit back and attack the counter. While the first leg resulted in a PSG win, Bayern thoroughly dominated possession (63.6%) with 51% of the game taking place inside PSG's final third. Expect more of the same on Tuesday, with Pavard and Bayern pushing for multiple goals.

Goalie

Agustin Marchesin, Porto ($7) -- The abundance of high salaried attackers available in the PSG vs. Bayern fixture makes Marchesin's salary that much more appealing. While Chelsea is the largest favorite on the slate, their implied win probably is just 54.5%, leaving the door plenty open for a Porto victory in this leg. While surrendering four total goals to Juventus across their two matches, Marchesin produced FanDuel point totals of 22.5 and 16.5 with a combined 14 saves. His save potential is lower in a game that Chelsea does not have to press in, but his salary still provides value relative to the other keeper options on the slate.