Yahoo DFS Soccer: Wednesday Champions League Picks

Yahoo DFS Soccer: Wednesday Champions League Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.

MATCHES (EDT)

1:00 p.m: Besiktas v. Bayern Munich
3:45 p.m: Barcelona v. Chelsea

Play the Champions League £1K GPP for only £5 ($7.11)

FORWARDS

Lionel Messi, BCN v. CHE (€27): Messi hasn't been dominant during Champions League play, but he still has the highest upside of any player on the slate. He scored an important away goal in the first leg, one that started his current four-game goal streak. There's little doubt that he'll be taking lots of shots (he's averaging 5.77 per 90, including 2.77 on goal, during La Liga play and 5.09 and 2.81, respectively, during the Champions League), and he'll be doing so against a Chelsea side with just one clean sheet in their last seven matches. Given we could see considerable rotation with Bayern Munich, Messi is the player most worth paying up for Tuesday.

Sandro Wagner, FCB at BESI (€16): With Bayern Munich leading 5-0 on aggregate and Robert Lewandowski (€27) one yellow card away from a suspension, Wagner seems destined to start Wednesday. He has the best anytime goal scorer odds after Messi, Luis Suarez (€26) and Lewandowski, but he comes at a fraction of the cost. He hasn't played a ton since moving to Bayern in January, but he scored in each of his past two starts, taking five shots in each match. Paying up for Thomas Muller (€25) is also an option, though I'd prefer Suarez because he actually has something to play for.

Pedro, CHE at BCN (€18): His playing time has been very inconsistent, but Pedro could be an interesting option if he gets the start. He's averaging 3.29 shots, including 1.37 on goal, per 90 minutes in Premier League play, and with Chelsea needing to score an away goal, there is a definite recipe for Pedro to be very active against his former team. Finding the back of the net isn't likely, but it's not out of the question either.

MIDFIELDERS

Arjen Robben, FCB at BESI (€23): The Bayern midfield has a number of solid fantasy options, with Robben and James Rodriguez (€22) the top ones to consider, with Franck Ribery (€23) much further behind for me. Robben didn't start the first leg, but took two shots and sent in two accurate crosses after coming on just before halftime for the injured James, and I'd be very interested in playing both Wednesday if they start.

Willian, CHE at BCN (€18): Teammate Eden Hazard (€24) is the most expensive midfielder on the slate, but Willian has been a much better fantasy producer of late, scoring three goals on 14 shots (eight on goal) in his last four games, including one against Barcelona in the first leg. I'm not expecting a ton out of Chelsea, but the midfield pool on the slate isn't that great outside of Bayern (and even then it could be limited depending on who starts), and I'd rather get some Chelsea exposure through Willian's price over Hazard's.

Ricardo Quaresma, BESI v. FCB (€16): I'm not going to pretend that Besiktas has a chance in this tie, but I still like Quaresma if he gets the start. So much of their attack runs through him, which is impressive given that he plays out on the wing. Besiktas went down to 10 men early in the first leg, which prompted his poor performance, but I'm willing to go back to the well in a meaningless game that could be one of his last in the Champions League.

DEFENDERS

Niklas Sule, FCB at BESI (€15): A rotated Bayern back line doesn't provide us with a ton of value, but there are still fantasy points to be had and stacks to build. Sule isn't afraid to let a shot go, though a lot of his value comes from being on the ball so much since Bayern tend to dominate possession. Add in their likely clean sheet and it's easy to see how Sule can pay off.

Gerard Pique, BCN v. CHE (€15): I don't expected many to roster Besiktas defenders, and while there are likely to be plenty of Bayern stacks, let's not ignore the Barcelona guys either. Unfortunately, we only get three to choose from, as right-back Sergi Roberto (€15) is classified as a midfielder, so Pique heads the group as the one most dangerous on set pieces. Unfortunately, none of them are high upside plays, which again brings us back to the Bayern stack.

GOALKEEPER

Sven Ulreich, FCB at BESI (€15): Ulreich has the highest win and clean sheet odds on the slate, and even if Bayern throw out a B team because of their 5-0 aggregate lead, it's still a dominant group of players. If Bayern decide to rotate even more, we could get a great discount on backup keeper Tom Starke (€10).

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew M. Laird
Andrew M. Laird, the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year, is RotoWire's Head of DFS Content and Senior Soccer Editor. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
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