Yahoo DFS Soccer: Tuesday Champions League Picks

Yahoo DFS Soccer: Tuesday Champions League Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.

MATCHES (EST)

2:45 p.m: Liverpool v. Porto
2:45 p.m: Paris Saint-Germain v. Real Madrid

Play the Champions League £1.5K GPP for only £5 ($7.18)
FORWARDS

Cristiano Ronaldo, RMD at PSG (€26): Real Madrid head to Paris up 3-1 on aggregate, but with the firepower that PSG will bring, even without the injured Neymar (ankle), there's little reason to think Real Madrid will simply sit back and defend for 90 minutes. Ronaldo comes in with 22 more Champions League shots this season than the next highest player (25 more than the next highest on the slate), as well as nine more shots on goal (10 among Tuesday's group of players). Oh, and he has 11 goals in the competition (no one else has more than seven), with two of those coming in the first leg of the tie. He has scored multiple goals in six of his last eight in all competitions, taking a ridiculous 55 shots (27 on goal) in that span. Given he's not even the most expensive player available, Ronaldo is likely to be the highest-owned player in cash games.

Mohamed Salah, LIV v. POR (€27): Yes, the two most-expensive forwards might be good plays! Salah comes in having scored at least one goal in eight of his last nine games, including each of his last six, and there's little reason to think he'll slow down at home against a Porto side that Liverpool crushed 5-0 in the first leg in Portugal. You could save a little money by going with teammate Roberto Firmino (€24) or the PSG pair of Edinson Cavani (€24) or Kylian Mbappe (€22), though given their need to score a goal to make value, I may be more willing to save with Gareth Bale (€20) or Karim Benzema (€19).

Goncalo Paciencia, POR at LIV (€10): Paciencia started last Friday's Primera Liga match against Sporting, finishing with two shots and picking up an assist on two chances created. Admittedly, the biggest draw is his minimum salary, but if the Liverpool defense isn't as tight as it was in the first leg because of their dominant aggregate lead, Paciencia could provide the few peripheral stats needed to make value.

MIDFIELDERS

Angel Di Maria, PSG v. RMD (€19): Di Maria has taken on a larger role in the attack in light of Neymar's absence, and while he isn't usually a high-volume shooter (nor a tackle winner nor foul drawer), the PSG attack needs to be very active and he'll surely play a part. Other PSG midfielders like Marco Verratti (€18), Adrien Rabiot (€14) and Thiago Motta (€14) don't offer as much attacking upside (even if Rabiot scored in the first leg), though the former two are decent at accumulating peripheral stats for their relatively low prices.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, LIV v. POR ($€15): As mentioned, Liverpool come in with a commanding 5-0 aggregate lead, which could allow for some squad rotation. Oxlade-Chamberlain's playing time has been erratic of late, and his fantasy upside not only depends on whether he starts but where. Playing in the front three will give him higher goal upside, though he's enough of a peripheral stat accumulator that he's well worth his salary even in the midfield. Paying up for Sadio Mane (€23), who bagged a hat trick in the first leg, is an option as well, particularly since midfield isn't all that deep with high-impact players, though it seems like spending up for the forwards is more optimal.

Casemiro, RMD at PSG (€16): Known much more for his defensive work, Casemiro is likely to be very busy Tuesday while trying to slow down the PSG attack. He's also not one to shy away from taking a shot or two, and given that Tuesday's match is expected to be very up and down, Casemiro will have a great chance of scoring more than eight fantasy points for the seventh time in his last nine games.

DEFENDERS

Dani Alves, PSG v. RMD (€15): With PSG needing to make up a two-goal deficit, Alves will be one of their most important attacking players. Never one to hesitate in moving forward, he'll surely be looking to set up the players in the middle, and he does enough on the defensive end to give him a decent floor in case he isn't able to get on the scoresheet.

Andrew Robertson, LIV v. POR (€15): Given Liverpool's decent clean sheet odds, there are likely to be plenty of Liverpool defensive stacks. Robertson is the most attacking player of the group, with Virgil van Dijk (€15) offering the most defensive stats. You could also slightly pay up for Emre Can (€16), who almost always plays as a midfielder, though he's much more defensive.

Diogo Dalot, POR at LIV (€10): Dalot is another minimum-priced Porto player who could start due to their rash of injuries. You can't expect a ton out of him, but like Paciencia you don't need a whole lot to make the punt worth it.

GOALKEEPER

Loris Karius, LIV v. POR (€15): Karius is the most expensive keeper on the slate, which isn't surprising given Liverpool are the biggest favorites. If there's a concern it's that they won't be as strong defensively knowing they have a five-goal aggregate cushion, but with multiple goals expected in the PSG-Real Madrid match with either team a potential winner, and paying the small premium for Karius makes sense.

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 is a former RotoWire contributor. He was the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
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