SOCCER

DraftKings Champions League Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper: Wednesday 9/18/19

Joshua Kimmich and Bayern Munich are set for a big day in Champions League. Which other teams are in good spots?

The remaining Champions League teams start their group stage on Wednesday, and the slate has a different dynamic than yesterday. Bayern Munich are absolutely monster favorites at home, -1500 according to FanDuel Sportsbook. This slate will very much be about getting the right exposure to them as some of the other big clubs have much more difficult situations.

Forwards to Target

Robert Lewandowski ($10,200): Lewandowski has been the main goalscorer for Bayern Munich since he arrived at the club. He's scored over 40 goals for five straight seasons and has seven goals in four Bundesliga matches to start this year. In this match against FK Crvena zvezda (who we will refer to by their English name of Red Star Belgrade from now on for simplicity), Lewandowski is -500 to score. FanDuel Sportsbook also has him as under 4/1 to score a hat trick in this match. Those kind of odds do not come along often and cannot be ignored.

Riyad Mahrez ($8,000): Manchester City are the second biggest favorite on this slate, despite playing away to Shaktar Donetsk in Ukraine. The prices for their players seem to be lower than they would be in a Premier League match. Perhaps the most under-priced player is Mahrez at just $8,000. Mahrez is the type of high floor player we like to target, as he has five shots, two assists and eight crosses despite just two starts this year. If Man City play as well as the oddsmakers expect them to, Mahrez could have his hand at least one goal or assist.

Duván Zapata ($7,300): Zapata is a contrarian tournament option who most DraftKings users will just glance over and ignore. There are many other big name players who will be popular, but they will be in tougher spots. Atalanta is an under-the-radar team who play a very attacking style, scoring the most goals in Serie A last season and averaging the most shots per game. Zapata was their leading scorer, scoring 23 goals in Serie A last season, and he already has three goals in three games this year. This matchup is not one to be afraid of, and Atalanta's dynamic attack is likely to fly under the radar as it hasn't been seen on the European stage just yet.

Midfielders to Target

Kevin De Bruyne ($9,000): De Bruyne is another under-priced Man City player given his role and his team's chance to win based on what the sports books say. He's pulling all the strings from midfield, leading the Premier League in assists with five. If Man City are dominating possession, KDB will be racking up crosses and shot assists and will have opportunity to get a goal or an assist.

Alejandro Gómez ($8,400): "Papu" Gómez is another piece of the Atalana attack to target. He is the primary set piece taker and has 14, 7 and 9 crosses in the first three games in Serie A this season. This gives him a great floor, and if Atalanta goes off for a few goals, he can get involved in the act. In tournaments, playing Gómez and Zapata together and hoping they can combine on a goal or two at a low cumulative ownership percentage could make sense.

Kerem Demirbay ($6,400): Bayer Leverkusen are the third biggest favorites on the slate at -320 at home against Lokomotiv Moscow. Demirbay came over from Hoffenheim over the summer, where he was known as a set piece taker. Now with Leverkusen, he has carved out a similar role. In a recent Bundesliga game against his old team Hoffenheim, he had 11 crosses with 9 being from corner kicks. If Leverkusen have the ball a similar amount in this game, Demirbay should score a good amount of fantasy points

Defenders to Target

Joshua Kimmich ($5,700): Kimmich has a knack for having big games in the Champions League. Seven of his 17 career goals for Bayern Munich are in the Champions League. And now he gets this great spot for Bayern as huge favorites. Kimmich is also the primary corner kick taker on the team. Kimmich has been higher priced than this in the past, so even though he is the most expensive defender, he might still be a value.

Thomas Meunier ($4,300): PSG are hosting Real Madrid in the most marquee matchup of the day, but maybe one that's not as fantasy friendly as some others. This probably reduced Meunier's price down to a level that makes him a value play. Real Madrid have not been good defensively, conceding a goal in every La Liga game this year. Meunier's attack-minded nature and being a home as a favorite gives him more upside than most others at the position in this price range.

Goalkeepers to Target

Manuel Neuer ($5,900): Given how big of a favorite Bayern Munich is, Neuer is worth paying up for given how likely a win and clean sheet is for him. He is a great play for cash games for his safety.

Wojchiech Szczesny ($4,800): Juventus and Atlético Madrid are two of the most solid defensive teams in club soccer. This is reflected in the over/under of this game being just two. Szczesny is the cheaper of the two starting goalies in a game that is not projected to have very many goals, so he is unlikely to sink your lineup.