SOCCER

Champions League Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 4/17/19

Mohamed Salah has regained his goal-scoring form, and Liverpool are favorites versus Porto, making him a great play in Wednesday's Champions League action. Who else should you plug in?

The quarterfinals of the Champions League, Europe's biggest soccer competition, will conclude this week. FanDuel is offering contests featuring the two Wednesday matches, both of which begin at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Quarterfinals
Wednesday, April 17th
Tottenham at Manchester City
Liverpool at Porto


Manchester City and Liverpool are once again favorites, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Liverpool are an overwhelming favorite to move onto the semifinals, boasting nearly 98% implied odds to advance. Liverpool won the first leg at home, 2-0. Manchester City's implied percentage to advance is just over 60%, which is likely aided by the latest injury to Tottenham's Harry Kane. Erik Lamela, Dele Alli, and Harry Winks are also unlikely to feature. Tottenham did win the first leg, 1-0.

Each team on the slate won their match over the weekend in domestic league play. Manchester City are the only team of the four that failed to register a clean sheet.

Let's look at some players to target across the pitch at different price points on this slate.

Forwards

Sergio Agüero ($12,000) -- Agüero is the most expensive player on the slate, and he also leads eligible players in FanDuel points per match. However, his ownership may be lowered based on recent form and concerns over a possible injury. Manager Pep Guardiola stated that Agüero is not injured, though, so he should be leading the line for City as they look to overcome the small deficit. Agüero has scored 36 total goals in the Champions League in his career, with all but five coming with City. He comes through on the big stage time and again. If he ends up sitting, City still have enough firepower to score, and Gabriel Jesus ($11,500) would be a like-for-like replacement if he took Agüero's place. However, potentially getting Agüero at a lower-than-usual ownership with City's Champions League life on the line is incredibly appealing. Be sure to check the lineup when it is posted approximately an hour before kickoff.

Moussa Marega ($9,500) -- Marega was Porto's most dangerous player last week against Liverpool, forcing two good saves by Alisson ($6,000). He took five total shots, with three being on target. He finished the match with 15 FanDuel points and has averaged 25.3 points in this season's Champions League. Marega had a goal and an assist in Porto's 3-0 win over Portimonense this past weekend. He finished that match with the most shots on the team and added a key pass. He now has eight goals in the domestic league in 23 appearances, but he's tallied six goals in eight Champions League matches. Marega clearly loves the big stage and should be a vital figure for a Porto side that needs to score at least two goals.

Lucas Moura ($8,000) -- If Tottenham want to advance, someone must step up for Kane. This past weekend it was Moura. He was placed up front in an attacking front two and scored a hat trick against Huddersfield. He managed four shots, which was only third-best on the team, but had a stellar 75% conversion rate. Moura is expected to be lined up in a similar role against City, although it will be very hard to duplicate his feat from the weekend. There is clearly risk in playing Moura with City favored, but Tottenham managed more shots with less possession in the first leg. Kane was subbed off in the 58th minute, and Tottenham scored 20 minutes later, so there is reason to believe that Spurs can get a goal in Manchester.

Midfielders

Mohamed Salah ($9,500) -- The midfield choices on this slate seem endless. Rounding into form and fresh off an otherworldly strike against Chelsea this past weekend, Salah must be included. Understandably, there was talk of a slump with Salah, but he is capable of moments of magic out of nowhere. He now has two goals in the last three matches across all competitions. He averages close to four shots per match in the Champions League, more than he does in the Premier League. He managed seven shots, four more than any other Liverpool player, last week against Porto. This all comes after sitting out the international break and getting extra rest. Clearly, Salah needed and benefited from the break.

Hector Herrera ($6,000) -- Players like Raheem Sterling ($11,000), Leroy Sane ($10,500), Son Heung-Min ($8,500), and Sadio Mane ($10,000) are all good options, but Herrera is a great value play for those needing cap relief. Porto's captain was suspended for the first leg of the tie but came back with a vengeance over the weekend. He scored a goal and was named man of the match in the 3-0 victory. in Liga NOS. Herrera was tied for the team lead in touches and completed 90.9% of his passes in the match. He has increased his FanDuel point total in each of his last three Champions League matches and has drawn at least two fouls in each of his last seven matches in the competition.

Defenders

Virgil van Dijk ($6,000) -- Moving down the defender pricing a bit, Liverpool's center-back pops. He had six clearances in the first leg and was excellent with his passing. He also had three tackles and scored near his season-long average of 17.3 FanDuel points per match in the Champions League. He averages nearly five clearances per game in Europe, a number that he should easily reach with Porto pressing at home to make up the deficit. Remember, defenders get a clean-sheet bonus, and Liverpool have back-to-back shutouts after allowing a goal in five straight games.

Benjamin Mendy ($5,000) -- Mendy was back in the lineup for the full match this past weekend when City beat Crystal Palace, 3-1. He was second on the team in touches with 119 and completed a shade more than 94% of his passes. Mendy's one shot in the match was on target, and he also had two successful dribbles. Defensively, he completed six actions. Mendy, who has been hampered by knee problems for a large portion of the season, has played in one Champions League match this campaign and tallied 25 FanDuel points in it. He completed three key passes and had two shots in that match. Mendy appears fit and ready to be a key cog for City moving forward, but he's not a lock to be in the lineup. Again, make sure to see who is hitting the field on Wednesday for City before locking in Mendy.

Keeper

Hugo Lloris ($5,000) -- Last week's pick, Alisson, came through with a clean-sheet victory, but this week, a clean sheet is not what the focus should be. This times it is about saves. As mentioned, City controlled possession last week, and Tottenham is without some of its best offensive weapons. City should see more of the ball, leading to more chances on goal. Despite all the injuries, Tottenham still have much of their defense intact. Lloris can remain confident with his defense supporting his efforts, and he's capable of building off of his performance from last week. He saved an early penalty to help secure his third straight clean sheet in Champions League play. Lloris averages the most FanDuel points of any expected starting keeper on the slate.


Douglas Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Douglas Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username aquemini03. 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.