SOCCER

Champions League Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 10/22/19

Raheem Sterling and Manchester City are big favorites at home versus Atalanta. Who else should you roster on Tuesday's main slate?

The Champions League, Europe's biggest soccer competition, returns on Tuesday for matchweek 3 of the Group Stage. FanDuel will be offering plenty of contests featuring the six Tuesday matches, which begin at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Group Stage
Tuesday, October 22
Atalanta at Manchester City
Lokomotiv Moscow at Juventus
Crvena Zvezda at Tottenham
Paris Saint-Germain at Club Brugge
Real Madrid at Galatasaray
Bayern Munich at Olympiakos


The format will be what has now become the norm on FanDuel soccer contests and what is used in this season's Premier League competitions. Lineups will consist of four forwards or midfielders, two defenders, and one keeper. Player pricing ranges from Cristiano Ronaldo at $23 to a multitude of players, including USMNT keeper Ethan Horvath, at $8.

Tottenham, Juventus, and Manchester City all have at least an 80% implied win chance according to the odds at EPL odds.

Let's look at some players at various price points who will have an impact on Tuesday's slate.

Forward/Midfielder

Raheem Sterling, Manchester City ($21)

Sterling was active on Saturday against Crystal Palace as he was denied by the woodwork, but he did register an assist in City's 2-0 win. He was busy on defense, as well, as one of the front three for City who tracks back throughout the match. He is a top-three choice as an anytime goal-scorer, per the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, after scoring and tallying an assist in the previous group stage match. Three of his five total shots in the UCL group stage have found the target. Sterling has nine goals and two assists in 11 appearances across all competitions this season. Atalanta have gone four games without a shutout and are allowing close to two goals per match in that time. They have allowed five goals in the two Champions League matches while City has scored five.

Son Heung-Min, Tottenham ($18)

Son only played one half in the 1-1 draw against Watford on Saturday, but he did see a shot denied by the post. He scored an impressive goal against Bayern Munich in Tottenham's previous group stage match and was by far the Spurs' best player on the field. Three of his five shots in the game were on target.


Son followed that match up by completing three tackles, drawing a foul, and completing one successful cross against Brighton in a match in which he showed more of his all-around game rather than just his offensive ability. He is also a top-three choice for an anytime goal-scorer on a team that is expected to win. Despite the lopsided loss to Bayern, Tottenham still average more possession than Crvena Zvezda. Spurs' opponents are allowing 22.5 shots per game, the most in the Champions League, through the first two group stage matches.

Juan Cuadrado, Juventus ($16)

Cuadrado is an interesting case as he has been playing at right-back but still performing well on the offensive side. He has created two chances in each group stage match and scored one goal. In comparison to other defenders on the slate, Cuadrado is priced higher, but his offensive ability, including dead ball prowess, makes him an intriguing, likely low-owned play.

Across all competitions, Cuadrado is averaging just over four defensive actions per match, but he has not been at right-back all season. Those numbers are higher in the Champions League. If the game plays out as expected (Juve are big favorites over Lokomotiv Moscow), then there should be space for Cuadrado to unleash a shot from distance or send in numerous crosses. This role is a new lease on life for Cuadrado. So far he is performing well.

Marko Marin, Crvena Zvezda ($13)

Marin is the workhorse for Red Star Belgrade. He is rarely substituted off the field and was a key for the team to make it out of the playoffs and into the group stage. In combining the last two playoff games with the first two group stage matches, Marin is up to 30 crosses, three assists, and six shots. He scored 37.6 FanDuel points in Matchweek 2 against Olympiakos. He was credited with seven chances created, three fouls drawn, and two tackles. He is clearly the engine for Crvena Zvezda, and the German will likely not be intimidated by playing at Tottenham. Tottenham have allowed 18 shots per game in the Champions League and have won just one game in their last seven across all competitions.

Defender

Daniel Carvajal, Real Madrid ($14)

Carvajal has been very consistent in the first two games of the Champions League. He created three chances in game one and four in game two. He had more clearances in game one but more tackles in game two. His FanDuel total in game one was 16.8 points, compared to 17.2 in game two. Carvajal did not register a cross this weekend against Mallorca. In the previous three games across all competitions, he had 11 crosses. However, he had two shots on target and drew three fouls to make up for his lack of passing from the wing. Three of Real Madrid's last five matches have been clean sheets while Galatasaray has been held without a goal in three of their last five across all competitions.

Yassine Meriah, Olympiakos ($12)

Meriah should be active against Bayern Munich after racking up 14 clearances in the first two group stage matches. He added seven other defensive actions and drew one foul to show that he knows his role. Bayern have owned 61% possession in the first two games, compared to less than 45% by Olympiakos. Meriah is still a bit of an unknown after coming from the first tier in Tunisia. He has played all along the back line and has even played a few games in defensive midfield. One thing is clear: he is expected to play defensive, and that is it. He will be needed against a Bayern team that scored seven goals last time out in the Champions League and will likely be looking to take their frustration from a draw in the Bundesliga over the weekend out on the Greek powerhouse.

Eduard Sobol, Club Brugge ($8)

Brugge plays an offensive-minded formation with a back three that pushes Sobol out to the left wing. The Ukrainian defender is in his first season with Brugge and played in only one of the two group stage matches so far. He has eight total appearances this season with three of the last four being clean sheets. He had six tackles and two interceptions against Real Madrid while being credited with creating one chance. His advanced position on the wing gives him the ability to move forward when Brugge has the ball. They have yet to lose at home this season with four wins and two draws. Sobol has played the full 90 minutes in the past five matches, appearing to secure the starting spot.

Keeper

Fernando Muslera, Galatasaray ($10)

Muslera has been very good this season in all competitions. He is averaging 14.25 FanDuel points per match in the Champions League and has allowed just four goals in the last six games across all competitions. He has three clean sheets this season after notching 25 over the last two seasons. Real Madrid are second in La Liga, but they are in last place in their group, scoring just two goals through the first two matches. Muslera has made seven saves in the Champions League. Given their league play, Real Madrid are favored. But their European play has been lacking, and this game is in Turkey.

Paulo Gazzaniga, Tottenham ($10)

Gazzaniga has struggled a bit since taking over for an injured Hugo Lloris. Gazzaniga has started two games and played 82 minutes of another (in relief) and has given up five goals. He has made nine saves in that time, but his stint in net has not been great. Playing him is simply a belief in the odds. Tottenham have 81.5% implied win odds in this match. Two of the top three final score odds are clean sheets for Spurs. Ownership for Gazzaniga may be high given the odds, but his low price warrants a look.



Doug Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Doug 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.