SOCCER

FanDuel Soccer: Champions League Daily Fantasy Helper for Tuesday 10/27/20

Mohamed Salah is in an excellent spot versus Midtjylland. Which other players are worth rostering on Tuesday?

The Champions League, the best soccer competition on the planet, rolls on, and FanDuel is offering plenty of contests for Tuesday's and Wednesday's group stage matches. This article will focus on the main Tuesday slate, which starts at 4 p.m. EST.

Group Stage - 2nd Game
Tuesday, October 27th
Real Madrid at Mgladbach
Olympiakos at Porto
Manchester City at Marseille
Midtjylland at Liverpool
Ajax at Atalanta
Red Bull Salzburg at Atletico Madrid


Per EPL odds, Liverpool (-950) is the slate's biggest favorite, with Manchester City (-280) in second. Atletico Madrid (-170), Porto (-160), Atalanta (-130), and Real Madrid (-110) round out the slate. From an odds perspective, this slate is really Liverpool and everyone else. The defending Premier League Champions have gotten results recently, but have played far below their dominant potential. Still, they are at home and facing a Midtjylland team that is allowing an average of 1.16 goal per game in the Superliga and conceded four goals to Atalanta last Wednesday. This is a get-right spot for Liverpool, and fading them is a risky strategy with all of the other available sides in far more difficult situations.

Here are some players to target at various price points.

Forwards/Midfielders

Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool ($23 and $16) -- Salah is expected to be the most popular play on Tuesday's slate, and for good reason. Despite Liverpool's recent struggles, he carries more upside than anyone on the slate. There is some risk of limited minutes, but similar to Barcelona last Tuesday, one half is more than enough for Salah to make his mark. Outside of Salah, Liverpool's front three could have several different starters, with Firmino, Sadio Mane ($20), Diogo Jota ($17), and Takumi Minamino ($14) all in contention. If Minamino gets the start, his popularity could rival Salah's, as his combination of value and upside would be nearly unmatched on this slate. If Firmino starts, he could go slightly overlooked despite the spot. His play this season has been far from inspiring, with just one goal in seven starts, but throw all that out the window in a dream spot like this. If he is even slightly less popular than he should be in this spot, he is an excellent option for large-field tournaments on Tuesday.

Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden , Manchester City ($19 and $16) -- Manchester City has been far from dominant recently, with three wins, two draws, and a loss in their last six fixtures. Despite that, they find themselves in the second-most favorable position this weekend, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, and Porto all facing down difficult ties on Tuesday. Injury news will have an impact on how City take the pitch on Tuesday -- Kevin De Bruyne ($22) is expected back, while Sergio Aguero suffered a suspected hamstring injury last weekend and is likely to be unavailable. If Aguero is out, Sterling will likely operate as City's central striker against Marseille, with Phil Foden on the wing. Foden scored City's only goal after coming on as a substitute on Saturday and could be in line for 75+ minutes in this one. De Bruyne will be popular, but given's City's recent form, it may be best to save some salary and spend up on Liverpool's stars instead, while opting for value options on City.

Toni Kroos , Real Madrid ($16) -- Real bounced back from their stunning defeat to Shakhtar last Wednesday with a victory over Barcelona on Saturday, and they need to get their first points of this season's Champions League campaign on Tuesday. Kroos was excellent against Barcelona and should get the start against Gladbach after coming on as a late substitute against Shakhtar. Kroos has a commanding share of Real's set pieces this season and took eight of their nine against Barcelona. Gladbach has had a rocky start to their season, with one loss, two draws, and two wins over their first five, an average of 1.6 goals conceded per match, and no clean sheets thus far. Wanting to avoid a repeat of their loss to Shakhtar, Madrid should be fully focused in this one and could be in for a productive day with Kroos as the engine.

Defenders

Oleksandr Zinchenko, RB Manchester City ($8) -- City's injury woes could see Zinchenko handed his first start of the season on Tuesday. He strained a muscle in training in September and has only recently returned to full fitness, but could be in line for a full match on Tuesday. Zinchenko hasn't been featured consistently for City since early 2019, but during that stretch of seven consecutive 90-minute appearances, he averaged 14.3 FanDuel points per match. As a value option on the second-largest favorite on the slate, Zinchenko doesn't have to do too much to pay off his salary, as his inclusion allows for exposure to City while freeing up salary for higher-priced attackers. Consider pairing him with Sterling or Foden, both of whom should see some link-up play with him down the left side.

Daley Blind, Ajax ($12) -- Blind was moved into a central mid role in Ajax's 4-3-3 formation for last Wednesday's loss against Liverpool and could remain in that spot for Tuesday's clash with Atalanta. Atalanta is favored in this one, but their recent performances don't provide much optimism. They have back-to-back losses in Serie A to Sampdoria and Napoli by a combined score of seven goals to two and have conceded a miserable 2.4 goals per match in the Italian league so far this season. Their four-goal victory over Midtjylland last Wednesday was primarily driven by a weak opponent, and Ajax would be a massive test. Blind should have the opportunity to accumulate points on both ends of the pitch, and would be a solid value option if he remains in a midfield role. If he does, continue pairing him with Ajax's forwards, as he should have plenty of opportunities to link up with them despite carrying defender eligibility.

Goalie

Jose Sa, Olympiacos ($8) -- Olympiacos will come into this one fully rested after their league match against PAOK Thessaloniki was postponed. They stunned Marseille with a one-goal victory in their first group stage match, and will likely play for an away draw in this one to move to four points through two matches. Their defense has been solid this season, conceding just one goal in eight matches across all competitions. Porto should be on the front foot for most of this one, providing plenty of save opportunities for Sa. He's far from a safe play, but his ceiling is high for his salary if Olympiacos can produce another clean sheet on the road.