DraftKings UCL Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper for 11/22/20

The fourth matchday of the Champions League sees the reverse fixtures of matchday three. This slate is jam-packed with some of the world's biggest superstars, so deciding which ones we'll want will be tough. Here are the matches we have, with odds from EPL odds:

Forwards to Target

Cristiano Ronaldo ($11,400): Last time these teams were on the slate, Lionel Messi seemed to be the preferred option over Ronaldo. With Messi set to rest on Tuesday, we won't have to make the decision. There are other forward plays with expensive salaries that are also in good spots, but Ronaldo has a few things going for him that give him the edge over the others.

Juventus are at home and the biggest favorites on the slate, by far. Ronaldo was dealing with COVID-19 earlier, but it seems like there aren’t any lingering effects as he scored two goals in his last match on Saturday. One of the benefits of spending all the way up for Ronaldo is that he loves to shoot, and that hasn’t been any different this season with 6.16 shots per 90 minutes in Serie A this season. The oddsmakers like his chances of bagging a goal, as he has any time goal-scoring odds of -450. His odds of scoring a hat trick are not that long at just +420. Ronaldo is the play if you’re looking to spend up on one of the elite forwards on the slate.

Ciro Immobile ($8,700): Immobile could go overlooked with all the star forwards on the slate. He also comes with a discount in salary compared to those stars. Immobile was a star in his own right last season, as his 36 goals tied a Serie A record, and also won him the European Golden Shoe for the most league goals in Europe. He hasn't quite hit those heights yet this season, but his four goals in six games is nothing to sneeze at. He also has a goal and an assist in his only Champions League appearance this season against Dortmund. He'll get an easier matchup at home against Zenit St. Petersburg this week, with Lazio being -160 favorites. Immobile is the penalty taker for Lazio, and that's very important with all the penalties we've seen of late. He makes for a great tournament play that could be less popular than some of the other forwards.

Antoine Griezmann ($6,200): With Messi not playing, it looks as if Griezmann will get the start up front for Barcelona. He hasn't been quite the same player since joining the club last season, but that is definitely baked into this low salary. He has played better in recent league matches, with two goals and an assist in his last three La Liga games. With high salary options that we'll want to use, Griezmann is a way to save that also has upside. His -120 odds to score are the best you will find for this salary, so Griezmann is a solid value play.

Midfielders to Target

Bruno Fernandes ($10,300): Of the players that are only eligible at midfield, Fernandes is clearly the best play. If you have played EPL DFS since Fernandes came to England, you know what he's all about. He gets points through crosses and shot assists, while also scoring goals. His goal and assist numbers since joining the Premier League are nearly unmatched, as he is second in goals and first in assists in that span.

Manchester United are sizeable favorites against Istanbul Basaksehir at home. With the way their attack tends to go through Fernandes, if they are able to score three or more goals, it's likely that he will be involved in at least two of them. It's rare to get a player that has as safe of a floor as Fernandes, with also the upside to score multiple goals. It makes him usually one of the best plays on any slate he is on.

Trincão ($6,200): Trincão has only started one match this season, but with Messi and Ansu Fati missing this match, could see a start for Barcelona. When he has been on the pitch, he hasn't been afraid to shoot, averaging 4.71 shots per 90 minutes in La Liga. When Barcelona played Dynamo Kyiv three weeks ago, they were able to get 22 shots and 14 on target so Trincão should have his chances to shoot. He also has good rates for crossing and drawing fouls in his small sample. For this salary in the midrange, he's worth a play to see if he can extrapolate his good rate stats into something close to 90 minutes.

Raphaël Guerreiro ($5,700): Guerreiro is a good value play at midfield as a player who gets forward for a team that loves to attack. In a recent Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich, Guerreiro excelled with two assists, five crosses, and eight chances created. This matchup against Club Brugge isn't nearly as difficult on paper as that one was, so Guerreiro should be able to produce again. He gets some corner kicks for Dortmund as well. The German side are -410 favorites, so that's just another positive for Guerreiro in this match. He's one of the better values at the midfield position.

Charles De Ketelaere ($3,100): If you're looking to totally punt at midfield, De Ketelaere seems to be the option. In two Champions League starts, he has a goal and seven shots. He's actually more of a forward, but listed as a midfielder, which should give him a better chance to score. If he is able to get a few shots, he'll make value on this salary. If he can score a goal, he's a total home run.

Defenders to Target

Juan Cuadrado ($5,800): Cuadrado could be the best piece to get from Juventus after Ronaldo. He has been a defender who gets forward and also has been taking corner kicks of late. In his last league match on Saturday, he got 19.8 DraftKings points without getting a goal or an assist. That kind of performance just from accumulation is hard to get from a defender, and even hard to get from one under $5,800. With how big of a favorite Juventus are, they should dominate possession and chances. It's easier to record shot assists when you play with a player like Ronaldo who loves to shoot, so Cuadrado should benefit from that. He's the best defender with a high salary on the slate.

Layvin Kurzawa ($4,700): Kurzawa has shown attacking intent for PSG this season, particularly in the Champions League. He had six crosses and a great opportunity to score against Manchester United in the opening game of the group stage. PSG are back at home in this match against RB Leipzig, and are decent sized favorites. Kurzawa will benefit from the presence of Neymar, and be able to get crosses on the overlapping run as they play on the same side of the pitch. That could explain why his production dropped in the last Champions League match with Neymar out, but with the Brazilian superstar expected to start in this match, isn't something fantasy managers will have to worry about. Kurzawa is a fine play at a defender spot that lacks a lot of clear-cut options.

Goalkeepers to Target

Wojciech Szczęsny ($5,900): Juventus have a well-deserved reputation for being a stellar defensive team. They are especially difficult to score on when they play at home. The task for Ferencvaros will be very difficult, and the bookmakers don't seem to like their chances. Szczęsny and Juventus have -144 clean sheet odds in this game, to go with their near astronomical odds to win, it makes the choice clear that Szczęsny is the option if you have the salary to spend on a keeper.

Georgiy Bushchan ($3,900): Bushchan will be the keeper for Dynamo Kyiv against Barcelona. I recommended Barcelona players so it may seem odd to also like the keeper, but there are a few reasons for this. When this salary came out, it was presumed that Barcelona would be a much bigger favorite than they are. So there is value in playing Bushchan just from looking at the betting odds. When these teams met three weeks ago, Kyiv's keeper made 12 saves and got 20.6 DK points. If he gets anywhere close to that, he's worth playing for this salary, even if he allows a few goals. This would make it viable to play a player or two from Barcelona against him.

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