SOCCER

DraftKings UCL Daily Fantasy Soccer Helper for 11/25/20

David Alaba could be a nice value play at defender in a great matchup. What other players should we look to target on Wednesday in the Champions League?

We’ve got six more games from the other groups that didn’t play on Tuesday. This slate includes teams that have combined to win the past competitions, so that should make for good action. Let’s look at the games, with odds from FanDuel Sportsbook:

HomeDrawAway
Liverpool (-160)+340Atalanta (+380)
Atlético Madrid (-550)+600Lokomotiv Moscow (+1400)
Ajax (-340) +470Midtjylland (+850)
Marseille (+190)+220Porto (+150)
Inter (+120)+270Real Madrid (+210)
Bayern Munich (-490)+600Red Bull Salzburg (+1100)


Forwards to Target

Robert Lewandowski ($11,900): Lewandowski got off the mark in the last Champions League match, scoring his first two goals in this season’s competition. That was away against RB Salzburg, and in this match, he will face them at home. He’s been in his normal terrific form, scoring 11 goals in seven league matches.

Bayern Munich are big favorites in the rematch of a game they won 6-2. Lewandowski had five shots and four shot-assists in that game. In this game, he’s a whopping -575 favorite to score at any time. That makes him a priority in most lineup builds.

Romelu Lukaku ($8,000): Lukaku is one of the most in-form strikers in Europe. He’s scored 14 goals in 14 games in all competitions for club and country this season. On Wednesday, he gets a matchup that appears tough at first glance but is easier when you dig a bit deeper.

Inter Milan are playing against Real Madrid at home. Madrid have not been performing up to their high standards so far this season and will be without key members of their starting eleven. Sergio Ramos’ absence at center back particularly benefits Lukaku as a forward. The Belgian striker is -105 to score in this match and offers great tournament upside.

David Neres ($5,700): Neres is a value option at forward, as Ajax are sizable home favorites against Midtjylland, who they beat on the last match day 2-1 on the road. Neres wasn't involved in that game, but he scored a goal and took a few corner kicks in his last league game. That's enough to give him consideration at this low salary in a spot where Ajax should be able to attack and score some goals.

Midfielders to Target

Alejandro Gómez ($7,200): Gómez's salary has come down considerably after a not-great outing in the last Champions League game. He is in the same tough matchup this time, but there are a few reasons to buy back in on him. He still will get the majority of set pieces for Atalanta, a side that loves to attack. Liverpool will be without their starting two center backs and have generally not been as good defensively as they were last season. People may be off Gómez given his last performance and the matchup, but that will just lower the popularity on a player with a good profile for fantasy. He may be difficult to go to in cash games, but he'll make for a unique tournament play.

Yannick Carrasco ($6,600): Carrasco returned from injury and scored a goal against Barcelona. Now, he'll get a spot for Atlético Madrid as the biggest favorites on the slate. Carrasco has been a good accumulator this season, with over two shots, close to three chances created, and three crosses per 90 minutes in La Liga this season, according to Rotowire. He was able to get 8.8 DraftKings points against Bayern Munich in his only Champions League appearance of the season, so he should be able to do more against Lokomotiv Moscow. Carrasco is a solid all-around play in the midrange salary tier of midfield.

Sérgio Oliveira ($5,200): Oliveira is a player we've been rostering because of his role on set pieces. However, it's been paying off big time as he has goals in each of his last two Champions League appearances. He also had a big league match on Saturday, scoring again and adding two assists. While we can't rely on that, we can still roster Oliveira for his corner kicks. In that league game on Sunday, he took 11 corners for Porto. For only $5,200, there aren't many players who can match that value of a floor with upside for goals. This makes Oliveira one of the best midfield options on the slate.

Defenders to Target

Andrew Robertson ($6,500): Robertson is the last remaining member of Liverpool's preferred starting back line. The most fantasy-relevant injury is Trent Alexander-Arnold, leaving Roberston as the main defender we'll want from the Reds. His role on set pieces has vaulted him to the most crosses in the Premier League by a wide margin. Liverpool are decent home favorites against Atalanta in this game and were able to win 5-0 in the reverse fixture. We know that Atalanta will try to push forward, which could allow Robertson to exploit open space they might leave behind. He's the best defender play if looking to spend up at the position.

David Alaba ($3,000): Alaba might be the best play on the slate under the right circumstances. If Lucas Hernandez is unable to play and with Alphonso Davis definitely out, Alaba could start at his old left back position. He did so when Hernandez was forced off against Werder Bremen on Saturday and got 11 crosses. He's also been known to score from direct free kicks in the past. You won't get another full back who can attack like he can for this low of a salary, especially one on a huge favorite like Bayern Munich are in this match. If Hernandez is out, Alaba should be locked into all of your lineups for this slate.

Goalkeepers to Target

Jan Oblak ($5,700): Atlético Madrid are currently the biggest favorites on the slate, but the goalkeeper salaries don't reflect that. So we'll get a discount on one of the world's best keepers as a big favorite with one of the best defensive teams in Europe in front of him. Atlético are -164 to keep a clean sheet in this match against Lokomotiv, while Bayern Munich are +178 to keep a clean sheet in their match. Because of that, rostering Oblak makes more sense than rostering Manuel Neuer, even if you have the $200 needed to get to the Bayern keeper.

Agustín Marchesín ($4,500): Another play we can make just by looking at the odds is Marchesín of Porto. They are slight favorites in this match, but Marseille's Steve Mandanda has a higher salary against them. Marseille have generally been bad in the Champions League so far, failing to score in any of their three matches. So taking the value and the decent matchup with Marchesín makes a lot of sense.


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.