FanDuel Champions League DFS Analysis – Sep 18 2018
By David Gate
Welcome to the first FantasyCPR column for Champions League DFS action on FanDuel this season! We have all the tips to cash in UCL DFS!
The Champions League back as so is midweek Soccer DFS! We were spoilt through this summer with the World Cup allowing us to his the FIFA fantasy action on the daily. While having the Premier League back is awesome we now have two more days of DFS in the week to sate our appetites (addictions).
There are actually two slates tomorrow on FanDuel with a tasty early slate with Barcelona v PSV and Inter Milan v Tottenham Hotspur in the early games. Three of the biggest teams of the day are on that slate so that will be a fun flier. This column is for the main six game contest as I prefer bigger slates!
The primo matchup is between PSG and Liverpool. It will be fascinating to see how that one pans out. Six months ago you would put money on a goal-fest and certainly the bookies agree putting on a massive 3.94 predicted goals.
I suspect there will be a lot of action on that game but I am leaning towards stacking a side with the best matchup of the day.
Remember to check the lineups that are released about one hour before the contests lock. Now the teams are playing two games a week there will be some significant rotation and some great value to be found on the team sheets. On to who I am backing in UCL DFS on Tuesday!
FanDuel UCL Goalkeepers
Picking goalkeepers has become a tricky business on FanDuel. The wrong one can tank your lineup. The right one can see you over the cash line. There is too much emphasis on picking the least valuable position in the game for me.
But pick one we must. This is especially fraught in Champions League play as there are fewer clean sheets. The teams have to win and can’t rely on 0-0 draws to see them to safety. My favorite pick on this slate is Jan Oblak (5500).
He is the best keeper available but has a difficult matchup on paper. An away trip to Monaco is a tough game but the French side are banged up. They have very few attacking players available and Atletico are one of the best defensive teams in Europe.
Roman Burkl (6000) is the highest priced player on the list and has a decent matchup away to Club Brugge. My only concern is that the Belgians will have to win at least two games at home to progress. I think they go for it in this one.
Orestis Karnezis (4000) is projected to start and would go straight into my lineups at that price. He has the best matchup on the slate and should get clean sheet and win bonus. The only concern is that they go with David Ospina (6000) instead. Both have two starts in Serie A this season.
FanDuel Champions League UCL Defenders
While it is frustrating that FanDuel Champions League doesn’t seem to pay much attention to soccer when preparing their product that does leave a few opportunities for keen observers. One such play is Joe Gomez (4500) who will start for Liverpool.
The defender has been excellent for the Reds this term, starting every game. He will be directly matched up with Neymar so will be busy the entire game. PSG will likely target him rather than his colleague Virgil van Dijk. I love Gomez to make value at this price.
One tactic under the new scoring that has been working is highlighting defenders with goal/assist potential. Unfortunately they are usually the highest priced players. However there is one guy here who could be a huge GPP winner; Serdar Aziz (5000).
The Turkish defender has two goals already this season and has a prime matchup with Lokomotiv Moscow. He is as good a play as any for a goal from defense but will allow you to spend up on decent midfielders/forwards.
The last time Brugge played in the Champions League defender Brandon Mechele (3500) combined two performances for 52 FanDuel points. I have no idea if he will do it again but that would be my *super* value pick at the position.
FanDuel UCL Midfielders
Liverpool pair Mohamed Salah (11500) and Sadio Mane (10500) are the most expensive players on the midfield roster. Last season they each had 10 goals in the Champions League and devastated everyone in their path.
They are still good plays tomorrow but have a tough matchup with PSG. Mane has four goals already this season and looks sharper than Salah. If you are opting for one over the other I wild plump for the Senegalese winger.
My strategy for this slate is to stack Napoli midfield and forwards. Lorenzo Insigne (10500) who is playing against Crvena Zvezda (otherwise known as Red Star Belgrade). The Italian side have started the season brightly winning three of their first four games. I will have a four man Napoli stack in at least one line pairing Insigne with Marek Hamsik (8500).
I love Hector Herrera (9500) who is involved in every attacking thing Porto does. He has already got one goal this season and I fancy him to get on the goal or assist column against Schalke.
My value pick is Jadon Sancho (5000) who I am hoping goes under the radar. The Englishman has featured three times for Dortmund this year grabbing two assists. He does not have the ‘expected’ designation on FanDuel but should start. Add to that an empty game log and I am hoping the 18-year-old can be my GPP wild card.
FanDuel UCL Forwards
My Napoli stack will have both Dries Mertens (11000) and Jose Callejon (10000) as my main forwards. Great matchup, great players, playing well. Happy to back them.
PSG have three of the top forwards on the slate. Neymar (13500) is the biggest name and the biggest price. However I think there is enough to put you off the Brazilian this week. Liverpool have been reversing their reputation for conceding goals. They have only allowed two in the Premier League so far and have given up precious few shots.
Add to that he will be sharing opportunities with Edinson Cavani (11500) and Kylian Mbappe (11000) and you have to wonder if the chances will be there to justify his monster price. Better teams than PSG have shrunk at Anfield on a European night. I am fading the trio but Mbappe is the best of the three for a one-off play.
Roberto Firmino (11500) is not fit to play today – but could be tomorrow. I don’t love him at that price but Daniel Sturridge (9000) would be a great option if he replaces the Brazilian.
Diego Costa (9500) is a STEAL at under $10k. I like Antoine Griezmann (12500) more but you have to pay that premium. Costa has the second lowest odds to be on the score sheet.
Marius Wolf (6500) is sitting there at ridiculous price and will help you stack the Liverpool attacking trio if that is the road you want to go down.
FanDuel UCL Lineups
Please note: these are sample lineups and are not optimized. The only guarantee I can give you is that I will playing them too. I will also have some lines that are not here. Best thing is to take some of these picks and build your own lineup – especially in GPP – as lineup sharing only reduces the amount you can win.
Sample Lineup: GPP flier
FWD: Costa – Atletico Madrid
FWD: Mertens – Napoli
MID: Mane – Liverpool
MlD: Insigne – Napoli
MID: Sancho – Dortmund
DEF: Gomez – Liverpool
DEF: Aziz – Galatasaray
GK: Karnezis – Napoli
Sample Lineup: Napoli Stack
FWD: Callejon – Napoli
FWD: Mertens – Napoli
MID: Hamsik – Napoli
MlD: Insigne – Napoli
MID: Sancho – Dortmund
DEF: Gomez – Liverpool
DEF: Aziz – Galatasaray
GK: Oblak – Atletico Madrid
Next. PGS DFS. dark
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