Soccer fans that don’t like the direction their DraftKings Champions League entries went in Tuesday’s contests can get their shot at redemption with tournaments built around the two games scheduled for Wednesday. With only four rosters to choose from there are much fewer options with which to build your starting XI so we took the time to break down the matchups, player values and price tags to build the best possible starting XI. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Wednesday’s DraftKings Champs League fantasy tournaments.
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona
Salary: $4,000
There is a case to be made for Barcelona’s goalkeeper as the best available player at his position this week regardless of whether they played on Tuesday or Wednesday. Marc-Andre ter Stegen will see some action from the Atletico attack but Barcelona won’t be caught off guard the way they seemed to be when last week’s game got out of hand and there is a good chance they come out on top in the second leg with a strong effort at both ends of the pitch.
D: Filipe Luis, Atletico Madrid
Salary: $3,800
Atletico is down a goal heading in to the second leg at home and that should favor a defender with higher offensive upside in Luis. He has been known to push forward and help create offensive opportunities and his price tag is reasonable enough that he is worth taking a chance on as our top option at the position.
D: Juan Bernat, Bayern Munich
Salary: $3,700
Bayern’s back line is a little beaten up and that should lead to Bernat playing substantial minutes in the second leg against Benfica. The combination of his price tag and the potential for bonus points should Bayern shut down the Benfica attack makes Bernat a strong play for Wednesday’s Champions League action.
D: Gerard Pique, Barcelona
Salary: $3,400
Pique doesn’t have the same offensive upside as some of the other players on the board but Barcelona enters the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal with a one-goal lead and will undoubtedly look to play a more controlled game this time around. Pique should play the full 90 minutes for Barcelona and at just $3.4K he should be a strong play.
M: Yannick Carrasco, Atletico Madrid
Salary: $4,400
Carrasco has yet to play the full 90 minutes for Atletico in the Champions League this season and he was limited to 53 minutes in the first leg but that also had a lot to do with the fact that Atletico was playing with 10 men. Carrasco has enough offensive upside to think that he could stay on the field a little longer this week as Atletico pushes hard to try and rally for the win over Barcelona with the chance to advance to the semifinal.
M: Sergio Busquets, Barcelona
Salary: $3,700
Busquets was subbed off following a yellow card in the first leg but he should return to the starting XI with a good chance he plays an integral role in Barcelona’s second leg this week. Busquets has been a consistent player both at home in La Liga and in the Champions League and his price tag makes him a strong value option for Wednesday.
M: Xabi Alonso, Bayern Munich
Salary: $3,300
Alonso didn’t factor in to the opening leg versus Benfica but with a narrow lead headed to Benfica he could draw in to the lineup. Keep an eye out for the rosters and if he is available then plug him in at a very reasonable $3.3K. However, if he is not available then you might have to scramble in order to find a reasonable value for this final midfield spot.
F: Neymar, Barcelona
Salary: $8,800
Luis Suarez was the star for Barcelona in their opening leg with two goals but the stat sheet doesn’t do Neymar’s performance justice as he was all over the field creating opportunities for both himself and his teammates. We are counting on Neymar bringing another strong performance to the table in the second leg with the hope that this time he can have a major impact on the score sheet.
F: Thomas Muller, Bayern Munich
Salary: $7,800
Alonso’s insertion at just $3.3K allows us to spend big on Muller as our second striker option but he might have to be sacrificed should Alonso not be in the lineup for Bayern. Arturo Vidal was the hero in the first leg so if Alonso doesn’t play then consider inserting Goncalo Guedes in to this spot with Vidal moving to the open midfield spot and a number of decent options left over for the FLEX play where Carrasco is currently slotted.
FLEX: Goncalo Guedes, Benfica
Salary: $3,500
Guedes isn’t the most explosive offensive option but he is available at a very reasonable price for a player that has the potential to do some damage for Benfica. He could also easily be slotted in to the forward position in place of Muller should Alonso not be in the lineup for Bayern, which would lead to us needing to sacrifice Muller at the position.
FLEX: Javi Martinez, Bayern Munich
Salary: $3,400
With just under $4K left over for our final FLEX position it only makes sense to plug in Martinez as the best available option with the cap space that we have left over. Martinez played the final 30 in the first leg and could be a force as Bayern looks to book its spot in the semifinal in this second leg versus Benfica.
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