The Champions League quarterfinal round will get underway for four more teams on Wednesday with Barcelona set to visit Paris St. Germain and Bayern Munich ready for an away leg clash with Porto.
Breaking down the best starting 11 for DraftKings daily fantasy leagues can get a little trickier with fewer matchups to choose from but considering the scoring potential between these four teams, we think we have done an excellent job of narrowing down the field.
Here are the best bets for your DraftKings Champions League daily fantasy leagues for Wednesday.
GK: Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich
Bayern will face a tougher test versus Porto after blowing away Shakhtar Donetsk but don’t expect them to suddenly give up a ton of goals after completely shutting down its last opponent. Porto will have to deal with the fierce Bayern attack and when they do counterattack, they will have to deal with a very talented midfield and defense before they can even get a shot on the top goalkeeper in the world right now. Neuer has been absolutely outstanding both at home in the German Bundesliga and in the Champions League, and it makes sense to go with the best option on the board in goal.
D: Xabi Alonso, Bayern Munich
Bayern enters Wednesday’s game with a ton of momentum behind them after a 3-0 drubbing of Frankfurt in Bundesliga action. If there is one defender to target in their backfield, it should be the central figure Alonso. He is always a threat to push forward with the Bayern attack and he should get some scoring opportunities on set plays in the 18 versus Porto.
D: Dante, Bayern Munich
Sticking with the theme of Bayern’s dominance, it makes sense to load up with a strong value play in Dante, who should have his fair share of challenges won as they look to completely shut down the Porto attack.
D: Jordi Alba, Barcelona
We should be able to expect a better effort from Barcelona’s side all around but the back end in particular needs to be better after they let their grasp on the top spot in La Liga. It loosened a bit in their 2-2 draw with Sevilla on Sunday. Alba returned from a muscle injury in the game against Sevilla and while he struggled to find his form early on, he should be better after having a match to prepare for this important test.
D: Marquinhos, PSG
PSG will be in tough to slow down the Barcelona attack but they should have plenty of work and that should mean a strong fantasy stat line from a value play like Marquinhos.
M: Philipp Lahm, Bayern Munich
No midfielder will be relied on as heavily as Lahm in the central midfield for Bayern as he looks to carve up the Porto defenders and create opportunities for a potentially devastating trio of strikers with Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski. That trio is likely to start up front in their 3-4-3 formation. All three strikers represent quality options up front if you can afford them but Lahm will be the central figure feeding them, so it makes sense to build around him in the midfield.
M: Thiago Alcántara, Bayern Munich
There are more expensive options on the board but it makes sense to slide in Thiago with Lahm, and look forward to Bayern potentially having their way with Porto with both midfielders producing strong fantasy numbers.
M: Marco Verratti, PSG
Finding a value play here is important considering the money being spent elsewhere and considering Verratti’s potential there isn’t any real drop off plugging him in to a midfield spot. PSG will have plenty to deal with trying to fend off and then counter against Barcelona. Verratti is an excellent option as a midfielder that is capable of doing a number of different things to fill in the fantasy categories across the board.
F: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG
PSG will need to rely on its superstar striker as much as ever against a Barcelona side that can score goals in bunches. While their opponent has several options to rely on up front, the fact that Ibrahimovic has been somewhat of a lone wolf up front for the French side makes him the best play on the board for strikers. PSG and Barcelona should be the higher scoring matchup of the two and Ibrahimovic stands out as the top striker option heading in to this contest.
F: Thomas Muller, Bayern Munich
Somebody has to score the goals for Bayern and while Lewandowski is an option here depending on how much cap room is available, Muller might be the best option. The German striker has had an incredible year dating back to the World Cup and he can make his Champions League mark by forcing the issue with some important away goals versus Porto in their opening leg.
F: Neymar, Barcelona
There is only so much money to go around, so don’t be afraid to take Luis Suarez in this spot if need be but Neymar should be the target up front for Barcelona. Lionel Messi is the most expensive option on their dangerous attack and the potential is there for Suarez to contribute, but Neymar has really heated up since his return, so if you can plug him in then try to fit his salary under the cap.
