Any soccer fans that missed the opening slate of DraftKings Champions League fantasy tournaments that started on Tuesday will have another opportunity to get in to the action on Wednesday with a full slate of contests. With only two games to choose from, it will be that much more important to capitalize on every individual pick so make sure to consider the following information when building your roster. Here is a look at the optimal starting XI for Wednesday’s DraftKings Champions League fantasy tournaments.
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona
Salary: $4,400
Barcelona’s goalkeeper is the second-most expensive option on the board for Wednesday’s tournaments, but with only four starters to choose from and only two possible winning teams we are somewhat handicapped when it comes to addressing this position. Those willing to take a chance on Gianluigi Buffon from Juventus at a much lower price could go that route, but it makes more sense to take the safe route in this situation and stick with ter Stegen as a goalkeeper that is widely expected to earn a win at home versus Arsenal.
D: Jordi Alba, Barcelona
Salary: $4,200
Alba is the second-most expensive option at his position, but we will need the $300 we save by taking him instead of his teammate Dani Alves to spend elsewhere. Alba is a productive fantasy defender that can contribute at both ends of the floor and with a favorable Champions League fantasy matchup at home he is worth the price tag in DraftKings tournaments.
D: Gerard Pique, Barcelona
Salary: $3,400
Sticking with the theme of a matchup we like, Pique is added to our roster as the third Barcelona player in as many positions. He might not be as productive at the offensive end of the pitch, but Pique is also available at almost $1K less than Alba and that is a very reasonable price tag for a very reliable option on the back end in Champions League fantasy.
D: Philipp Lahm, Bayern Munich
Salary: $3,500
Our first player chosen outside of Barcelona plays for another team that is favored to win their game on Wednesday in Bayern Munich. Lahm is a very capable player at both ends of the pitch and the fact that he is available for nearly the same price as Pique makes him a very strong value option in DraftKings tournaments.
M: Juan Cuadrado, Juventus
Salary: $4,700
Juventus will have an uphill climb on the road against Bayern Munich, but we can’t completely ignore them after they rallied from down two goals to earn a 2-2 draw in the first leg at home. The Serie A side will be tested on the road in the second leg, but they will need at least one goal to advance and Cuadrado is a key midfielder available at a very reasonable price tag in Champions League fantasy.
M: Thiago Alcantara, Bayern Munich
Salary: $4,100
Alcantara is worth plugging in to our lineup for many of the same reasons we decided to use Cuadrado. He is a talented midfielder that should be a key piece in the Bayern attack once again in the second leg. The fact that he is available at $600 less than Cuadrado makes him a smart play for Wednesday.
M: Arda Turan, Barcelona
Salary: $3,100
Turan missed the first leg of the Round of 16 because of suspension, but he has been very productive for Barcelona otherwise and should be a sneaky sleeper option for Wednesday. Barcelona can score goals in bunches and Turan has the potential to be an absolute steal in Daily Champions League Fantasy Leagues at just $3.1K.
F: Luis Suarez, Barcelona
Salary: $9,400
It only makes sense to have at least one part of Barcelona’s attacking trident in the fold and Suarez represents the best fit for us. He isn’t as expensive as his teammate Lionel Messi, but he has the potential to be just as productive as Barcelona looks to close out its Round of 16 competition with Arsenal.
F: Paul Dybala, Juventus
Salary: $5,300
If Juventus manages to upset Bayern or at least hang around with them and make the second leg interesting then Dybala should figure in to the mix. He is on corner duty for Juventus and he consistently seems to generate strong cross totals. He might not produce at the same level as Suarez, but he is available at almost half the price and that makes him a strong play in Champions League fantasy tournaments.
FLEX: Danny Welbeck, Arsenal
Salary: $5,200
Arsenal isn’t likely to rally on the road at Barcelona, but Welbeck is likely to be involved if they manage to generate some offense in the second leg. He is another very reasonably priced forward option that has the potential to land on the score sheet even if the Gunners are blown away on the road so consider Welbeck as a strong option for this first FLEX spot.
FLEX: Alex Sandro, Juventus
Salary: $2,700
There is no way we would be able to afford Welbeck without a good enough option at under $3K, but that is exactly what Sandro is. Clearly another Juventus defender wouldn’t be our first choice for the final FLEX spot, but Sandro could very well start for Juventus and he has produced some decent fantasy scores when given the opportunity in past Champions League fantasy games including against Manchester City in the group stage.
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