The reality that anything can happen in the Champions League was on full display when quarterfinal action got underway with a couple of surprising results this past week. Barcelona cruised to a 3-1 win over PSG in one of Wednesday’s games while the other featured a favored Bayern Munich side that was beaten up by Porto in a surprising 3-1 loss. The effects of those games will carry over in to this week with Bayern looking to rally back while Barcelona attempts to finish what it started.
The action will be intense, so if you’re looking to get a piece of it with DraftKings, here is our best starting lineup for Tuesday’s Champions League in daily fantasy leagues.
GK: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Barcelona
Salary: $5,300
Anybody that took goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to feel confident heading in to Bayern’s first leg against Porto only to be devastated when they were blown away 3-1 in their opening leg. Bayern should bounce back with a better effort in the second leg but their matchup still has the potential to get out of hand in terms of the number of goals scored by both sides. It might make more sense to stick with a quality goaltender in a solid position as Barcelona looks to wrap up its quarterfinal versus PSG with an effort similar to the one they produced when they took the opening leg 3-1.
D: Phillip Lahm, Bayern Munich
Salary: $4,000
Bayern can’t afford to concede any more goals if they are going to somehow rally back against Porto. That means Lahm will be instrumental at both sides of the pitch as he looks to shut things down on the back end and really spark the club’s transition game in turn.
D: Jerome Boatang, Bayern Munich
Salary: $4,100
Boatang is actually a little more expensive than Lahm but he is still a decent value here as the Bayern defense forces the issue and jumps in to the attack trying to help them rally back versus Porto. The opening leg between these teams was more of an aberration than anything else, so a better effort across the board should be expected this time around.
M: Mario Gotze, Bayern Munich
Salary: $8,600
Gotze has seen an even more offensive role for Bayern in recent weeks, so the fact that he is available as a midfielder in a game where they will really need to push the pace to rally back against Porto makes him an excellent option for this Tuesday. There are a number of quality Bayern strikers available on the board but it makes more sense to go with Gotze as a midfielder that is equally capable of scoring goals and creating for his teammates.
M: Ivan Rakitic, Barcelona
Salary: $5,200
The Barcelona attack is absolutely loaded up front but they need someone to get them the ball and that makes Rakitic an excellent fit for Tuesday. He’s a quality two-way player that has the potential to stand out as they key figure that sparks the transition attack. It helps that Rakitic is available at a decent price as a quality value play.
F: Luis Suarez, Barcelona
Salary: $9,900
Lionel Messi is still Barcelona’s top option up front but considering the price point and Suarez’s recent form in the Champions League this move is an obvious one. Suarez scored twice in the first leg against PSG and could be due for another big performance as Barcelona looks to finish off the job on Tuesday.
F: Neymar, Barcelona
Salary: $9,800
Bayern and PSG might be the more desperate teams but the Barcelona offense is the most lethal on the board. The threat of the counterattack could make their striker tandem that much more dangerous. Suarez and Neymar have both recently stepped up and there is a good chance that one or both of them will score at least one goal on Tuesday.
FLEX: Alex Sandro, Porto
Salary: $2,800
It’s difficult to find a discount option with as much upside anywhere else on the board, so it makes sense to roll with Sandro here considering there is a good chance he will see plenty of action as Bayern attacks in wave. Porto will have a two-goal cushion to sit on so it won’t be a surprise hen they concentrate on the defensive side of the ball and really try to shut things down in order to hang on for the win.
