The Champions League Round of 16 continues on Wednesday with four games on the schedule and that means another opportunity to make some serious cash in DraftKings fantasy tournaments. The UCL $40K Backheel will be the main event with $6K paid out to first place, but with plenty of other contests including head-to-head competitions there is something for everyone. Here is a look at our optimal Champions League fantasy lineup for Wednesday’s DraftKings Champions League contests.
GK: Joe Hart, Manchester City
Salary: $4,000
Hart has been tremendous for Manchester City all season and that trend should continue in the Champions League this week. Dynamo Kyiv has done well to get this far, but they are one of the most limited offensive teams remaining in the tournament, so it makes sense to bet against them with Hart.
D: Juanfran, Atletico Madrid
Salary: $4,000
Juanfran was one of the top crossing backs in the group stage and that trend should continue in the Round of 16. PSV loves to compact in their own end and that should give the Atletico Madrid defender plenty of opportunities to spray the ball in to the box for scoring opportunities.
D: David Alaba, Bayern Munich
Salary: $4,000
Juventus runs a 5-3-2 system that should allow Alaba plenty of opportunities to push forward and join the attack. Bayern Munich has the potential to score goals in bunches. While Juventus might be able to keep their attack in check, they should still have plenty of opportunities with Alaba pushing crosses in to the box.
D: Nicolas Otamendi, Manchester City
Salary: $3,000
Doubling down on Manchester City’s ability to contain the Dynamo Kyiv attack only makes sense with Otamendi listed at a very reasonable price for Wednesday’s competitions.
M: Paul Pogba, Juventus
Salary: $5,300
Pogba has led the way for Juventus again this season with 13 goals and eight assists in 20 starts and he will need to shine in order to give his club a chance versus Bayern Munich. Juventus is at home for this leg so they need to find a way to break through and at least give themselves a chance heading back to Germany.
M: Ivan Rakitic, Barcelona
Salary: $4,200
Rakitic hasn’t been the stud offensive threat that some thought he had the potential to be supporting the trident at Barcelona, but he does have three goals and has made 19 starts this season. Rakitic should have plenty of opportunities to find the score sheet versus Arsenal and his price point makes him worth taking a chance on.
M: Sergio Busquets, Barcelona
Salary: $3,800
Busquets is a bit riskier of a midfield option from Barcelona, but he has been solid in 21 starts and should have a strong performance versus Arsenal. The fact that he is available at under $4K in Champions League fantasy helps seal the deal and put him in our lineup.
F: Neymar, Barcelona
Salary: $9,000
Neymar is the least expensive Champions League fantasy option of Barcelona’s big three and that makes him an excellent value play with 17 goals and a team-leading nine assists this season. Barcelona has the opportunity to score in bunches, so it was easy to plug Neymar in as our top striker option for Wednesday’s Champions League action.
F: Mario Mandzukic, Juventus
Salary: $6,100
Mandzukic is Juve’s second-leading scorer this season and will need to play a major role if they are going to find a way to get past the Round of 16. Juventus will certainly be in tough, but this team has proven in the past it can thrive in the underdog role. Mandzukic has scored some big goals in the Champions League.
FLEX: Thiago Alcantara, Bayern Munich
Salary: $3,600
After opting to stay away from Bayern for the most part until this position we made the decision to give Alcantara a chance as a potential high upside player. His $3.6K price tag makes him a strong bet to have his performance exceed his cost as a decent Champions League fantasy value option for Wednesday.
FLEX: Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus
Salary: $3,000
It isn’t as though we can afford a star player with our remaining $3K in cap space, so we have to do the best we have with what we have to spend. Chiellini doesn’t offer much offensive upside, but his price tag and the fact that he should play the whole game with a chance to push up on corner kicks is enough to convince us he is worth taking a chance on.
