Yahoo DFS Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

Yahoo DFS Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.

MATCHES (EST)

3:00 pm: FC Porto vs. Roma
3:00 pm: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester United

FORWARDS

Kylian Mbappe, PSG v. MUN (€31): Mbappe is the most expensive player on Wednesday's slate, but his floor and ceiling completely justify the high price. PSG are the biggest favorite and have the highest implied goal total, while Mbappe has scored at least one goal in 11 of his last 12 starts in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. That included one against Manchester United in the first leg, and while PSG don't technically need to attack much because they have a two-goal aggregate lead, they're also not the type of team that shies away from punishing one of the world's biggest clubs when they have the chance.

Edin Dzeko, ROM at POR (€27): Dzeko's shot floor alone makes him worth consideration, as he's taken at least three in 11 consecutive starts, firing off 52, including 22 on target, in that span. Roma only need a draw to advance to the quarter-final, though if they fall behind early then they'll certainly start pushing to match Porto's away goal. Paying down for Stephan El Sharaawy (€17) is theoretically an option, though his floor and overall activity don't come close to Dzeko's.

Moussa Marega, POR v. ROM (€12): Marega's potential doesn't match those of Mbappe or Dzeko, but that's why he's significantly cheaper. He is expected to lead the line for a side that has to score, and Porto are actually favored to win. In fact, he has better anytime goal scorer odds than everyone except Mbappe, so it wouldn't be surprising to see people include Marega, especially because of his price.

MIDFIELDERS

Lorenzo Pellegrini, ROM at POR (€24): Pellegrini is the second-most expensive available midfielder, though it's not an outlandish price for a player who has a share of Roma's set pieces. In fact, it's a role that has helped him to nine shots, including five on goal, eight accurate crosses and 13 chances created in his last four matches. This match will be fully dependent on who scores first, as Roma could be forced to attack much more if they fall behind early, though if they find the back of the net in the first half, Pellegrini will be tasked with defending more, which obviously hurts his fantasy upside.

Andreas Pereira, MUN at PSG (€15): Pereira looks likely to start in place of the suspended Paul Pogba (€26), and while we shouldn't expect the same level of production, Pereira showed what he can do in last weekend's win over Southampton, scoring one goal and assisting another. The United attack is missing a number of key attackers, and while they are also the biggest underdog on the slate, Pereira's low price helps pay up in other spots.

Julian Draxler, PSG v. MUN (€14): Draxler's fantasy returns have been quite inconsistent, but he's scored at least 5.0 fantasy points in eight of his last nine starts in all competitions, though his one low point came against Manchester United in the first leg. Nevertheless, his low price doesn't require much in terms of making value, especially when teammate Marco Verratti is €7 more and generates most of his fantasy points from completed passes and fouls drawn.

DEFENDERS

Alex Telles, POR v. ROM (€17): Telles' role on set pieces will always ensure he's popular, though his upside is somewhat limited since he doesn't take many shots. Porto need to win in order to advance to the quarter-final, so while Telles isn't likely to be bombing in crosses from the opening whistle, he should be in control of their dead balls as they try to nick out a win.

Aleksandar Kolarov, ROM at POR (€17): Kolarov also has a role on set pieces, though his share is much smaller than Telles' because of Pellegrini. And while he does shoot more than Telles, he's gone seven consecutive starts without taking multiple shots, and he created multiple chances just three times in that span. Nevertheless, Kolarov will be flying down the wing if Roma go down early, and he's shown to have plenty of success when moving up, as evidenced by his 12 accurate crosses in his last six games.

Diogo Dalot, MUN at PSG (€11): Dalot could be the cheapest starting defender on Wednesday's slate, and it could come as he lines up in the defensive or attacking midfield. The Manchester United lineup is going to include a number of guys who don't regularly play or don't regularly play where they are lining up, so we could get some unexpected upside from the 19-year-old Dalot. That being said, the clean sheet is highly unlikely as the biggest underdog on the slate, with Dalot's biggest contribution to fantasy teams being his low price.

GOALKEEPER

Gianluigi Buffon, PSG v. MUN (€17): There is only a €2 difference between the most expensive and cheapest goalkeepers on the slate, but Buffon has the highest win and clean sheet odds while lining up against a Manchester United attack that's missing some of their best players but also needs to try and score multiple goals. The save upside is certainly there because of United pushing forward, and any other goalkeeper on the slate is harder to trust.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew M. Laird
Andrew M. Laird, the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year, is RotoWire's Head of DFS Content and Senior Soccer Editor. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
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