DraftKings DFS Soccer: UCL Picks for Tuesday, April 18

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Chelsea vs. Real Madrid
• 3:00 pm: Napoli vs. AC Milan

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Vinicius Junior (RMA at CHE, $9,400): There are no forwards on this slate who can reasonably be expected to take corner kicks and there's only one midfielder worth prioritizing. Taking those factors into consideration makes it seem optimal to spend up for the forwards with the highest combination of floor and upside. Vinicius put up 15 floor points last week, as Chelsea had no answers for him and there's little reason to think things will go much different in the second leg. He looks like best player on the pitch more often than not and makes for a good option in any format. 

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (NAP vs. ACM, $9,000): Napoli are clearly in the best spot of the four teams and the odds reflect that. They need to win at home after losing 1-0 in Milan last week. I'd expect them to dominate possession and create plenty of good chances to score. Kvaratskhelia has established himself as one of the best players in the world, who can pretty much do it all, and that's true from a DFS perspective, as well. He should have a double-digit floor in this spot despite no set-piece responsibility. I'd rank him slightly ahead of Vinicius considering Napoli will be chasing goals while Madrid defend a two-goal lead.

Moving on to a few GPP options, Victor Osimhen ($9,900) is ready to start after recovering from a thigh injury. When healthy, he's among the most dynatic strikers in the world. His +100 goalscoring odds are tops on the slate and he's likely to be the fourth-most popular forward. Hirving Lozano ($6,700) offers cheaper exposure to Napoli. He's unlikely to play 90 minutes but has goal/assist upside for a decent price. Lastly, I wouldn't mind taking a chance on either Joao Felix ($6,900) or Raheem Sterling ($6,200). Chelsea have really struggled lately and most people aren't giving them a chance, but they'll have no choice but to at least try and attack as much as possible. They're down two goals and playing in front of home support, which is enough for me to have some exposure in tournaments. 

MIDFIELDERS

Piotr Zielinski (NAP vs. ACM, $7,700): I mentioned there was only one midfielder worth prioritizing and it's Zielinski, as he'll split corners and create chances from open play. He had 13 floor points last week in Milan and it's reasonable to expect that again with Napoli playing from behind at home. 

I'm not considering Toni Kroos ($6,000) or Luka Modric ($5,400). They've been splitting corners for Madrid, who only had three of them in the reverse fixture. I wouldn't expect too many more than that this time around as they defend a lead. Neither of them are likely to offer much upside in this spot outside of the assist equity that comes with a couple of corners. I'd rather gamble on the Chelsea midfielder in GPPs. Whether it's Enzo Fernandez ($5,100), Mykhailo Mudryk ($5,000) or even Mason Mount ($4,800), they're all relatively cheap and won't be overly popular. 

Ismael Bennacer (ACM at NAP, $3,800): I'm only highlighting Bennacer because he's going to be relatively popular in cash games based on the fact that he splits corners and is priced so cheaply. You can't expect him to take more than one or two and you can't expect him to play 90 minutes. This isn't a good spot for Milan and I'll be avoiding him in GPPs. 

DEFENDERS

Mario Rui (NAP vs. ACM, $6,100): Rui has taken the majority of corners for Napoli in each of his last three starts. That gives him a nice floor with plenty of upside. Both he and Giovanni Di Lorenzo ($6,400) were in and around the box constantly last week and I'd expect that to be the case again Tuesday. Di Lorenzo finished with five shots and Rui had two, including one of the best opportunities of the match. Every lineup I make will have at least one of the Napoli full-backs. 

Reece James (CHE vs. RMA, $5,400): James was the biggest disappointment of the slate last time around as he finished with only two fantasy points and ceded most of the set pieces to Ben Chilwell. Chilwell is suspended for the second leg, which makes me more confident that James will have a role on corners. If Hakim Ziyech or Mason Mount were to start, I'd be less confident in that. All of this ignores that Chelsea haven't been playing well and this is another tough matchup. I'd have no argument if you'd rather find the $1,000 for Di Lorenzo or even if you'd rather spend all the way down. Juan Jesus ($2,800) could offer a cheap clean sheet.  

GOALKEEPER

Alex Meret (NAP vs. ACM, $5,400): Napoli have the best win and clean sheet odds by a considerable margin which makes Meret stand out just enough if you have the salary. If not, there might be some value on Thibaut Courtois ($4,800). It just doesn't seem right for him to be priced the same as Kepa Arrizabalaga ($4,700). It's also worth noting that Courtois and the other two keepers have more save upside than Meret in these respective spots.