DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (EST)

• 3:00 pm: Atalanta vs. Valencia
• 3:00 pm: Tottenham Hotspur vs. RB Leipzig

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Cheat Sheet

MIDFIELDERS

Alejandro Gomez, ATA v. VCF ($9,500): We'll start at midfielder specifically because of Gomez, who was midfield and forward eligible on the two-day slate but now is only classified as a midfielder. That decision particularly hurts because there aren't many good floor forwards, a situation that was made even worse when Son Heung-Min ($8,100) was ruled out after suffering a broken arm last weekend. Gomez is the best floor player on the slate, averaging 3.29 shots, including 1.47 on target, 3.04 chances created, 7.02 crosses and 2.50 fouls drawn per 90 minutes during Serie A play, and while he is the most expensive midfielder, he is still likely to be highly owned because Atalanta are favored at home.

Giovani Lo Celso, TOT v. RBL ($4,700): With Son out, there is a path to Lo Celso having a majority of Spurs' set pieces. He has been taking some recently, though the potential return of Erik Lamela ($6,700, midfield/forward) could take a few of those opportunities away. Lamela's minutes are likely to be limited because he's been out injured, and there's no guarantee that he starts anyway. Even if Lamela does start, Lo Celso is likely to be highly owned, particularly in cash games, because he's relatively cheap with some dead-ball opportunities. The obvious GPP play is Dele Alli ($5,700), even if he comes in with just one goal on 16 shots in his last seven starts, as he's their most active attacker among their midfield-only players.

Christopher Nkunku, RBL at TOT ($6,200): The RB Leipzig set-piece situation is pretty tricky, as Nkunku has been taking them when he starts, but we also saw Dani Olmo ($5,900) take some this past weekend when Nkunku was rested. It's unlikely they start together, though if one sits then the other is likely to come on at some point. With neither player expected to play 90 minutes, it's tough to pony up a decent amount of salary for a slight away underdog. Then again, paying up for Dani Parejo ($7,300) as a defensive midfielder with set pieces for the biggest underdog on the slate doesn't make sense, so finding Leipzig guys in cash games shouldn't be surprising. Unfortunately, we don't have any good pay-down options, with fantasy players likely having to rely on defensive midfielders for their budget plays, making guys like Marten De Roon ($4,100), Amadou Haidara ($3,800), Geoffrey Kondogbia ($3,700) and Harry Winks ($3,300) appear playable even though they're not.

FORWARDS

Josip Ilicic, ATA v. VCF ($9,900): Ilicic has the highest floor of any forward now that Gomez is no longer classified as one. He has a share of set pieces, and his per-90 figures are excellent, averaging 4.44 shots, including 2.03 on goal, 2.98 chances created, 3.04 crosses and 3.17 fouls drawn per 90 minutes during Serie A play. Given that Spurs are missing their two-most expensive players, it's not out of the question to pair Ilicic with Gomez despite their high prices, but it also means you likely don't have Duvan Zapata ($8,400), who has the highest anytime goal scorer odds on the slate.

Patrik Schick, RBL at TOT ($4,700): Schick's spot in the starting XI isn't guaranteed, though he comes in with two goals on eight shots and one assist on two chances created in his last three games (one start), and he's generally been successful since his move from Roma, scoring six goals and picking up two assists in 12 appearances (seven starts) in the Bundesliga. His low salary is obviously helpful, especially for those who want to pay up for Ilicic and Gomez, though Timo Werner ($8,200) is the main RB Leipzig forward to be targeted. Unlike Schick, Werner has been a bit cold, failing to get on the score-sheet in any of the past four games, though he's still bagged 20 goals and assisted six others in 22 Bundesliga matches this season. His floor is pretty dependent on shots, but he also has better anytime goal scorer odds than everyone but Zapata.

Lucas Moura, TOT v. RBL ($5,800): If Schick doesn't start, it's possible that Lucas becomes the cheapest realistic option. He's been creating a decent number of chances, though he hasn't scored a goal since Dec. 15 and he has just one assist over that span (it came on Feb. 2 against Manchester City). As mentioned, Lamela could get a start, and his role on set pieces should have people looking his way, but his recent injury will surely limit his playing time. And finally, Steven Bergwijn ($7,000) could be a pretty low-owned option for a forward on a home favorite, and he's coming off a very solid floor game against Aston Villa, finishing with four shots, including one on goal, three chances created, one cross, two tackles won and three fouls drawn. Unfortunately, RB Leipzig are significantly better than Aston Villa.

DEFENDERS

Jose Gaya, VCF at ATA ($4,000): Gaya and Daniel Wass ($4,200) are pretty cheap for their attacking abilities. Granted, they don't fly up the wing like Trent Alexander-Arnold, but they are also decently cheaper than the top options on the slate. Gaya sent in at least five crosses in four of his last five La Liga matches, winning 11 fouls over that span, and his cheaper salary will surely make him attractive, especially with Japhet Tanganga $100 more despite his stats looking much more like a center-back than a winger.

Robin Gosens, ATA v. VCF ($6,100): Gosens' price makes him worth discussing, especially since he's earned that price by scoring seven goals on 36 shots and picking up five assists on 27 chances created in 20 Serie A starts this season. As a left wing-back, he definitely gets up the pitch more than Gaya, and he theoretically makes for a good GPP play if only because a construction that includes more than $6,000 for a defender isn't likely to be popular. There is a decent salary difference between Gosens and right wing-back Hans Hateboer ($4,600), but it's definitely justified given the differences in their production.

Angelino, RBL at TOT ($4,800): Angelino actually took some corners this past weekend, though it's probably not something worth planning on for Wednesday. Either way, he's a solid attacking defender who could line up as a left-sided wing-back, making him significantly more attractive than Nordi Mukiele ($4,500), who usually starts on the right side but may line up as a center-back because of a number of injuries and suspensions. I'll also warn that Ben Davies ($3,600) could get the start at left-back for Tottenham, but he's also a guy who lines up out wide but produces like a center-back in terms of fantasy production. Some will surely be tempted because he's taken corners before, but it's a decent risk.

GOALKEEPER

Jaume Domenech, VCF at ATA ($4,200): Depending on lineup construction, there are definitely paths that lead to paying up for goalkeeper. However, spending $5,400 on Pierluigi Gollini when he only has 55 percent win and 32 percent clean sheet odds seems unnecessary. Domenech is obviously at the other end of that since he's the biggest underdog on the slate, but he theoretically has the higher save upside. The small salary difference to Peter Gulacsi ($4,600) could be tempting too, especially since Spurs won't have Harry Kane or Son, and he's made multiple saves in five straight games, including clean sheets in each of the last two (one was Bayern Munich away).