The first legs of the Champions League quarter-finals take place this week, providing another opportunity to get involved in DraftKings’ European contests.
With that in mind, we take a look at the big prize pots on offer and analyse some of the key picks for your eight-man rosters.
It’s easy to register a new account at DraftKings and you’ll receive a free entry into a $3 contest if you sign up and deposit $5 or more.
This week, for a $3 buy-in there’s a $1,000 “Set Piece” game, with $100 going to first-place and 79 of the 392 potential entries winning prizes.
The “Sweeper” contest has the biggest pot for this slate – a $4 fee gives you a chance to win a share of a $12,000 prize-fund, with $1,250 going to the top spot.
TUESDAY PLAYER PICKS
Juventus v Barcelona
Dortmund v Monaco
Gianluigi Buffon – Juventus – $4,900 – G
Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri is likely to put emphasis on a clean sheet, with the away goal rule making progression a much more difficult proposition if Barcelona were to score. Promisingly, the Italian side’s veteran stopper has been in resilient form since the 1-0 victory over Porto in the round of 16 in which he picked up 14 points.
In the three league outings since, he has conceded only a single goal and made 11 saves to accrue 13.3 Fantasy Points Per Game (FPPG). That form, alongside a moderate price-tag and a reasonable chance of Juve picking up a win, makes him a sound value pick despite the opposition.
Benjamin Mendy – Monaco – $5,200 – D
On a slate in which clean sheets appear doubtful, we’ve focused our attention on seeking a defender that has convincing attacking numbers. Monaco’s left-back certainly fits the bill, having already returned a trio of assists in four Champions League starts this term.
In his last six appearances across all competitions, the Frenchman has registered 43 crosses – an important metric in DraftKings with +0.5 points on offer even if the cross fails to reach the target. Those have helped provide a 12.5 FPPG over that run ahead of an encounter with a side defeated 4-1 by Bayern Munich at the weekend.
Paulo Dybala – Juventus – $8,400 – M/F
The Argentine has excelled at home of late, recording five goals and a pair of assists in his last five home starts. The forward was heavily involved in the 2-0 victory over Chievo Verona last time out in the league, with six shots, an assist and nine crosses contributing to a DraftKings score of 22 points.
Alternatively, Gonazalo Higuain is available for less funds and has notched back-to-back braces, though five blanks in six prior to those two hauls hints that Dybala is the more consistent option for the home clash with Barcelona.
Luiz Suarez – Barcelona – $8,900 – F
The Uruguayan requires significantly less outlay than Neymar ($10,700) and Messi ($10,500) in what is set to be a tough match-up, so he’s our preferred forward from Luis Enrique’s front three.
Barcelona were surprisingly dispatched 2-0 at the weekend by Malaga. However, Suarez delivered a goal and assist combination in each of his previous three La Liga run-outs as well as the 6-1 victory in the second leg over Paris St Germain. That reliability, both as a goal threat and a creator, when allied to his kinder price-tag makes him an intriguing prospect against Juve.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Dortmund – $9,200 – F
Although the Gabonese front-man failed to score at Bayern Munich, he found the net in six straight Bundesliga matches prior to that defeat. A hat-trick in the second leg against Benfica sent the German side through to this stage and demonstrated his ability to bring in massive scores (he scored 40 points).
An 11-goal tally from his last eight matches further illustrates why he’s a worthwhile investment and the stand-out pick from the Dortmund attack – particularly considering that Monaco conceded four times to both Manchester City and Bayer Leverkusen in their last two Champions League away ties.
WEDNESDAY PLAYER PICKS
Atletico Madrid v Leicester City
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
Jan Oblak – Atletico – $6,000 – G
The Spanish outfit appear to have the most favourable fixture of the slate considering their visitors’ underwhelming European record on the road – Leicester City have scored a single goal over their last three away outings.
The Slovenian made six saves in the goalless draw with Bayer Leverkusen to score 17 points last time out in the Champions League. The five points rewarded to goalkeepers on winning sides is another reason to risk the outlay on Atletico’s stopper, with Diego Simeone’s side likely to emerge with a victory at the Vicente Calderon.
Rafinha – Bayern Munich – $4,700 – D
The full-back has been rotated with Phillip Lahm this campaign, and after sitting out the match with Dortmund at the weekend, Rafinha looks set to start at right-back against Real Madrid. We’re hoping for points at both ends of the pitch from the Brazilian, with some attacking forays and a battle with Cristiano Ronaldo ($10,200) set to produce a respectable score.
Rafinha recorded 16 points at The Emirates in Bayern’s previous European outing, registering an assist and three crosses while also showing off his defensive attributes with four interceptions and three tackles won.
Gareth Bale – Real Madrid – $8,100 – M/F
Visiting a Bayern Munich outfit that has conceded twice in their last seven home matches across all competitions is far from straightforward for Zinedine Zidane’s men on Wednesday night.
Yet it would be remiss of us not to consider Real’s attack after they extended their scoring streak to 52 successive matches in the weekend derby draw with Atletico.
While Cristiano Ronaldo ($10,200) will undoubtedly prove a popular target for many Fantasy managers, Bale offers a more budget-friendly option and, in terms of piecing together our DraftKings line-ups, is more versatile than his team-mate, who is listed solely as a forward.
The Welshman’s goal threat also caught the eye against Diego Simeone’s side on Saturday afternoon – a total of five attempts in the 1-1 stalemate was more than any other team-mate.
Riyad Mahrez – Leicester City – $6,500 – M/F
If Craig Shakespeare’s second European match is to end in a positive result, then it could well be a Mahrez set-piece that penetrates the stubborn Atletico back-line.
The Algerian has regained some of last season’s verve of late, notching a pair of goals and an assist over his last five appearances. An impressive 15.6 FPPG in that time frame has also included nine shots on target and 19 crosses.
Arjen Robben – Bayern Munich – $7,200 – M/F
While both Robert Lewandowski ($8,800) and Thomas Muller ($8,300) are expected to recover from a knock and ankle injury respectively, we’ve targeted their experienced team-mate as a more budget-friendly option.
The winger netted in both legs against Arsenal and was on the score-sheet against Dortmund at the weekend. A steady 18 shots and 17 crosses has also helped the Dutchman to 16.2 FPPG in five Champions League starts this season.
Getting Started
1 – Sign up for a free DraftKings account
2 – Draft your 8-man lineup
3 – Deposit $5 or more in your account and enter one of the $3 entry contests for free
Click here to get involved. All teams must be drafted by Tuesday at 7:45 PM.
Users from outside the UK, Germany, USA and Canada are now able to sign up for new accounts.
You’ll be directed automatically to the US site and asked to register – and then DraftKings will be in touch when your option to play is up and running.
You must be over 18 years of age, and of legal capacity to register with DraftKings and open an account. If you sign up, always play responsibly.
As a contributor at Fantasy Football Scout, I play DraftKings using my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also choose different players and strategies than recommended above.
*All figures are subject to exchange rate fluctuations.
