Next up, we pay our final visit to DraftKings for the 2016/17 season, with the second legs of the Champions League semi-finals providing another opportunity to get involved and win some big prizes.
As usual, we’ve scanned the DraftKings player list to pick out some key targets 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, the UCL $8k Sweeper game has the largest pot for the matchday – the winner receives $800 and the top 640 line-ups gain returns.
There’s also a $3 contest that has a $500 prize fund, with $50 going to first place and 43 of 196 potential spots winning money.
Player Picks
Juventus v Monaco
Atletico v Real Madrid
Keylor Navas – Real Madrid – $4,700 – Goalkeeper
Following a clean sheet and five saves at Monaco, we reckon that Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon ($5,800) is the standout option for the keeper spot.
But the Italian’s hefty price tag has us looking instead to the budget-friendly Navas.
The Real Madrid stopper picked up 13 points in the first leg with a clean sheet and the five-point win bonus available to goalkeepers in DraftKings. While he only made one save in that victory, we’d expect the Costa Rican to be much busier at the Vicente Calderon Stadium as their local rivals go on the attack in an attempt to overhaul the three-goal first-leg deficit.
Filipe Luis – Atletico – $5,000 – Defender
Recovering from a hand injury to feature against Eibar at the weekend, the full-back scored 14 DraftKings points from three tackles, four interceptions, four crosses and a pair of shots, demonstrating an ability to pick up returns at both ends of the pitch.
Atletico will need to be resilient at the back while launching attacks against Real – an away goal for the visitors would leave the tie all but over. A budget alternative could be Luis’ team-mate Lucas Hernandez ($3,400) – with Juanfran and Sime Vrsalkja both sidelined, the versatile defender may slot in at right-back for Diego Simeone.
Dani Alves – Juventus – $5,800 – Defender
Deployed as a right wing-back in the first-leg trip to Monaco, the Brazilian served up both assists in a 2-0 win to score 21 points.
Alves should be fresh to make more raids up the flank after being rested in Serie A at the weekend – a goal in his previous league outing at Atalanta is further evidence of his recent attacking form.
Promisingly for his chances of clean sheet points, Juventus have now kept six successive shutouts in the Champions League ahead of their home encounter with the Ligue 1 side.
Saul Niguez – Atletico – $3,900 – Midfielder
An impressive all-round display against Eibar saw the winger score 24 points as he notched the only goal of the match and also provided four crosses, two tackles and three interceptions. A goal and assist combination in his previous La Liga run-out indicates that Niguez is a potentially budget option for one of those two midfield slots.
He’s also netted twice in his last five Champions League ties and could prove good value as Atletico attempt to get the better of their bitter rivals.
Thomas Lemar – Monaco – $6,200 – Midfielder
Likewise, Lemar could be instrumental for a Monaco side that need to find the net in Turin.
On Saturday he produced a goal, assist and seven crosses against Nancy. That makes it back-to-back strikes in domestic matches for the Frenchman, while his ten crosses in the reverse fixture against Juventus bodes well – it’s an action worth 0.75 points in DraftKings even if unsuccessful.
Over his last six, Lemar has averaged a healthy 8.6 crosses to return 16.8 Fantasy Points Per Game (FPPG).
Karim Benzema – Real Madrid – $6,800 – Forward
Considering that Cristiano Ronaldo has notched hat-tricks against Bayern Munich and Atletico in his previous two Champions League appearances, the Portuguese will be a popular buy even when priced at $11,500.
If you’re looking to double-up on a Real frontline that have scored 15 goals in their previous four outings, then Benzema – at just $6,800 – could offer some value for money.
The Frenchman has played a part in all 11 of his side’s Champions League matches, starting on 10 of those occasions, and is expected to return to the first XI after being afforded 30 minutes off the bench last weekend.
It’s worth keeping an eye on Zinedine Zidane’s teamsheet, though, as both James Rodriguez ($7,700, M/F) and Alvaro Morata ($7,000, F) staked a claim for a start by netting twice against Granada on Saturday.
The Colombian has excelled of late on the road – six goals and two assists in his last five away league ties includes back-to-back braces.
Morata, meanwhile, has netted seven times in his previous four away appearances in La Liga. A goal in his previous Champions League outing – a late cameo against Napoli – shows his ability to pick up points even with limited pitch time.
Gonzalo Higuain – Juventus – $8,800 – Forward
The Argentine scored both away goals in Monaco to put Massimiliano Allegri’s outfit in a very favourable position.
Emerging from the bench against Torino on Saturday, Higuain’s late leveler demonstrated his fine form ahead of the second leg in Turin. His impressive record this season now stands at 24 goals in 35 Serie A appearances and five in ten Champions League outings.
Getting Started
1 – Sign up for a free DraftKings account
2 – Draft your eight-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.
