RADIO
Welcome back to “The Kick-Off” and welcome to the 24-25 Champions League season! We are back with our second Matchweek of the Champions League season! Many clubs have made big moves this offseason to help bolster their cup chances. Can Borussia Dortmund make back-to-back appearances in the final? Can Bayern Munich make their long-awaited return to the Champions Lounge? For that and more, make sure to use Rotoballer as your one-stop shop for the Champions League season!
The top favorite this week is Liverpool -600 vs Bologna +1500. I will guide you through this seven-match slate starting at 3:00 P.M. EST.
If you have any questions on today's slate, bankroll management, GPP strategy, Cash game strategy, or anything else, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected], via X @df_solutions, or in our Discord chat rooms.
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UCL DFS Goalies
Michele Di Gregorio - DK $4.4K || FD $9
Opponent - Red Bull Leipzig
The goalie position on this slate may be one of the most difficult to predict thus far in the early goings of the Champions League. However, Michele Di Gregorio of Serie A giants Juventus could be the answer. He has four saves and four clean sheets in his first four domestic starts this season. Yes, that is correct. He is averaging a clean sheet per start. Furthermore, in his one start in the Champions League this season, he made four saves and conceded once in a 3-1 win at home against PSV Eindhoven.
Despite their talented lineup, RB Leipzig is not the biggest offensive juggernaut. They are a middle-of-the-league club in both Shots and Goals this season, and Juventus is currently the best in Serie A in both Shots Against and Goals Against. Di Gregorio will need to make saves when called upon. Otherwise, his chances of maintaining value are slim to none.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Köhn (DK $5.5K || FD $11), Chevalier (DK $3.8K || FD $7)
UCL DFS Forwards
Antoine Griezmann - DK $9K || FD $23
Opponent - SL Benfica
Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid is expected to be among the highest-owned players at any position on the slate. The striker is the only forward-eligible player with any role on set pieces, and Griezmann is the majority taker for Atletico. In his most recent five domestic matches, he has one goal, one assist, six shots, ten created chances, 34 crosses, 13 corners, four tackles, and two interceptions.
Benfica is not an easy opponent, especially not at Estádio da Luz. However, whether this plays out to be a close match or not, Grieezmann’s role on set pieces alone will generate enough peripherals to reach value.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Salah (DK $8.6K || FD $23), Balogun (DK $7.2K || FD $16)
UCL DFS Midfielders
Martin Baturina - DK $3.3K || FD $11
Opponent - AS Monaco
Martin Baturina is not a big name, nor is his team a favorite, despite playing at home. However, he does take the majority of set pieces for Dinamo Zagreb. In two appearances – one start – in the Champions League this season, he has one shot, two tackles, and one interception.
With numerous ‘expensive’ players on the slate, including Bayern Munich, Baturina becomes an interesting play with a potential floor and ceiling. It remains to be seen if he can reach double-digit fantasy points.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Olise (DK $9.8K || FD $21), Zhegrova (DK $6.2K || FD $13)
UCL DFS Defenders
Maxim De Cuyper - DK $4.8K || FD $13
Opponent - SK Sturm Graz
The mass will jump the gun to get Trent Alexander-Arnold or ‘TAA’ into their lineups. However, a few other fullbacks with the same floor and ceiling are available for less salary. Enter Maxim De Cuyper. The defender produced one shot, four created chances, eight crosses, five corners, one tackle, one interception, and two blocks in his only start in the Champions League this season.
The matchup at Merkur-Arena is expected to be a close meeting between these two clubs, which could lead to the fullback producing peripherals in bunches. As the primary set piece taker for Club Brugge, the De Cuyper immediately has a floor and a potential ceiling in what will be a back-and-forth match.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Alexander-Arnold (DK $6.6K || FD $15), Henrique (DK $4.2K || FD $)
Corner Takers
- Aston Villa: Tielemans
- Bayern Munich: Olise/Kimmich
- SL Benfica: Kokcu/Di Maria
- Atletico Madrid: Griezmann
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb: Baturina/Pjaca
- AS Monaco: Henrique/Golovin
- Lille: Zhegrova
- Real Madrid: Modric
- Liverpool: Alexander-Arnold/Robertson
- Bologna: Lykogiannis/Aebischer
- Red Bull Leipzig: Simons/Raum
- Juventus: Koopmeiners
- SK Sturm Graz: Horvat
- Club Brugge: De Cuyper
Thanks for reading The Kick-Off. Good luck in all of your contests today!
