Hello, RotoBallers! I'm happy to be back with you for some mid-week soccer. The UEFA Champions League is so back! We're rolling right from some EPL action Monday into a full slate of UCL games Tuesday and Wednesday. This breakdown will focus on the early-only UCL slate on FanDuel for Tuesday. Keep reading this breakdown for my DFS soccer picks on RotoBaller and see how to have success on Tuesday's slate.
The large majority of my DFS content will be EPL or UCL-related, however, there is always more soccer DFS to cover. If you want to chop it up with myself and other RotoBaller writers about non-EPL/UCL leagues or other sports, consider becoming a premium member and joining our ever-growing community of DFS and fantasy sports enthusiasts! We have had some great conversations in the Premium Slack chat about the past few UCL slates.
You can also get access to my brain for questions and edits to lineups for Tuesday for the main slate. In this article, I will be providing you with my UEFA Champions League daily fantasy soccer lineup picks for FanDuel on 9/14/21 for the slate that locks at 12:45 pm ET. Be sure to also check out our other DFS lineup picks for other active sports. You can always find me on Twitter @vdray5 if you have any questions. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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UCL DFS Lineup Picks - Overview
Sevilla vs Red Bull Salzburg
Sevilla (-140) have gotten off to a strong start so far this year after a top four finish in La Liga last season. They currently sit second after three games on the back of some good defense with only one goal allowed. RB Salzburg is a little farther ahead in their season with the Austrian Bundesliga having already been going on since the end of July. They're 7-0-0 with 19 goals for and only four against, but this is a new level of competition. Plus, they'll be playing on the road in this one. There will be good plays from both teams here. The goal total over/under is 2.5, 3.
Young Boys vs Manchester United
Manchester United (-240) should arguably be favored more in this game against Young Boys (don't get caught Googling them at work). They're in really good form in the EPL to begin the year, and they just added this guy named Cristiano Ronaldo to their roster who scored twice over the weekend. Young Boys are not off to a good start at all in the Swiss Super League with just two wins in five games after winning the league by over 30(!!) points last season. Young Boys will benefit from playing at home Tuesday, but Manchester United will be the chalky team on the slate with all of their well-known players. The goal total over/under is slightly higher in this game at 3.0.
FanDuel DFS Forwards / Midfielders
We can head right back to Cristiano Ronaldo ($23), Bruno Fernandes ($22), and Mason Greenwood ($19) on this slate. Manchester United has been attacking well to start the year, and they have the best matchup on the slate Tuesday for goals. Just like Saturday, I like the idea of getting two Red Devil attackers in my lineup. Ronaldo is the top-dog on the slate after two goals against Newcastle on Saturday combined with his stellar goal-scoring history in this competition.
I'm also going to be very high on Youssef En-Nesyri ($21) as the best pivot off chalky United attackers. He has a really nice matchup at home against an RB Salzburg defense that has been one of the UCL's worst in the last two seasons. En-Nesyri is also off to a productive start for Sevilla with two goals and one assist in three games. He can add in some attacking peripherals as well. He has plenty of shot volume this year with 10 total shots, but only three have been on target. I like his volume of shots in a matchup like this. He's also creating one chance per game which boosts his floor.
Joan Jordan ($14) is the second Sevilla attacker I'll be playing. He can produce fantasy-wise with tons of different stats, and this is an awesome matchup for that.
RB Salzburg and Young Boys both have some solid stud attackers. However, I think this is a matchup where I want to prioritize their cheaper guys and focus on getting Manchester United and Sevilla attackers. The Salzburg/Young Boys studs will be featured in UCL articles coming soon, but for this slate, I want the guys below.
Christopher Martins Pereira ($8) is going to be one of my go-to attacker value plays on this slate. He's been collecting some decent defensive stats in his paying time for Young Boys. Manchester United should allow him to collect a decent amount of those stats in this game, and his price tag allows you to afford more studs on this small slate.
Junior Chukwubuike Adamu ($12) is the value Salzburg attacker in my player pool. He has gotten some solid attacking stats in the limited games he has participated in so far this year. This is not an ideal matchup for them on the road against a good defensive team, but Adamu can still produce for a much more fair price.
FanDuel DFS Defenders
Luke Shaw ($14) was the man this past summer for my Euro DFS lineups, but he's been lackluster, to say the least, to begin this club season. It's going to be tough to pay for him until he produces. For the price, I would rather have Aaron Wan-Bissaka ($11) since he's pretty underpriced on this slate and is a good mid-tier option.
Marcos Acuna ($13) is my favorite option to pay up for at this position on Tuesday. He is definitely in better form than Shaw in this young season, and he gets to play at home in a similarly good matchup. Acuna has three shots, 11 chances created, and one assist to his name already in three games this year to go along with his normal defensive stats. RB Salzburg has been one of the worst defensive teams in the UCL group stages in the last two seasons, so Acuna should be very involved here at home.
Jesus Navas ($10) was once a top-notch wingback but has lost a step in his old age. However, he's still performing well for Sevilla opposite Acuna. He has eight chances created this year and enjoys the same plus matchup that Acuna does. The two can be paired very well together on this slate especially with RB Salzburg's style of play likely leading to good defensive stats for both of them.
The early-season value defenders for UCL is something I love to take advantage of when they're priced wrong. However, with such a small slate there does not really seem to be much unless you play Ulisses Garcia ($7) in hopes that he can collect lots of defensive stats in a good matchup against Manchester United. It's almost impossible to find good fantasy stats online for the Swiss league, but Garcia does have some attacking upside that could result in a chance created or two.
FanDuel DFS Goalkeepers
None of the goalkeepers on this slate are particularly intriguing. Dean Henderson ($13) should be starting for Manchester United, and he has the best chance at both bonuses. He should definitely be getting the win bonus, and the way Young Boys are (not) scoring so far this year gives him a good look at a clean sheet bonus.
Bono ($11) makes me a tad nervous given the way RB Salzburg can score. However, Sevilla's defense last year was strong especially at home, and they have only allowed one goal so far this year. I think Bono will at least make some saves for us, and he should get the win bonus as well. Therefore, he has a fairly stable floor, and he can really break the slate if he keeps a clean sheet.
Thanks for reading my EPL DFS lineup picks breakdown on RotoBaller and good luck!