Daily Fantasy Champions League 2015: Best UCL Lineup Picks for March 10-11
The round of 16 continues in the Champions League with second legs being played on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the daily fantasy options are numerous despite only four matches set to take place.
The first leg of these matches back in February can give us some key recent performances to pull from, but the second meeting can yield completely different results just as easily as it can follow suit of the first match. Let's try to decipher between the two, with DraftKings lineup picks for the midweek in the Champions League.
| GK | Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) | Schalke | 13.7 | $5,700 |
| D | Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea) | PSG | 5.6 | $3,900 |
| D | Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) | Schalke | 6.7 | $3,900 |
| M | Blaise Matuidi (PSG) | Chelsea | 7.3 | $5,700 |
| M | Eden Hazard (Chelsea) | PSG | 13.1 | $8,900 |
| F | Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) | Shakhtar Donetsk | 14.2 | $9,800 |
| F | Cristian Tello (Porto) | Basel | 7.0 | $6,100 |
| FLEX | Marcelo (Real Madrid) | Schalke | 11.2 | $5,700 |
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Forwards: Thomas Muller ($9,800) and Cristian Tello ($6,100)
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is just impossible to work into a capable lineup, but Thomas Muller can provide that consistent scoring option up front on a much cheaper salary. The Bayern Munich forward has goals in three of his last four UCL appearances and scored a brace over the weekend in replacement of an injured Robert Lewandowski.
| 28 | 15 | 8 | 2.5 | 7.30 |
Bayern were held scoreless in the first leg in Ukraine, but Muller led the way with two shots on target and should be a central figure in his side's likely drubbing of Shakhtar Donetsk in this do-or-die second leg.
Cristian Tello was busy in Porto's first leg with Basel, and he's been absolutely on fire with four goals in his last two appearances in domestic league.
Midfielders: Eden Hazard ($8,900) and Blaise Matuidi ($5,700)
Eden Hazard was held under wraps by Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg, but he drew eight fouls to save an otherwise poor fantasy performance. It's hard to know how Chelsea will approach this second leg with their away goal in hand, but one constant remains Hazard moving forward with the ball.
As for his opposition, Blaise Matuidi promises to have a similar effect moving forward himself. The PSG midfielder has assists in two UCL matches running, including a strong 13-point performance three weeks ago versus the Blues.
Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta ($3,900) and Dani Carvajal ($3,900)
Making up for lost salary in defense is crucial, especially when attacking-minded full-backs are available at affordable prices. Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta visits PSG averaging 8.5 fantasy points in his last four DraftKings performances, and his presence in the offense will be felt with the Blues eyeing a spot in the quarterfinals.
Dani Carvajal's short sample size in DFS play is impressive, having assisted on one of Real Madrid's goals at Schalke three weeks ago. His attacking play at least results in various crosses and drawn fouls, with the occasional chance on goal. But make sure he indeed starts over Alvaro Arbeloa at right-back before finalizing him in your lineup.
Neither player has the goal-scoring potential of a Marcelo or Branislav Ivanovic, but the affordable picks allow you to still find offensive opportunity among your virtual back line while saving key funds for your forwards.
Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas ($5,700)
With six of the eight potential starting goalkeepers at $4,000 or more, selling out for the likeliest clean sheet is often the right move—even if it's the most expensive keeper on the market.
| 2/18: at Schalke | 1 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| 11/4: Liverpool | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 10/22: at Liverpool | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
| 10/1: at Ludogorets | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| 9/16: Basel | 1 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
Alas, Iker Casillas' $5,700 salary isn't one that should scare anyone away—and his recent play suggests it would be money well spent. Not only have all six of his DraftKings performances yielded double-digit fantasy totals, but he's notched a clean sheet in three straight.
Schalke made it tough on him the last time out by forcing three saves, which only helped skyrocket Casillas' production even higher. Madrid should put the clamps on the German opposition at the Santiago Bernabeu, resulting in another good day for the Spaniard.
Advanced stats courtesy of WhoScored.com unless otherwise noted.
Steven Cook covers daily fantasy world football for Bleacher Report. Follow and interact with him on Twitter.
