Champions League Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 2/25/20

The Champions League, the best soccer competition on the planet, rolls on, and FanDuel is offering plenty of contests for Tuesday's and Wednesday's knockout stage matches. This article will focus on the main Tuesday slate, which starts at 3 p.m. EST.

Per EPL odds, Bayern (-130) are the slate's biggest favorites, with Barcelona (+120) in second. Chelsea (+330) and Napoli (+220) are both underdogs at home, which could lead to a tightly contested slate, despite the difference in talent between the sides.

Here are some players to target at various price points.

Forwards/Midfielders

Lionel Messi, Barcelona ($24) -- It's Messi -- if he's on the slate, he should be in consideration. Following a goal drought of four games, Messi bounced back in a big way, with a four-goal performance in Barcelona's last match, to the tune of 85 FanDuel points. The scary part is, during his goal-scoring drought, he still produced FanDuel point totals of 24.3, 65.0, 55.3, and 26.0. That's an average of 42.7 FanDuel points per match without a goal scored. Absurd. Napoli is in great form and will present a difficult test on the road, but except for Bayern's Robert Lewandowski, no one has a higher ceiling on the slate than Messi. Fade him at your own risk.

Robert Lewandowski, Bayern ($23) -- It could be easily argued that Lewandowski is a better play than Messi on Tuesday. He is slightly cheaper and has an easier matchup against a Chelsea side that has conceded seven goals over their last four matches. Bayern has a history of dominating English opposition in the Champions League, usually Arsenal, but it wouldn't come as a surprise if they did the same to Chelsea. Bayern is the largest favorites on the slate, and Lewandowski is in the midst of another fantastic season. He is scoring goals for fun and has failed to find the back of the net only twice in his last nine games. He has the best odds to score on the slate and is likely the safest play on the board Tuesday.

Dries Mertens ($18) or Arkadiusz Milik ($16), Napoli -- It remains to be seen who will start up front for Napoli on Tuesday between Mertens and Milik. The two have both received spells of starts this season, alternating great performances with less inspiring ones. Whoever gets the start will be in a decent position to produce as a lesser-owned option on this slate. Napoli is experiencing a good run of form, with six wins in their last seven, including a home victory over Juventus. They also had a solid group stage performance, which included an undefeated run and a victory over defending champions Liverpool. If they can beat the Italian champs and current UCL holders, they are certainly capable of troubling a Barcelona side that has kept just one clean sheet in their last five matches. Whoever starts is worth consideration as a contrarian option on Tuesday.

Defenders

Benjamin Pavard, Bayern ($13) -- Everyone's favorite French fullback has enjoyed a good start to his career at Bayern following his breakout performance at the World Cup in 2018. In the group stage, he scored double-digit FanDuel points in each game and produced two assists. His high cross totals make him a good option to pair with Lewandowski, and he is a great bet to benefit from a game in which Bayern dominate as well as a game in which Chelsea put up a fight and require him to see to his defensive responsibilities. He is a good bet for a clean sheet and a top option for lineups looking for a high floor on this slate.

Andreas Christensen, Chelsea ($8) -- The number of expensive options in good spots on Tuesday creates a need for value options capable of producing. Christensen fits the bill, as he should be very busy operating in the heart of Chelsea's defense against Bayern. At a price of just $8, Christensen should easily provide enough value to justify his inclusion in lineups that need the salary relief. His ceiling is limited, as he hasn't scored a goal since moving to Chelsea three years ago, but he should have an abundance of defensive opportunities on Tuesday.

Goalie

Alex Meret, Napoli ($11) -- Napoli's chances in this tie are likely to be slightly underrated by the public, considering who their opposition is. However, Atletico Madrid just showed last week that an early goal can make all the difference. Meret is in the middle of a terrible run of form, but he has shown up in big games this season. He produced a four-save shutout against Liverpool back in September, then held them to one goal with three saves in the reverse fixture. He produced two additional clean sheets in the group stages and held Juventus to a single goal at the end of January. Napoli may opt to stick with David Ospina, who has had issues of his own, but Meret has been their choice for big games this season. He is a risky play, but on a small slate, he is well worth consideration for large-field tournaments on Tuesday.