RADIO
Adewale covers top fantasy tips and captaincy picks for Matchday 17 in the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League season.
Matchday 16 of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League delivered thrilling action, highlighted by Yann Sommer's shot-stopping heroics as Inter defeated Barcelona 4-3 at the San Siro. The UEFA Champions League final is here! Ready your fantasy teams as we watch the final two teams square off for the Champions League trophy.
This UCL season campaign saw the introduction of the league phase, ultimately leading to a glorious final set for Munich's Football Arena, and promises to be one to remember. RotoBaller remains your go-to source for top-tier UEFA Champions League fantasy content.
The Matchday 17 deadline of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League season is Saturday, May 31, at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League slate with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
One final step 🏆#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/ahpvaY2fgJ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 30, 2025
2024-25 Season Recap - UCL Finalists' Road to Munich
Before we get into our UCL Fantasy recommendations, let's recap the season and reflect on how Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan made it to the final.
Paris Saint-Germain
The Parisians struggled to gain momentum in the early stages of the league phase, securing only four points in their first five matches. However, in the final three games, the boss, Luis Enrique, adopted a new attacking system, which helped PSG score 11 goals and defeat RB Salzburg, Man City, and VFB Stuttgart.
Paris Saint-Germain was truly reborn in 2025. They smashed Stade Brestois 10-0 on aggregate in the playoffs and contributed to knocking out three top English sides: Liverpool (1-0 aggregate) in the Round of 16, Aston Villa (6-3 aggregate) in the Quarter-finals, and Arsenal (3-1 aggregate) in the Semi-finals.
Luis Enrique has led PSG to its second Champions League final, and the players will be looking forward to lifting their first-ever UCL title at Munich.
🛣️ How Paris made it to Munich 👇#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/dNlC2WNfDF
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 29, 2025
Inter Milan
Our fellow finalists in black and blue performed admirably during the league phase. The Nerazzurri earned 19 points (6 wins, 1 draw), finishing in fourth place on the table, scoring 10 goals and conceding only once.
During the knockout round, Inter defeated Feyenoord 4-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16, FC Bayern Munich (4-3 aggregate) in the Quarter-finals, and FC Barcelona (7-6 aggregate) in the Semi-finals.
Inter's head coach, Simone Inzaghi, has led Inter to its second Champions League final since the 2022-23 season. His players will be hoping to finish the job and be crowned four-time UCL champions, ending a 15-year wait.
How Inter made it to the #UCLfinal 🧐 pic.twitter.com/YybiaNOvOx
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 30, 2025
Matchday 17 UCL Fantasy Tips
Which player do I target for the final?
Approaching the final day of the UEFA Champions League, fantasy managers are only allowed to bring in five players in the final. Here are our top recommended picks of the week
Paris Saint-Germain: The French giants have scored the majority of their goals through high counter-press, utilizing their wingers and fullbacks in attack. Our top five picks from the Parisians are Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, and Achraf Hakimi.
Inter: Inter Milan scored a good fraction of its goals from corner kicks and set pieces, indicating that the Nerazzurri are most dangerous from dead balls. This is an area to capitalize on and gain significant fantasy points on the final day.
Our top five picks from Inter are Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Lautaro Martinez, Nicolò Barella, Denzel Dumfries, and Alessandro Bastoni.
👕 Here's the current most-selected fantasy team ahead of tomorrow's game...
Have you set your line-up yet? 📲
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 30, 2025
If you still have any wildcard or limitless chips left, Matchday 17 is the ideal time to use them and add those recommended players from Paris Saint-Germain and Inter to bolster your fantasy team.
Matchday 17 Top Captain Picks
Ousmane Dembélé (€8.7m) - Paris Saint-Germain
PSG's leading scorer, Ousmane Dembélé, has scored four goals in the knockout stages, accumulating 12 goal contributions (eight goals, four assists) in the Champions League.
With 35 chances created this season, Dembélé is not only a goal threat but also a key creator who could pose as a tough opponent against Inter in the final. The 27-year-old Frenchman is RotoBaller's top captain pick of the week, as Paris Saint-Germain pushes for their first UCL trophy.
⌛️#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/6qyfAHT1Ac
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 26, 2025
Lautaro Martinez (€9.4m) - Inter
Lautaro Martinez, who currently leads the UCL fantasy forward rankings with 71 points, is another important asset to entrust with the captain's armband.
The Argentine international has also scored four goals in the knockout rounds and has a total of nine goals to his name. Averaging 1.06 goals per 90 minutes for Inter in the Champions League, Martinez is a compelling captain choice to rely on for the final.
Final training ⚫️🔵#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/TE4Nvp1qSu
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 30, 2025
Given it's the grand finale, fantasy managers won't have the opportunity to swap captains. Thus, choose your captain wisely, and feel free to select any other top captain option not mentioned above.
Differential Captain (<10% Ownership)
Hakan Çalhanoğlu (€7m) - Paris Saint-Germain
The 31-year-old Turkish midfielder has amassed 28 points in his last five outings in the Champions League, contributing four attacking returns and blanking once.
The midfield maestro is primarily involved in Inter's set pieces and could be crucial in the final due to penalty duties. With only 5% ownership to his name, Çalhanoğlu is a top differential captain who could help fantasy managers stand out in their mini-leagues.
Good luck with your final selections this week!
Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
