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Brandon's DraftKings and FanDuel UCL DFS lineup picks for Champions League Soccer on 2/11/25 (Matchweek 8). His top daily fantasy soccer forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeepers.
Welcome back to “The Kick-Off,” and welcome to the 24-25 Champions League season! The Champions League is back, and with domestic play at the weekend, squad rotation is inevitable! 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!
Let’s kick off Matchweek Eight! Today's top favorite is Juventus -110 vs PSV Eindhoven +300. I will guide you through this three-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 $5.6K || FD $13
Opponent - PSV Eindhoven
Michele Di Gregorio has been featured numerous times throughout the Champions League Group Stages this season, deservingly so. Juventus is one of the top clubs in terms of value when assessing Shots Against Per Goal Against Per 90.
Gregorio is also one of the top goalies regarding saves throughout the Group Stage matches. In his last five starts in all competitions, he produced nine saves, conceded four goals, and recorded two clean sheets.
PSV Eindhoven is not the best club to target shot volume from, sitting in the bottom 10 in Shots Per 90. However, Juventus is a bottom-5 club in Shots Against 90, and they are also a top-half club in Goals Against Per 90.
Juventus is already favored in their home match against PSV Eindhoven. Potential shot volume and a win for Gregorio could set him up as the top goalie on the slate.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Courtois (DK $4.5K || FD $10), Kobel (DK $4.3K || FD $9)
UCL DFS Forwards
Rodrygo - DK $9.4K || FD $21
Opponent - Manchester City
This match at the Etihad will go one of two ways. Either it will be very close, and Manchester City will edge it out, or Real Madrid will waltz into Manchester with an easy win. Many will side with the latter based on recent form and fixtures for both clubs. Nevertheless, Rodrygo will be a key factor no matter the outcome.
The winger has three goals, three assists, 13 shots, 11 created chances, 19 crosses, 16 corners, three tackles, and five interceptions in his last five appearances in all competitions. He is also taking more and more set pieces as the season continues, setting himself up for a potential floor.
The shot volume may not be as reliable as it usually is for the winger; however, his odds of producing a point are high. The hosts are a bottom-ten club in Goals Against Per 90 so far this season, as well as bottom-10 in both In-the-Box Goals Against and Penalty Defense.
Considering how dangerous Los Blancos are–top 10 or better in the majority of metrics Per 90–it is safe to say that they will give Manchester fits in the box. Expect Rodrygo to maintain value in this crucial match against the Premier League giants.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Adeyemi (DK $6.8K || FD $20), Conceição (DK $5.9K || FD $17)
UCL DFS Midfielders
Daniel Bragança - DK $5.3K || FD $13
Opponent - Borussia Dortmund
After the top midfielders in the Manchester City/Real Madrid fixture, there is a massive drop down to the middle of the salary range for the rest of the midfielders.
This leads to Daniel Bragança of Sporting CP. The attacking midfielder is getting more and more opportunities with the big club, with his last appearance in Group Stage play as his first start. In that appearance, he produced one assist, four shots, four created chances, six crosses, one corner, two tackles, and one interception. He also makes a case as the ‘go-to’ option for set pieces.
Borussia Dortmund will not be an easy opponent, despite it being at the José Alavade Stadium. Dortmund also has Pascal Groß, another option in the midfield. As the host, Bragança is expected to maintain value at a minimum. Throughout his last five Champions League fixtures–one start–he has one assist, four shots, four created chances, six crosses, one corner, two tackles, and one interception.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Groß (DK $5.7K || FD $17), Koopmeiners (DK $4.5K || FD $14)
UCL DFS Defenders
Nicolò Savona - DK $3.1K || FD $8
Opponent - PSV Eindhoven
Nicolò Savona irons out the article for Day One of Matchweek Eight. The fullback has one shot, three created chances, eight crosses, six tackles, and seven clearances in his last five appearances–four starts–in all competitions.
Savona is a young and upcoming defender, making his first starts and appearances this season. Unfortunately, he has yet to play a complete game. He either produces on the offensive side of the ball or the defensive, but never both. Luckily, his salary is ‘affordable’ while stacking the higher-salaried players.
PSV Eindhoven is the worst club on the slate against Crosses and Created Chances. They are also expected to have a challenging time scoring against Juventus. A potential clean sheet and peripheral production could set up Savona as the top-value play of the slate.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Svensson (DK $4.9K || FD $5), Flamingo (DK $2.7K || FD $14)
Corner Takers
- Manchester City: De Bruyne/Foden
- Real Madrid: Modric/Rodrygo
- Juventus: Koopmeiners
- PSV Eindhoven: Veerman
- Sporting CP: Bragança
- Borussia Dortmund: Groß
Thanks for reading The Kick-Off. Good luck in all of your contests today!
