Our Champions League DFS picks 20 October cover a seven-match Tuesday slate with a clear shape: two heavy favourites, one genuine shootout and a handful of tighter games in between. Everything kicks off at 19:00 UTC tonight. We lead with Fanteam, where the Tuesday Main Event runs on a 120 budget, then cover DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo.
The match lines tell the story. Manchester City are 85.91% to beat AEK with 2.98 projected goals and a 51.48% clean sheet chance. Roma sit at 85.32% against Slovan with 3.08 projected goals, the highest on the slate. Barcelona and PSG are almost dead level, both projected for more than two goals and neither above 11.5% to keep a clean sheet. That is where the attacking points pile up on both sides.
Champions League DFS picks 20 October: Fanteam captains
The armband matters most on Fanteam because the captain scores double. Our three safe options are all near-certain starters with projections above six points.
Rayan Cherki leads at 6.5 projected points and a 41.5% chance to score against AEK. He is the captain in our best lineup, and City’s 2.98 projected goals give him a reliable floor. Raphinha is right behind at 6.43 and costs 12.8, which makes him the most efficient of the three. He is 43.5% to score in a match where Barcelona project for 2.18 goals against a PSG defence that is only 10.82% to keep a clean sheet. Donyell Malen is the pure goal play at 57.1% to score, the best number on the slate, with a 14.68 ceiling against a Slovan side that projects to concede 3.08.
Our best lineup uses Cherki as captain and Raphinha as vice-captain. Remember that the vice-captain only doubles if the captain does not play, so treat that slot as insurance rather than a second armband.
For bigger tournaments, our big-swing picks are Noa Lang, Ryan Gravenberch and Borja Sainz. Each projects a little over four points, but their good games land around ten or more. Lang faces Bodø with Napoli 53.94% to win, Gravenberch plays in a Liverpool side projected for 2.3 goals, and Sainz gets a Porto team 62.61% favourites against PSV. They will be far less popular than the top three.
Captain options, 20 October
| Type | Player | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safe | Rayan Cherki | MCI | AEK | 15.2 | 6.50 | 14.2 |
| Safe | Raphinha | BAR | PSG | 12.8 | 6.43 | 14.2 |
| Safe | Donyell Malen | ROM | SLV | 15.7 | 6.15 | 14.7 |
| Upside | Noa Lang | NAP | BOD | 12.1 | 4.21 | 10.5 |
| Upside | Ryan Gravenberch | LIV | VIL | 12.1 | 4.20 | 10.3 |
| Upside | Borja Sainz | FCP | PSV | 11.2 | 4.33 | 10.6 |
Stacks to build around
Barcelona’s Raphinha and Lamine Yamal are the stack we use most, appearing in 4 of our 15 lineups. Together they cost 26.0 and project for 12.2 points. In a match with both sides projected above two goals, pairing two of Barcelona’s main attackers lets you capture most of what that game produces.
The cheaper option is Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze, also in 4 of 15 lineups. They cost just 13.5 combined for 8.8 projected points, which frees money for the expensive midfielders. Liverpool’s Barcola and Koumas, City’s Foden and Ndiaye, and Stuttgart’s Demirovic and Undav each show up in 2 of 15.
Best stacks, 20 October
| Stack | Team | Salary | Proj | In our lineups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raphinha + Lamine Yamal | BAR | 26.0 | 12.2 | 4 of 15 |
| Gerard Moreno + Georges Mikautadze | VIL | 13.5 | 8.8 | 4 of 15 |
| Bradley Barcola + Lewis Koumas | LIV | 26.4 | 11.2 | 2 of 15 |
| Phil Foden + Iliman Ndiaye | MCI | 29.5 | 11.1 | 2 of 15 |
| Ermedin Demirovic + Deniz Undav | VFB | 19.2 | 8.7 | 2 of 15 |
A note on defence. The two best clean sheet spots are Roma and City, and both have several defenders projecting around four points. Mancini, Wesley and Molina at Roma and Gvardiol and Guéhi at City all look attractive. The stacking penalty applies when several goalkeepers or defenders from one team are in your lineup and all of them earn clean sheet points, so piling three Roma defenders behind Gollini cuts into the reward. One or two from the same back line is usually enough. Note too that our start probability for Ndicka is only 50%, well below his Roma teammates.
Value by position
Goalkeepers. Donnarumma (13.0) and Alisson (11.3) top the projections at 4.34 and 4.3, with Alisson the cheaper route into a strong clean sheet spot. Our best lineup goes the other way with Joan García at 5.8 for 3.08 points. Barcelona are only 11.5% to keep a clean sheet, so his value comes from the price rather than the match line. Jan Oblak at 8.2 is the middle ground.
Defenders. Josko Gvardiol is the top defender at 4.79 with an 11.1% chance to score, a big number for the position. Further down, our best lineup uses Alejandro Grimaldo (7.8, 3.54) and Fredrik Sjøvold (5.3, 2.75) to keep salary available for the midfield.
Midfielders. The top end is crowded, so savings have to come from below. The cheapest strong rates belong to the underdogs facing City and Roma: Milán Vitális at 2.8 projects 2.28, and AEK teammates Răzvan Marin (3.7) and Lovro Majer (3.6) are close behind. Slovan’s Cristian Martínez (3.2) and Suleiman Camara (4.3) do the same job. These are minutes plays, not points plays, but they fill a slot cheaply.
Forwards. Mikautadze at 6.9 projects 4.62, more than several forwards costing far more, and Moreno at 6.6 projects 4.17. For a minimum spend, Luka Jović costs 3.9 for 2.84 points. Barnabás Varga (3.5) is in a similar spot but is only listed as a possible starter.
Underdogs
Villarreal are just 15.93% to beat Liverpool, yet their forwards still project well because Liverpool are only 32.4% to keep a clean sheet and Villarreal project for 1.15 goals. That is why Mikautadze and Moreno sit in our stacks.
Stuttgart are the more live underdog at 28.44% against Atlético, projected for 1.54 goals. Ermedin Demirovic (32.8% to score) and Deniz Undav (25.9%) both carry ceilings above ten. PSV’s Ivan Perisic and Sven Mijnans are cheaper ways to get exposure to a 16.62% upset chance against Porto, with Mijnans the likelier scorer at 18.4%.
Who to watch before lock
Three players sit at a 68% start probability. Lewis Koumas is the important one, since he projects 5.87 and is in our best lineup. Niccolò Pisilli at Roma and Dani Olmo at Barcelona are the others. The Fanteam safety net helps here: if one of them does not start, the closest-priced cheaper teammate in the same position who does start comes in. A player who only appears off the bench scores nothing, so check the confirmed lineups, which usually land about an hour before kickoff.
Players to watch before lock
| Player | Team | Salary | Proj | Chance of starting | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Koumas | LIV | 12.7 | 5.87 | 68% | Possible |
| Niccolò Pisilli | ROM | 14.2 | 4.62 | 68% | Possible |
| Dani Olmo | BAR | 12.2 | 4.06 | 68% | Possible |
Champions League DraftKings picks
DraftKings Classic uses 8 players (1 GK, 2 D, 2 M, 2 F, 1 UTIL) and a $50,000 cap. Goals and assists pay most, which suits the attacking-heavy top of the slate.
Donyell Malen is the clear top projection at 18.84 points for $7,600, a value of 2.48. That price makes him close to essential. Matías Soulé adds a second Roma attacker at $6,500 for 15.0. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal both project above 15 but cost $9,700 and $10,400.
The value plays are cheap Atlético midfielders. Pablo Barrios projects 9.07 at $3,600 and Johnny Cardoso 7.66 at $3,200, both helped by the points DraftKings gives for tackles and interceptions. Iliman Ndiaye at $5,500 is listed F/M, which adds flexibility.
Building note: goalkeepers earn a win bonus on DraftKings, so lean towards a keeper from one of the big favourites, with City and Roma both above 85% to win.
DraftKings value plays, 20 October
| Player | Team | Pos | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pablo Barrios | ATM | M | 3600 | 9.07 | 2.52 |
| Donyell Malen | ROM | F | 7600 | 18.84 | 2.48 |
| Iliman Ndiaye | MCI | F/M | 5500 | 13.31 | 2.42 |
| Johnny Cardoso | ATM | M | 3200 | 7.66 | 2.39 |
| Matias Soule | ROM | F | 6500 | 15.00 | 2.31 |
| Pape Gueye | VIL | M | 3800 | 8.30 | 2.18 |
Champions League FanDuel picks
FanDuel uses 7 players (1 GK, 2 DEF, 4 FWD/MID) with a $100 cap and a maximum of 4 per team. Goals and shots on target pay most, while tackles, interceptions, blocks and clearances are worth a lot.
Malen again leads at 31.68 points for $21, and Soulé is strong value at $18 for 24.72. Raphinha projects 27.08 at $22 if you want a piece of the Barcelona and PSG game.
The defensive scoring pushes defenders up the value list. Jeremy Jacquet projects 18.7 at $9, and Atlético’s David Hancko and Marc Pubill are both $9 options. Gerard Moreno at $11 for 21.45 is the cheap attacker that makes the expensive pieces fit.
Building note: with four FWD/MID slots and only two defenders, spend most of the cap up front and take your savings in defence, where the value is deepest.
FanDuel value plays, 20 October
| Player | Team | Pos | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Jacquet | LIV | DEF | 9.0 | 18.70 | 2.08 |
| David Hancko | ATM | DEF | 9.0 | 17.83 | 1.98 |
| Gerard Moreno | VIL | FWD/MID | 11.0 | 21.45 | 1.95 |
| Xavi Espart | BAR | DEF | 7.0 | 13.50 | 1.93 |
| Johnny Cardoso | ATM | FWD/MID | 9.0 | 17.20 | 1.91 |
| Marc Pubill | ATM | DEF | 9.0 | 15.98 | 1.78 |
Champions League Yahoo picks
Yahoo uses 11 players (1 GK, 3 D, 4 M, 2 F, 1 UTIL) with a 200 cap and a maximum of 6 per team. Goals and assists pay most, with passes, crosses, tackles, interceptions and blocks also counting.
Malen tops the board at 13.76 for 28. The standout is Rayan Cherki, third in projection at 10.58 yet priced at just 15, a value of 0.71. He belongs in most lineups.
Roma midfielders headline the value list. Lorenzo Pellegrini projects 7.84 at 10, and Niccolò Pisilli 6.56 at the same price, though Pisilli is one of our 68% start doubts. Kevin De Bruyne at 12 for 7.77 is another efficient midfielder.
Building note: the six-per-team limit lets you lean hard into Roma, the slate’s top projected scorers, without hitting a cap. Since there is no safety net on Yahoo, confirm Pisilli starts before using him.
Yahoo value plays, 20 October
| Player | Team | Pos | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Pellegrini | ROM | M | 10.0 | 7.84 | 0.78 |
| Rayan Cherki | MCI | M | 15.0 | 10.58 | 0.71 |
| Gerard Moreno | VIL | F | 13.0 | 8.59 | 0.66 |
| Niccolo Pisilli | ROM | M | 10.0 | 6.56 | 0.66 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | NAP | M | 12.0 | 7.77 | 0.65 |
| Jeremy Doku | MCI | F | 13.0 | 7.85 | 0.60 |
Final checks before lock
All seven matches kick off together at 19:00 UTC, so there is no late swap window once the games start. Our projections update until lock, and confirmed lineups usually arrive about an hour before kickoff with more team news shortly after.
- Confirm Koumas, Pisilli and Olmo are starting.
- Check Ndicka before using him in a Roma back line.
- On Fanteam, keep an eye on the stacking penalty if you use several Roma or City defenders with their goalkeeper.
- Make sure your captain is a near-certain starter. Cherki, Raphinha and Malen all fit.
Our best Fanteam lineup projects 61.2 points with Cherki as captain. Check the late team news before the deadline, adjust if anything changes, and lock in.
Full, sortable projections for every player, with a CSV download for your own optimizer, are on our Champions League DFS projections page, with tabs for Fanteam, DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo.