Our Champions League DFS picks 14 October cover a seven-match Wednesday slate that kicks off tonight at 19:00 UTC, with every game starting at once. We build it for Fanteam first, then for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo. One favourite stands clear of the rest: Stuttgart are 70.47% to beat Slavia with 2.58 projected goals. Below them sit Aston Villa against Fenerbahçe, two open games in Real Madrid v Roma and Manchester City v PSG, and a Dortmund v Bodø/Glimt match where both sides project above 1.7 goals.
The Wednesday Main Event on Fanteam gives us a budget of 112 for 11 players, with no more than three from any one club. Confirmed lineups usually land about an hour before kickoff, so most of the decisions below come down to that final window.
Champions League DFS picks 14 October: Fanteam captains
Our safest captain is Johan Manzambi. He carries the slate’s top projection at 5.67, costs only 10.6 and has a 36.9% chance to score. Villa are 56.59% to win, project 1.97 goals and hold Fenerbahçe to 1.17. That combination of a clear favourite and a mid-priced attacking midfielder is what we want with the armband.
Kylian Mbappé (5.05, 40.4% to score) and Serhou Guirassy (4.96, 39.4%) round out the safe group. Real Madrid project 2.0 goals against Roma. Dortmund project 1.94 against a Bodø side that also projects 1.7, so Guirassy’s game should stay open even if Dortmund’s 17.61% clean sheet chance is poor. Erling Haaland has the best scoring chance of anyone at 44.6%, but City are only 47.48% to beat PSG and his 4.9 projection trails the top three.
For big-swing picks, look at the Bodø pair Ole Didrik Blomberg and Sondre Auklend, plus Villa’s Nicolas Jackson. Blomberg’s 10.98 ceiling sits far above his 4.36 average. Auklend’s 9.75 against a 3.53 projection is an even wider gap. These are tournament captains, not cash-game ones.
Captain options, 14 October
| Type | Player | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safe | Johan Manzambi | AVL | FEN | 10.6 | 5.67 | 12.7 |
| Safe | Kylian Mbappé | RMA | ROM | 12.4 | 5.05 | 12.1 |
| Safe | Serhou Guirassy | BVB | BOD | 12.6 | 4.96 | 11.2 |
| Upside | Sondre Auklend | BOD | BVB | 8.2 | 3.53 | 9.8 |
| Upside | Ole Didrik Blomberg | BOD | BVB | 9.3 | 4.36 | 11.0 |
| Upside | Nicolas Jackson | AVL | FEN | 11.4 | 3.52 | 8.9 |
Our best lineup uses the whole 112, projects 52.9 points and has Manzambi as captain with Mbappé as vice-captain. Keep in mind that the vice-captain only doubles if the captain does not play at all.
Stacks to build around
The Villa midfield pairing of John McGinn and Manzambi is our main stack. It costs 21.7, projects 10.6 and appears in 6 of our 15 lineups. Bellingham with Mbappé comes next at 24.1 for 9.7. It costs more and returns less per unit, but it gives you direct exposure to Real’s 2.0 projected goals.
The cheaper stacks are more interesting than they look. Soulé and Dybala from Roma cost 18.1 for 8.3, a sensible way to back the 1.5 goals Roma project against Real. Bodø’s Auklend and Blomberg (17.5 for 7.9) match the open-game read in Dortmund. Shakhtar’s Gleiker Mendoza and Alisson (17.0 for 7.6) come from a near coin flip against AEK, with 1.42 and 1.43 projected goals on either side.
Best stacks, 14 October
| Stack | Team | Salary | Proj | In our lineups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John McGinn + Johan Manzambi | AVL | 21.7 | 10.6 | 6 of 15 |
| Jude Bellingham + Kylian Mbappé | RMA | 24.1 | 9.7 | 3 of 15 |
| Matías Soulé + Paulo Dybala | ROM | 18.1 | 8.3 | 2 of 15 |
| Sondre Auklend + Ole Didrik Blomberg | BOD | 17.5 | 7.9 | 2 of 15 |
| Gleiker Mendoza + Alisson | SHK | 17.0 | 7.6 | 2 of 15 |
Stuttgart are the odd case. They have the best match line on the slate, but Undav (14.3), Demirovic (14.8) and Führich (13.7) are the three most expensive attackers in the pool. With a three-per-club cap and a 112 budget, we prefer one Stuttgart attacker at most and the rest of our money in Villa and Real.
Value by position
Goalkeepers. Thibaut Courtois at 7.7 projects 3.47, almost level with Dennis Seimen (3.55) at 11.4. Diogo Costa (6.9, 3.28) and Pierluigi Gollini (5.8, 2.87) are the budget options. Gollini faces Real with a 13.16% clean sheet chance, so his points rely on saves.
Defenders. Josko Gvardiol at 6.9 projects 2.97 with a 10.1% chance to score, the cleanest value at the position. Marc Bartra (9.0, 3.12) gets a Betis side with a 27.06% clean sheet chance. The Stuttgart full-backs Josha Vagnoman (3.66) and Maximilian Mittelstädt (3.62) top the position, but each has only a 50% chance to start. Here the safety net helps. If Vagnoman does not start, the nearest cheaper Stuttgart defender who does start is Jeff Chabot at 11.1, an 88% starter with a 10.7% chance to score. Do not roster Chabot alongside him if you want that cover. Also remember the stacking penalty: pairing several Stuttgart defenders with Seimen reduces the payout on the 33.92% clean sheet you are chasing.
Midfielders. Slavia fill the value list. Peter Pokorný (4.3, 2.67) and Cristian Martínez (4.4, 2.39) are cheap expected starters, and Suleiman Su.Camara (5.8, 2.93) has a 7.01 ceiling. Slavia are only 12.81% to win, so these are minutes plays that free up salary, not a bet on Slavia. Alen Mustafic is listed as possible at 68%.
Forwards. Andraz Sporar at 5.5 projects 3.21 with a 25.8% chance to score, the best cheap forward on the slate. He is what makes a three-forward build with Mbappé, Guirassy and Haaland affordable.
Underdogs
Bodø are 32.02% to win in Dortmund and project 1.7 goals, the strongest underdog line tonight. That is why Blomberg (4.36, 27.8% to score) shows up in our best lineup. PSG are 28.78% to win at City, and Ousmane Dembélé at 10.3 projects 4.33 with a 34.1% scoring chance. Roma give us three options at 26.82%: Donyell Malen (9.4, 34.3% to score), Soulé (9.1) and Dybala (9.0), with the Argentines both projecting 4.15.
Who to watch before lock
Several useful players are not yet expected starters. Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart, 4.33), Jérémy Doku (City, 3.7), Konstantinos Karetsas (Dortmund) and Betis pair Antony and Pablo Fornals are all at 68%. Borja Sainz of Porto is listed as unexpected at 50%. Add the two Stuttgart full-backs to that list.
Players to watch before lock
| Player | Team | Salary | Proj | Chance of starting | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Leweling | VFB | 13.9 | 4.33 | 68% | Possible |
| Jérémy Doku | MCI | 10.9 | 3.70 | 68% | Possible |
| Konstantinos Karetsas | BVB | 11.8 | 3.59 | 68% | Possible |
| Antony | BET | 10.5 | 3.56 | 68% | Possible |
| Pablo Fornals | BET | 10.3 | 3.42 | 68% | Possible |
| Borja Sainz | FCP | 7.8 | 3.28 | 50% | Unexpected |
Champions League DraftKings picks
DraftKings Classic uses 8 players (1 GK, 2 D, 2 M, 2 F, 1 UTIL) under a $50,000 cap. Goals and assists pay the most, so forwards lead the projections. Mbappe tops the board at 13.88 for $11,000, with Dembele close behind at 13.69.
The prices at forward are where the value sits. Donyell Malen at $7,500 projects 12.55, a value of 1.67 per $1,000, and Deniz Undav at $7,600 returns 1.65. Both are only slightly behind the elite pair for far less salary.
Midfield is where you save. Sondre Auklend at $3,000 projects 7.66 for a slate-best 2.55 value, and Felix Nmecha ($3,400) and Alisson Santana ($4,200) are also strong. Cheap midfielders let you use the UTIL slot on a third forward such as Malen or Undav.
For goalkeepers, remember that DraftKings adds a win bonus. That pushes us toward keepers on the clearest favourites, and on the match lines that means Stuttgart at 70.47% and Villa at 56.59%.
DraftKings value plays, 14 October
| Player | Team | Pos | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sondre Auklend | BOD | M | 3000 | 7.66 | 2.55 |
| Cristian Martinez | SLV | M | 3000 | 6.86 | 2.29 |
| Felix Nmecha | BVB | M | 3400 | 7.68 | 2.26 |
| Alisson Santana | SHK | M | 4200 | 8.88 | 2.11 |
| Victor Froholdt | FCP | M | 3600 | 7.50 | 2.08 |
| Ole Didrik Blomberg | BOD | M | 4600 | 9.28 | 2.02 |
Champions League FanDuel picks
FanDuel asks for 7 players (1 GK, 2 DEF, 4 FWD/MID) under a $100 cap, with up to 4 players per team. Goals and shots on target pay the most, and Mbappe leads at 23.59 for 24.0. Haaland (22.07) and Dembele (21.78) follow, but Malen at 17.0 projects 21.74 for a 1.28 value, the best pricing among the top attackers.
Defenders are the main source of value here because tackles, interceptions, blocks and clearances score well. Natan of Betis at 9.0 projects 15.08 (1.68 value), and Jostein Gundersen of Bodø at 8.0 projects 12.7. Jeff Chabot (12.0, 17.54) and Waldemar Anton (12.0, 17.37) are the pricier options with the highest totals.
With only two defender slots and a big clean sheet bonus for keepers, our plan is to pay up for the four FWD/MID spots, take one cheap busy defender like Natan and save the rest for a keeper from a likely winner.
FanDuel value plays, 14 October
| Player | Team | Pos | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natan | BET | DEF | 9.0 | 15.08 | 1.68 |
| Jostein Gundersen | BOD | DEF | 8.0 | 12.70 | 1.59 |
| Daniel Svensson | BVB | DEF | 9.0 | 13.70 | 1.52 |
| Kenan Bajric | SLV | DEF | 10.0 | 14.97 | 1.50 |
| Jeff Chabot | VFB | DEF | 12.0 | 17.54 | 1.46 |
| Waldemar Anton | BVB | DEF | 12.0 | 17.37 | 1.45 |
Champions League Yahoo picks
Yahoo uses 11 players (1 GK, 3 D, 4 M, 2 F, 1 UTIL) under a 200 cap, with a maximum of 6 per team. Goals and assists lead the scoring, and passes, crosses and defensive actions add to it. Mbappe projects 10.91 at 35.0, but Malen at 17.0 (9.03) and Johan Manzambi at 20.0 (8.96) give nearly as much for far less salary.
The value list is full of attackers. Ez Abde of Betis at 10.0 projects 6.83 for a 0.68 value, and Matias Soule at 13.0 returns 0.59. Ole Didrik Blomberg is listed as a defender here at 10.0 with a 6.35 projection. That is a cheap way to get attacking output into a defensive slot.
Eleven roster spots under 200 means you need cheap starters at the bottom. Build around one premium forward, then use Blomberg, Abde and Soule to fill the remaining spots.
Yahoo value plays, 14 October
| Player | Team | Pos | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ez Abde | BET | F | 10.0 | 6.83 | 0.68 |
| Ole Didrik Blomberg | BOD | D | 10.0 | 6.35 | 0.64 |
| Matias Soule | ROM | F | 13.0 | 7.72 | 0.59 |
| Chris Fuhrich | VFB | M | 14.0 | 7.69 | 0.55 |
| Andreas Helmersen | BOD | F | 10.0 | 5.40 | 0.54 |
| Donyell Malen | ROM | F | 17.0 | 9.03 | 0.53 |
Final checks before lock
Kickoff is at 19:00 UTC, so confirmed lineups should arrive about an hour earlier, with more team news shortly after. Our projections update until lock, so check them again once teams are out.
- Confirm Vagnoman and Mittelstädt. If you play one, leave Chabot out so the safety net can cover him.
- Check the 68% group: Leweling, Doku, Karetsas, Antony and Fornals. A start moves each into consideration.
- On Fanteam, make sure your captain is a near-certain starter. A player who only comes off the bench scores nothing.
- Avoid stacking several Stuttgart or Villa defenders with their keeper unless you accept the stacking penalty.
- On DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo there is no captain and no safety net, so a non-starter there is a dead slot.
Manzambi and the Villa midfield anchor our Fanteam builds, Mbappé and Malen carry across all four sites, and the Slavia and Bodø salary savers make it all fit.
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.