The countdown to the Champions League Final is on and with the spotlight on the Olympiastadion in Berlin. The anticipation is building for the showdown between Juventus and Barcelona in what is going to be an epic affair. With the exception of Andrea Barzagli at the centre-back position for the Serie A side, there aren’t any notable injuries to worry about heading in to Saturday’s game. That makes our job in daily fantasy a little bit easier when we’re picking our rosters.
GK: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Barcelona
Salary: $5,100
Gianluigi Buffon is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world and a big reason why Juventus won a Serie A title and got this far in the Champions League. However, the reality is that he faces the much tougher matchup of the two keepers in this game trying to slow down the most dangerous attack in the world. Barcelona attacks in waves and while Buffon will do his part to keep Juventus in the game, the reality is that Ter Stegen is a quality goalkeeper that will likely see less action. Since we like the Spanish side to get the victory, it only makes sense to go with him in this spot.
D: Patrice Evra, Juventus
Salary: $4,400
The Juventus defenders will undoubtedly have their hands full and with Barzagli’s status in question, we will go with their other two key defenders knowing they will have a substantial workload. Even so, they are still available at a decent price. Evra has been excellent for Juve all year and we love plugging him in to this spot at a decent price.
D: Leonardo Bonucci, Juventus
Salary: $4,300
Bonucci is another decent defender option that doesn’t force us to break the bank at the position. We will need to save as much money as possible for the other positions and Bonucci doesn’t cost a lot to have as our second defender here.
M: Paul Pogba, Juventus
Salary: $4,900
One of two players that have played integral roles in the Juventus offense and are worth having for the Champions League Final, Pogba is one of the main men in their midfield. Few would have expected him to play such a major role for Juventus this season but there is no doubt about how important he is and he is available at a good price here.
M: Ivan Rakitic, Barcelona
Salary: $4,800
Rakitic has been one of the underrated stars for Barcelona both at home in La Liga and in the Champions League. There are certainly more expensive options available here but if Rakitic plays to his potential, he will be an excellent value play here that leaves us enough money to spend big on other positions as we fill out our roster.
F: Neymar, Barcelona
Salary: $9,600
Lionel Messi is the superstar player that will once again lead Barcelona’s attack up front but he is $2K more expensive than Neymar. That is why we are implementing a bold strategy here. Neymar has been excellent since returning from injury for Barcelona and if Messi gets a point, there is a good chance that Neymar will be in the mix for a goal or an assist. Passing up on Messi isn’t easy here but we would rather have Neymar and another top striker at the FLEX position than just Messi and a filler.
F: Luis Suarez, Barcelona
Salary: $8,900
Suarez follows as a cheaper option than Neymar but he’s the second of three pieces in the Barcelona attacking trident. Suarez has proven throughout his career that he plays his best on the biggest stages and we love the idea of having both Neymar and Suarez at the forward spots after passing on Messi.
FLEX: Carlos Tevez, Juventus
Salary: $8,100
There are no illusions about how dangerous the Barcelona attack is but with two-third’s of their attacking trio covered, it makes sense to look at the other side of the equation rather than completely ignoring the Juventus attack. Tevez has been an absolute star for Juventus both at home in the Serie A and in the Champions League, and by taking Neymar and Suarez over Messi, we have just enough money left over to afford the player most likely to score for Juventus in this FLEX spot.
