Champions League Fantasy Football: What the numbers say for Matchday 7 | UEFA Champions League

Predicting which Fantasy players are going to perform on any given matchday is a difficult task. Through crunching the numbers, a projected points total for each player has been calculated based on the player’s historical performance in the UEFA Champions League. Goals, assists, clean sheets and the likelihood of playing are the major parameters used in our projections.

The top projected players for each position for Matchday 7 are given below. As ever, check latest team news and possible line-ups before making your final selection on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

Pick your Fantasy team for Matchday 7

GOALKEEPERS

Edouard Mendy conceded just one goal in his five Group H appearances for Chelsea and with no qualified team scoring fewer goals than LOSC in the group stage, the algorithm strongly rates his chances of a clean sheet on Matchday 7. There is similar confidence in Ajax shot-stopper Remko Pasveer, with the Dutch side having conceded just one goal in their last eight games in all competitions.

The cheapest option in the top five projected goalkeepers is LOSC’s Ivo Grbić. The reigning French champions only conceded four times in the group stage and will likely set up to frustrate Chelsea on Matchday 7. Should they prove successful, Grbić will represent excellent value for money.

DEFENDERS

Highlights: Club Brugge 1-5 Man. City

João Cancelo has been the standout Fantasy defender so far this season and #UCLfantasy managers have taken notice, with the Manchester City man featuring in 27% of teams at the time of writing. His ability to score points from a variety of different avenues means he tops the projected defenders list ahead of the Matchday 7 fixture with Sporting CP.

Fellow Premier League defenders Antonio Rüdiger, Thiago Silva and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also tipped to score well, while the algorithm has recognised that Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich has been providing attacking contributions in the Bundesliga lately and could be set to transfer that form to the UEFA Champions League.

Ajax pair Daley Blind and Noussair Mazraoui both registered attacking returns during the group stage, and they will face off against Nicolás Otamendi‘s Benfica on Matchday 7. Otamendi scored has scored an impressive 40 #UCLfantasy points so far – second only to Cancelo among defenders.

MIDFIELDERS

Highlights: Bayern 3-0 Barcelona

It will be a surprise to no one that Leroy Sané is top of the projected midfielders for Matchday 7, with the winger having accumulated more #UCLfantasy points (65) than any other player so far. Those looking to double up on the Bayern midfield may also consider Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman, who boast seven attacking returns between them in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Liverpool team-mates and recent Africa Cup of Nations final opponents Sadio Mané and particularly Mohamed Salah will be highly sought after by #UCLfantasy managers, while the pick of Manchester City’s midfield is Riyad Mahrez, who started all six of his side’s Group A fixtures, scoring five goals.

At the cheaper end of the scale, Marcelo Brozović is an option with the Inter midfielder having gained most of his points through ball recoveries and Player of the Match awards, while Arnaut Danjuma has provided excellent value for money to date although it should be noted he has not played much football lately.

FORWARDS

Highlights: Bayern 5-2 Benfica

The most heavily-owned player in #UCLfantasy, Robert Lewandowski, finds himself joint top of the list alongside top scorer Sébastien Haller, who found the net in all six of Ajax’s group stage games. Perennial UEFA Champions League performers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are also options having scored 11 goals between them, while Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema are more than useful alternatives in the premium bracket.

Those looking to spend a little less could do a lot worse than Haller’s Ajax team-mate Antony, with the Brazilian having scored twice to go with five assists. Diogo Jota is also available at a generous price and #UCLfantasy managers should note the Liverpool man has been amongst the goals in recent domestic action.