The UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of European club football and with UCL Football just 2 weeks away. Here is a breakdown of how it works and what players are the best for each position.
If you have played FPL, it mostly follows the same structure. You have a €100m budget and will have to spend it on 2 Goalkeepers, 5 Defenders, 5 Midfielders and 3 Forwards. For the league phase, you can only select a maximum of three players from any one club.
Here is how the point system works:
Goals: The points awarded for goals vary by position. Goalkeepers and defenders get 6 points, midfielders get 5, and forwards get 4.
Assists: All players receive 3 points for an assist.
Clean Sheets: Goalkeepers and defenders get 4 points for a clean sheet (when their team doesn’t concede a goal while they are on the pitch for at least 60 minutes). Midfielders also receive 1 point for a clean sheet.
Ball Recoveries: For every three balls recovered by a player, they get 1 point.
Player of the Match: The UEFA technical observer panel selects a Player of the Match for each game, who receives an additional 3 points.
Unlike FPL where your team is locked after the deadline you can make changes in UCL Fantasy. Champions League matches are spread across three days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) during the League Stages.
Substitutions: After the first day’s fixtures are complete, and before the next set of matches begin, you can substitute out up to four players from your starting XI for players on your bench who have not yet played. This allows you to react to poor performances or surprise benchings. This is why it makes sense to put the players who play in the last matchday on your bench to best optimise your results.
Captaincy: Your captain’s points are doubled for that matchday. If your chosen captain underperforms on Tuesday, you can switch the armband to a different player in your squad who is yet to play on Wednesday. Once you make the change, however, you cannot switch back. Example if Mbappe blanks against Marseille i can switch my captaincy to Dembele who plays Atalanta.
Now that you have Understood how it works here is a lowdown of the best players by position:
Keepers
Lucas Chevalier(€4.5m) the reigning European Champions have sold Donnarumma to Man City and bought the Young Frenchman because of his distribution skills. Being priced at just €4.5m makes him a very good option. Only caveat is that PSG have been handed one of the most toughest draws in the UCL, their fixtures are not great however in the UCL rarely do teams keep Clean sheets anyways.
Joan Garcia(€4.5m) Barcelona have also signed a young talent in Joan Garcia from city rivals Espanyol. Barcelona are one of the better defences in the competition, they could miss Balde for the first matchday but still look solid. Joan in his last match against Rayo Vallecano was their hero. He prevented 0.77 goals against Los Franjirrojos.
David Raya(€5.5m) The Spaniard is on the more expensive side but plays for arguably the best defence in Europe. Last season Raya was the second highest points scoring keeper just behind Sommer. They also have a kind fixture run and he looks to be a great pick if your budget allows it.
Defenders
Hakimi(€6.0m) One of PSG’s most integral players in the UCL last season. Although as mentioned before with Chevalier, their fixture run looks awful, however Hakimi also offers amazing goal threat as a route to points. Last season he managed to get 4 goals and 5 assists despite being a midfielder.
Huijsen(€4.5m) At such a cheap price having a Real Madrid defender seems like a cheat code. His ability to contribute defensively with tackles, clearances, and aerial duels, combined with his potential for clean sheets, makes him a valuable asset. The fact that he also has the capability to provide attacking returns, like his recent assist, adds to his appeal.
Calafiori(€4.5m) I am a bit surprised to see an Arsenal defender priced so low. The Italian offers goal threat from set pieces as another route to points. As a modern, ball-playing center-back, he can carry the ball forward, provide progressive passes. The only issue could be rotation, with him having Lewis-Skelly and Hincapie as competition although you can always substitute him if he does not start.
Dumfries(€6.0m) Another attacking fullback and playing for defensive giants Inter. Dumfries racked up 2 goals and 3 assists. His first 4 fixtures look great and if you want to play it safe with the clean sheet points, Dumfries looks to be the man.
Van Dijk(€6.0m) offers the best route into the Liverpool defence. Despite getting knocked out early in the round of 16 the Dutchman was still able to rack up 60 points. His status as a guaranteed starter also ensures a high volume of minutes, minimizing the risk of a benching. He is another great option at this €6.0m price point.
Midfielders
Raphinha(€9.5m) The highest scoring midfielder and player in the game last year with 137 points. He scored 13 goals and provided 9 assists. Although he faces Newcastle and PSG in his first two games, players like him can haul in big games. His Hattrick against Bayern was one of the best performances from a player last season.
Lamine Yamal(€10.0m) The highest priced midfielder, the Spanish wonder kid really took a step in the knockout matches. His second half of the season was amazing and he is looking to continue that this season. The Polish Hitman Lewandowski should be fine for the match against Newcastle, should he miss Yamal would be on penalties as evidenced against Rayo Vallecano.
Michael Olise(€8.0m) The Frenchman was Bayern’s player of the season and has been one of the best wingers in the world last season. Bayern are always on the hunt for goals and the Frenchman alongside Kane has been their outlet. His impactful performances make him a strong candidate for the Player of the Match award, which provides an additional 3 points. His ability to produce goals and assists and his overall influence on the game make him a frequent contender for this bonus. In his last 7 Bundesliga matches he has either scored or provided an assist.
Désiré Doué(€8.0m) The Prince of Paris has now seemed to have nailed a spot in the PSG team, with him playing at Left Wing, Right Wing and even at the number 10 role this season. He is a very explosive asset and can haul big. He is also a big game player, scoring a brace and providing an assist in the UCL final against Inter last season.
Vinicius Junior(€9.5m) The Brazilian has seen a downfall in his numbers from last season. However he is still a great asset as Real Madrid always go deep in the UCL. He racked up 8 goals and 3 assists last season and will be looking to get back to his best under Xabi Alonso. His first two fixtures are Marseille and making their UCL Debut Kazakh side Kairat Almaty so expect him to deliver in those two fixtures.
Forwards
Harry Kane(€10.5m) is an easy pick. Bayern Munich’s hitman racked up 11 goals and two assists last season. Bayern always turn up in the league stages with goals and the attack flows through the Englishman. He is on penalties and with Diaz and Olise on the wings you can expect him to score you a bucketload of points.
Kylian Mbappe(€10.5m) Last year European Golden Boot winner has started this season just like he left last season. Scoring 3 goals in 3 matches. Mbappe will have a fire under his belly after last season. He left PSG to win the UCL only for the Parisians to win it last season. He always has an eye for goal and is on penalties as well. Last season he scored a sensational hattrick against Man City showcasing his ability to play as a number 9.
Erling Haaland(€10.5m) The Norwegian goal scoring machine racked up 50 points and scored 8 goals despite getting knocked out early in the playoffs thanks to a Hattrick by the man above. Erling did score a brace against Los Blancos too. Just like Kane and Mbappe he is on penalties and the attack is centered around him. With the additions of Reijnders and Cherki(injured and will miss the first two matchdays) he looks to have another great season.
