#UCLfantasy: What the numbers say

Predicting which Fantasy players are going to perform on a 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 ten are given below. As ever, check team news before making your final selections.

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GOALKEEPERS

With only one club projected to keep a clean sheet in the quarter-final second legs, the top projected goalkeeper is Barcelona No1 Marc-André ter Stegen. Fresh off a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, Barcelona will look to finish the job at the Camp Nou, where they have registered clean sheets in two of their four home matches in this season's competition.

Of the remaining four goalkeepers, none are projected to record a shut-out and instead make the top five based upon their save potential. Ederson of Manchester City is second, Liverpool No1 Alisson Becker third, Manchester United's David de Gea fourth, with Porto keeper Iker Casillas in fifth.

DEFENDERS

With just Barcelona projected to post a clean sheet on matchday ten, it's no surprise the top four spots are taken up by their back line. All their defenders are in line to collect a minimum of six points, with left-back Jordi Alba, who already has a goal and three assists in the UEFA Champions League this season, heading the list. Second is former Manchester United centre-back Gerard Piqué who has notched two goals this term and scored at home to Lyon in the round of 16.

Nélson Semedo and Clément Lenglet are yet to achieve an attacking return between them and are therefore projected the six points for a clean sheet and 90 minutes played. The lone non-Barcelona player to crack the top five projected defenders is Porto left-back Alex Telles; while a clean sheet is unlikely against Liverpool, Telles does offer points at the other end, as evidenced by his goal and two assists so far and the fact he's on penalty duties.

MIDFIELDERS

The top three projected midfielders for matchday ten are the same three Manchester City midfielders that occupied these spots for matchday nine. Leroy Sané, Raheem Sterling and David Silva all drew blanks in the first leg but, with goals needed to overturn a 1-0 deficit, will hope for better in the return. No fewer than 70% ofSane's Fantasy points have come at home, with attacking returns in each of his three home appearances; Sterling already has a pair of goals and two assists at home this season, while David Silva is always at the heart of everything City do going forward.

Liverpool's Sadio Mané has claimed 11 goals in his last 14 games in all competitions, including two in the last-16 second leg at Bayern – not forgetting his hat-trick last year at Porto, who have earned only one clean sheet in this European campaign. With Harry Kane getting injured against Manchester City, Heung-Min Son may well be pushed further forward, having taken just 20 minutes to provide a timely reminder of how effective he can be in deputising for Kane with the first-leg winner.

FORWARDS

Number one on the forwards list is the top-scoring player in UEFA Champions League history, Cristiano Ronaldo, who bagged his 125th goal in the competition at Ajax and also hit a hat-trick on his last #UCL outing in Turin, against Atlético Madrid in the round of 16. The Portuguese star is projected to outscore Lionel Messi, who for once blanked on matchday nine. Still the UEFA Champions League's joint-leading marksman this term, Messi has scored at least once in each of Barcelona's last four home matches on all fronts.

Porto have found the net in all four home games in this season's competition, with Moussa Marega key with a goal in each. Ronaldo's Juventus team-mate Paulo Dybala has five goals for the campaign, the same as his celebrated strike partner. Sergio Agüero completes the top five, having scored 18 times in just 17 appearances at the City of Manchester Stadium this term.