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Fantasy Football Matchday 1 lessons: Forwards

While a host of big names drew a blank last time out, some budget forwards delivered superb value for money.

Salzburg's Erling Braut Haaland celebrates his matchday one hat-trick
Salzburg's Erling Braut Haaland celebrates his matchday one hat-trick ©AFP/Getty Images

UEFA.com looks at the performance of forwards on matchday one, and finds top prices did not necessarily offer good value for money.

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What was particularly notable from the first round of matches was how forwards performed relative to their price. Of the 20 most expensive strikers in #UCLfantasy, 16 took to the field on matchday one and only three contributed attacking returns. In contrast, several budget-friendly frontmen performed well above expectations and have caught the eye of #UCLfantasy managers at this early stage.

Salzburg's Erling Braut Haaland (€4.5m) stole the headlines on the opening night with his stunning hat-trick against Genk, the Norwegian 19-year-old rewarding his early owners with 14 points. Haaland wasn’t the only impressive performer from the Austrian side's 6-2 victory, however, as team-mates Hee-Chan Hwang (€6.0m) and Takumi Minamino (€7.0m) chipped in with 12 and 9 #UCLfantasy points respectively.

This isn't to say that more expensive forwards should be ignored altogether, though, as familiar names Harry Kane (€11.0m), Robert Lewandowski (€10.5m), Timo Werner (€8.5m) and Dries Mertens (€8.5m) all found the net on matchday one, and it is surely only a matter of time before Lionel Messi (€11.5m) and Cristiano Ronaldo (€11.5m) kick into gear in the competition.

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