UCL Fantasy Football Matchday 6: 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 6 are given below. As ever, check the predicted line-ups and team news before making your final selection.

GOALKEEPERS

Chelsea's 4-0 win at Sevilla on Matchday 5 ensured that they would finish top of Group E and their defensive record throughout the group stage has been superb, having conceded just the once. Edouard Mendy has been integral to that solidity and he is the highest projected goalkeeper ahead of Matchday 6, but owners and potential investors should be wary of the threat of rotation.

That rotation was already in effect for Bayern on Matchday 5, with Manuel Neuer's understudy Alexander Nübel stepping in between the sticks for the reigning European champions and if he is entrusted with the gloves once more on Matchday 6, he looks excellent value at €4.2m.

DEFENDERS

Cristian Romero continues to be the star of the show when it comes to #UCLfantasy defenders after producing a 12-point haul against Midtjylland on Matchday 5. The ball recovery king got on the scoresheet against the Danish outfit and with second place on the line in Group D, Romero will be a popular choice once more as his Atalanta side travel to Ajax.

Another ball-winning centre-back to look out for is Salzburg's André Ramalho, who is second only to Romero in the overall ball recovery standings. The Brazilian's 18 recoveries against Lokomotiv Moskva was a Matchday 5 high, and with Salzburg still in with a chance of progression, the algorithm has faith in Ramalho delivering #UCLfantasy points once more.

The absence of Thomas Meunier meant fellow wing-back Raphaël Guerreiro took the headlines as he scored Dortmund's goal in a 1-1 draw against Lazio on Matchday 5. The German side have already qualified for the round of 16 but top spot is still not secured so the projections are favouring Guerreiro to feature and perform against Zenit.

MIDFIELDERS

The projected scores are a little lower this week and that is mainly due to the uncertainty over starting line-ups, but the majority of these inclusions still have something to play for on Matchday 6. Among those are Manchester United pair Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, who are likely to be involved in a decisive fixture with Leipzig. Rashford in particular has proven an excellent #UCLfantasy option this season with the Englishman currently the joint-top scorer in the UEFA Champions League on six goals.

There are still viable options in teams who have already qualified for the round of 16 however. Second-guessing Josep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp can be a dangerous business for Fantasy managers, but Phil Foden and Curtis Jones have been used prominently in the competition over recent matchdays for Manchester City and Liverpool respectively. The affordable pair have each scored and provided assists in the UEFA Champions League this season and represent tempting differential options.

FORWARDS

Ciro Immobile is sure to be a popular captaincy option with Lazio hosting Club Brugge in one of the first games of Matchday 6. The Italian striker has registered four goals and an assist in his three group stage appearances so far and is in blistering form in general having found the net in his last eight games in all competitions.

Group H is set to go down to the wire and Paris's fate could well depend on Neymar, who is enjoying a purple patch right now. The Brazilian produced an excellent performance against Manchester United on Matchday 5 and his two goals have resulted in the algorithm tipping him to provide #UCLfantasy returns against İstanbul Başakşehir.

One notable entry is that of four-goal hero Olivier Giroud, who has surely staked his claim for another start off the back of his performance against Sevilla. The Chelsea man represents a risk for #UCLfantasy managers given Frank Lampard's plethora of options in attack, but the rewards could be great for those willing to take a gamble.