Champions League Fantasy Football: What the numbers say

Ahead of Matchday 11, UEFA.com crunches the numbers to find out which players are predicted for big points hauls on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation. 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 11 are given below. As ever, check the latest team news and possible line-ups before making your final selection.

• Projected points and potential differentials
• What should be your Matchday 11 captain?

GOALKEEPERS

Manchester City conceded in all of their six Group A fixtures but their defensive record since has been in stark contrast. Two-legged ties against both Sporting CP and Atlético have resulted in four clean sheets so Ederson is naturally the highest projected keeper on Matchday 11, on which the Premier League leaders are at home to Real Madrid.

Thibaut Courtois will be lining up in the opposite goal with the Real Madrid stopper boasting more #UCLfantasy points overall than the other remaining goalkeepers, although his hefty price tag may deter investors. Gerónimo Rulli offers a cheap route into a Villarreal back line that has conceded just twice in their four knockout games to date.

DEFENDERS

Perennial projection leader João Cancelo is suspended for Matchday 11, which opens the door for Manchester City team-mates Aymeric Laporte and John Stones to feature in more #UCLfantasy teams. The centre-back pair have been solid as a rock recently, but the algorithm favours Laporte on Matchday 11 as Stones recently picked up an injury issue which puts his availability in doubt.

Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is a popular choice among #UCLfantasy managers but fellow centre-back Ibrahima Konaté, who has lined up for the Reds in five of the last six UEFA Champions League matches, is an excellent differential option. The Frenchman scored in both quarter-final legs against Benfica and the algorithm likes his chances of further returns against Villarreal.

Speaking of the Spanish side, Raúl Albiol has been quietly impressing recently, picking up 27 points in the knockout stage alone. No player remaining in the competition has made more ball recoveries than Albiol, who features in just 2% of teams.

MIDFIELDERS

Mohamed Salah's #UCLfantasy owners have endured three successive UEFA Champions League games without an attacking return, but a recent return to goalscoring form in the Premier League could spell bad news for Villarreal on Matchday 11. Domestic form is also a factor behind Sadio Mané's appearance in the top five projected midfielders, with the Senegal international having scored five goals in his last four starts in all competitions.

Kevin De Bruyne is another premium asset who will court attention, while Villarreal's Arnaut Danjuma and Real Madrid's Luka Modrić are a little easier on the wallet. Danjuma has logged an impressive eight attacking returns in the competition so far, while Modrić had contributed an assist in each of his last three UEFA Champions League games.

FORWARDS

Having scored by far the most Fantasy points this season among the forwards who are still involved, Karim Benzema is the obvious projection leader with the Frenchman having added an incredible 40 Fantasy points over the last three matchdays. Doubling up on the Real Madrid front line may be a ploy for many, with Vinícius Júnior complementing Benzema nicely having been directly involved in eight goals in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Not knowing the Liverpool starting line-up pre-deadline makes life tricky for Fantasy managers, but Luis Díaz could well make a third successive start in the competition based on current form. Should Jürgen Klopp choose a different route then Diogo Jota, who has surged past the 20-goal mark in all competitions this season, will be at the forefront of his thinking.

A recent hamstring issue has put Gerard Moreno's Matchday 11 availability in doubt, but should the Villarreal striker recover in time to face Liverpool then he could well be worth including with five of his six attacking returns having come away from home.