Champions League Fantasy Football: What the numbers say

Predicting which Fantasy players are going to perform on any 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 2 are given below. As ever, check latest team news and possible line-ups before making your final selection on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

GOALKEEPERS

On Matchday 1 Thibaut Courtois continued where he left off last season with a clean sheet and seven Fantasy points as he helped Real Madrid keep Celtic at bay. The algorithm once again places the Belgian at the top of the projections, with the reigning European champions entertaining Leipzig on Matchday 2.

Fellow premium-priced goalkeeper Ederson likewise kept a clean sheet on the opening night and the Manchester City man will be looking to back that up as the Premier League side welcome Dortmund. Last season's value goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos started off well for Portuguese outfit Benfica but now faces a tough test with Juventus their Matchday 2 opponents.

DEFENDERS

The highest projected defender ahead of Matchday 1 was João Cancelo, and the highly-owned Manchester City full-back duly lived up to that billing with a 15-point return against Sevilla, while team-mate Rúben Dias was just one point behind and sneaks into the top ten this time round.

Attack-minded full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will be heavily sought-after by Fantasy managers when Paris face Maccabi Haifa on Matchday 2, while the same can be said of Denzel Dumfries when Inter take on Plzeň.

Interest in Tottenham defenders has increased since their Matchday 1 shut-out against Marseille, and the algorithm is leaning towards Ivan Perišić, who recorded an assist against the French side, and Cristian Romero, who has a history of excelling when it comes to ball recoveries in the UEFA Champions League.

MIDFIELDERS

Real Madrid pair Vinícius Júnior and Luka Modrić – the two highest owned #UCLfantasy midfielders – both found the net on Matchday 1 and now take on a Leipzig side who conceded four goals to Shakhtar Donetsk last time out, while Manchester City duo Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden feature once again after they recorded attacking returns against Sevilla.

Leroy Sané made a strong start as he sought to replicate his 2021/22 exploits, as a goal and assist against Inter on Matchday 1 produced a familiar double-figure points return for the Bayern winger. Meanwhile, Steven Bergwijn rewarded his owners with a goal, but the Dutchman limped off after scoring so his Matchday 2 availability will need to be monitored.

The highest score of the matchday among midfielders belonged to Napoli's Piotr Zieliński, whose 18-point haul has certainly caught the attention of #UCLfantasy managers, while two goals for €5.0m-priced Marian Shved makes the Shakhtar man an early budget gem this season.

FORWARDS

Many #UCLfantasy managers opt for three premium forwards and it is difficult to argue with that strategy when the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are so prolific. All three are heavily backed in the projections once again, but there are plenty of viable alternatives elsewhere.

Perhaps it is the turn of Lionel Messi and Neymar to shine on Matchday 2. The latter recorded an assist against Juventus and appears to be on penalty duty for Christophe Galtier's star-studded side, while Messi is capable of rolling back the years on any given day.

Harry Kane owners were left disappointed with his blank against Marseille on Matchday 1 but the England international never goes long without finding the net . It was his team-mate Richarlison who stole the show last time out however, the Brazilian's two goals earning him 13 Fantasy points on his debut in the competition.