Champions League Fantasy Football: What the numbers say

Ahead of Matchday 5, UEFA.com crunches the numbers to find out which players are predicted for big points hauls.

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 5 are given below. As ever, check latest teams news and possible line-ups before making your final selection on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

GOALKEEPERS

The top two projected goalkeepers will face off against each other on Matchday 5. Simon Mignolet has an unblemished record in the UEFA Champions League this season with four clean sheets from four, while Diogo Costa has amassed an incredible 31 points over the last two matchdays thanks to a pair of penalty saves and a rare goalkeeper assist.

André Onana will bid for a second shut-out against Plzeň after keeping the Czech side at bay on Matchday 2, while Kepa has helped his Chelsea side keep five consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.

DEFENDERS

João Cancelo continues to be a standout option with 54% of #UCLfantasy managers owning the Manchester City defender. Cancelo has registered four assists in this season's UEFA Champions League, including one against Matchday 5 opponents Dortmund.

A trio of Club Brugge defenders have been heavily backed by the algorithm, hardly surprising given the Belgian side's defensive record in Group B. Abakar Sylla, who has gained more Fantasy points than any other defender, is the pick of the bunch, while Brandon Mechele and Denis Odoi are also viable options as Club Brugge prepare to face Porto on Matchday 5.

Chelsea's excellent recent defensive record means veteran centre-back Thiago Silva appears in the projected defenders list, while the fit-again Trent Alexander-Arnold will tempt some managers with the Liverpool full-back earning 14 Fantasy points in his last UEFA Champions League appearance on Matchday 3.

MIDFIELDERS

Jude Bellingham is having a UEFA Champions League campaign to remember having scored in all four games so far, including against Manchester City on Matchday 2. The Dortmund midfielder goes into the reverse fixture against the Premier League side having accumulated more #UCLfantasy points than any other player.

Given his budget-friendly price, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is becoming an increasingly popular choice among #UCLfantasy managers, the exciting Napoli winger having achieved double-figure point scores across both fixtures against Ajax. The impressive Italian side next host Rangers, who conceded seven goals to Liverpool last time out, and the algorithm is confident of more Fantasy returns for the Georgian.

A quickfire hat-trick from Mohamed Salah on Matchday 4 took the Egyptian to five goals in this season's competition, making him the joint highest scorer, while former team-mate Sadio Mané has found the net in Bayern's last two UEFA Champions League fixtures. Both premium options look tempting for Matchday 5 although Heung-Min Son, who scored 15 #UCLfantasy points against Frankfurt, is a differential asset capable of significant returns.

FORWARDS

There is little to separate the elite strikers in terms of #UCLfantasy points at this stage, but Kylian Mbappé is the top choice in the Matchday 5 projections with Paris facing Group H's bottom side Maccabi Haifa. Robert Lewandowski rediscovered his scoring touch with two goals against Inter on Matchday 4, while Erling Haaland owners will be hoping the Norwegian takes to the pitch against former club Dortmund after he was an unused substitute last time out.

Napoli have scored the most goals in the group stage while Rangers have conceded the joint-most, so Giacamo Raspadori's point-scoring potential is clear given that he has found the net in all three of his appearances in the competition this season. Marseille's Alexis Sánchez is an even cheaper alternative with the Chilean boasting three goal involvements in his last two UEFA Champions League games, while Ferran Jutglà remains the ultimate budget option despite failing to find the net on Matchday 4.