Champions League Fantasy Football: What the numbers say

Ahead of Matchday 6, 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 on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation.

The top projected players for each position for Matchday 6 are given below. As ever, check latest team news and possible line-ups before making your final selection.

GOALKEEPERS

Diogo Costa's incredible form over the last three matchdays unsurprisingly means the Porto goalkeeper tops the goalkeeper projections for Matchday 6, usurping Simon Mignolet who has slid down the list. The Club Brugge No1 had not conceded in this season's group stage prior to Matchday 5, but a 4-0 defeat by Porto has reduced his appeal.

Last season's top-scoring #UCLfantasy goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, conceded three goals at Leipzig last time out but has kept clean sheets in two of his three appearances in this season's competition, including at Celtic on Matchday 1. Real Madrid face the Scottish side once more on Matchday 6 as they aim to finish top of Group F.

DEFENDERS

Having collected more Fantasy points than any other player in his position, Giovanni Di Lorenzo is the highest projected defender ahead of the final round of group games. Napoli rotated heavily for their Matchday 5 victory over Rangers, but the Italian full-back retained his place and delivered a clean sheet and assist.

Despite a heavy defeat to Porto, Brandon Mechele still finds favour with the algorithm due to his consistent point-scoring throughout the group stage.. Dortmund pair Niklas Süle and Mats Hummels will aim to keep a clean sheet against Copenhagen for the second time in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Early substitutions have been a source of frustration for João Cancelo owners recently and that has reduced his projected score somewhat, but fellow premium full-back Achraf Hakimi has played every minute of Paris's last three Group H games, recording an assist against next opponents Juventus on Matchday 1.

MIDFIELDERS

Although Mohamed Salah has endured a below-par domestic campaign to date, he has had no issues finding the net in the UEFA Champions League. The Liverpool man has struck six times in Group A, making him the joint top scorer in the competition.

One player who seems certain to start is Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior, who has either scored or provided an assist in all four of starts this season. Team-mate Rodrygo has also been impressing of late, with two goals, an assist and a Player of the Match award in Madrid's last three UEFA Champions League games.

More budget-friendly options are Marcus Edwards, who gained 14 #UCLfantasy points when Sporting CP faced Frankfurt on Matchday 1, and João Mário, who has been in fine form for an impressive Benfica side lately.

FORWARDS

After 36 #UCLfantasy points between them on Matchday 5, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are again projected to score well against eliminated Juventus, especially as Paris Saint-Germain still need to confirm top spot in Group H, while Mehdi Taremi's recent form puts him third on the list of projected forwards. The Porto frontman has four goals and two assists in the last three matchdays.

Due to some uncertainty over their involvement on Matchday 6, some of the usual suspects are a little further down the list than normal. Robert Lewandowski may well be rested given that Barcelona can no longer qualify for the round of 16, while Erling Haaland's minutes are in question due to a foot injury and the fact Manchester City will finish first in Group G regardless of their result against Sevilla.

With three goals and an assist in the UEFA Champions League so far, the algorithm rates Rafa Silva's chances of scoring Fantasy points against Maccabi Haifa. Edin Džeko boasts the exact same record in the competition, with Inter facing already-qualified Bayern on Matchday 6.