Learn from the best Champions League Fantasy Football managers

UEFA.com shines a spotlight on the top-performing managers on #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation, after the group stage and highlights some patterns that may be useful for others to study as we approach the knockout stages.

The performance of the top ten worldwide managers this season have been analysed to identify some key ingredients of their success so far on Fantasy.

WILDCARDS

As was the case at this stage last season, the top ten in the standings have already used both their Wildcard and Limitless chips, with those managers choosing to take advantage of favourable fixtures in the group stage.

The most popular strategy among the top ten was to strike early and use the Wildcard on Matchday 2, with four managers opting for this approach. However, this did not turn out to be such a fruitful strategy as it yielded an average of just 68 points, ten less than the Matchday 2 average of those who did not use any chip.

Those who deployed their Wildcard at other times all reached triple figures in terms of their matchday score though, with the 126 points gained by sixth-placed Giorgi Chkuaseli on Matchday 6 the highest in the top ten.

No top-ten manager chose to use their Wildcard on Matchday 4.

LIMITLESS

The Limitless chip proved a lucrative asset for the elite managers, with eight of the top ten surpassing the 100-point mark on the matchday they deployed it.

Matchdays 5 and 6 were equally popular when it came to using the Limitless chip, with three managers using it on each occasion. The top three-ranked managers in the world chose the former, returning an average of 110 points – a considerable 14 points above the average of those who opted to play no chip on Matchday 5.

It was the same story for Matchday 6 Limitless users, whose average score was also 14 points above those who did not use any chip. Fifth-placed Lisboa chose this strategy to good effect, amassing 126 points – the most among the Limitless users.

As was the case with the Wildcard, none of the top ten managers used their Limitless chip on Matchday 4.

CAPTAINCY

Midfielders have been bigger captaincy draws this season than last. There were just seven occasions in the 2021/22 group stage where the top ten selected a midfielder as their captain at the end of a matchday, but that number rose to 24 this time around. Forwards were still the most popular choice, being selected 33 times, while there were three occasions where a defender held the armband at the end of the matchday.

The biggest consensus for a captaincy choice came on Matchday 5, when seven of the top ten captained Kylian Mbappé and were rewarded with a 16-point haul. However, of the three managers who went against the grain, two of them benefitted from a 20-point return courtesy of Lionel Messi. Sometimes, being brave can pay off.

One #UCLfantasy manager who certainly has a knack for picking a profitable captain is tenth-placed Kadir, whose six captaincy choices during the group stage produced 172 points (when doubled) – more than any other player in the top ten.

SQUAD SELECTION

There were plenty of budget goalkeepers on offer during the group stage, and that did not go unnoticed by world number one Tim Leichtfried, who never spent more than €5.0m on a goalkeeper throughout the six matchdays. With Tim boasting a sizeable 27-point lead at the top of the standings, few would argue with such a strategy, although it was not a tactic shared by all. Fourth-ranked JBoavida, for example, opted for at least one premium shot-stopper on each matchday, and only once did this strategy fail to yield a clean sheet.

Up front, either two or three premium forwards were commonplace on each matchday for the top ten, with plenty of #UCLfantasy funds being spent on the big-hitting strikers. There were a few exceptions to this rule though, Ferran Jutglà's early exploits for Club Brugge being picked up by one or two canny managers, while Manchester City's Julian Álvarez became a relatively popular choice later on in the group stage.

Whether or not these ten managers can stay the course throughout the knockout stage remains to be seen, but they have had a clear blueprint to success so far and their approach can offer some important insights for other #UCLfantasy managers to emulate when looking to climb the ranks.