Champions League Fantasy Football: Potential differentials for Matchday 1

With the league phase of this season's UEFA Champions League fast approaching, UEFA.com highlights a selection of players in all four positions who could prove valuable differential options on #UCLfantasy, presented by PlayStation.

GOALKEEPERS

A consistent Fantasy option over the past couple of years, Gregor Kobel (€5.0m) offers excellent differential value with his ownership still under 10%. The Dortmund No1 made 41 saves in last season's Champions League, accumulating 46 points, and has started the new campaign with two clean sheets in Dortmund's opening three games in all competitions.

Benfica's Anatoliy Trubin (€4.5m) matched Kobel's Fantasy total in 2024/25 and is available at a slightly cheaper price. The Portuguese side progressed through two qualification rounds to reach the league phase, Trubin not conceding a goal in those four games, before Qarabağ visit on Matchday 1.

Other appealing lesser-owned goalkeepers include Simon Mignolet (€5.0m) of Club Brugge and Atalanta's Marco Carnesecchi (€4.5m). The latter registered five clean sheets in last season's league phase, while Mignolet picked up more than 40 Fantasy points across the campaign.

Other options: Manuel Neuer (5%), Guglielmo Vicario (3%), Rui Silva (1%)

DEFENDERS

Many Fantasy managers have focused on Paris Saint-Germain full-backs, meaning Willian Pacho (€5.0m) has an ownership percentage still in single figures. No Fantasy player recorded more ball recoveries last season than Pacho's 124, those 37 Fantasy points elevating his overall score to 93.

Another Benfica player who often proves productive from a Fantasy point of view is Nicolás Otamendi (€5.0m). Like Trubin, the centre-back played every minute in qualifying. Another differential defender from the Portuguese Liga is Gonçalo Inácio (€4.5m), whose Sporting CP side welcome Kairat Almaty to Lisbon.

Despite his excellent Fantasy production last season, managers appear to have cooled on Alejandro Grimaldo (€6.0m), whose ownership stands at just 5%. The Leverkusen left-back scored 64 points last season, including four goal involvements, and already has an assist in the new campaign as well as scoring a penalty in the DFB-Pokal.

Other options: Manuel Akanji (2%), Wilfried Singo (2%), Rayan Aït-Nouri (2%)

MIDFIELDERS

With injuries potentially sidelining both Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué on Matchday 1, Bradley Barcola (€7.5m) could play a key attacking role for Paris. The 23-year-old already has two goals and two assists for club and country this season, yet features in just 4% of Fantasy squads at present.

Six goal involvements in last year's Champions League make Hakan Çalhanoğlu (€7.0m) another low-owned midfielder who warrants serious consideration. Inter's first-choice penalty taker, Çalhanoğlu registered a score of 67 points in 2024/25, but there are also other differential options at Serie A sides.

Napoli's summer signing Kevin De Bruyne (€8.0m) is looking to make a big impact on his Matchday 1 return to Manchester City having already scored his first goal for his new club. De Bruyne's team-mate Scott McTominay (€7.0m) is only 5%-owned despite 19 goal involvements last season in all competitions. At Real Madrid, Arda Güler (€6.0m) has started life under Xabi Alonso with a goal and assist in La Liga.

Other options: Hans Vanaken (3%), Pedro Gonçalves (1%), Can Uzun (0%)

FORWARDS

Given his incredible Champions League record, Fantasy managers searching for a differential forward may consider Robert Lewandowski (€9.5m). Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more times in the competition than the Pole, who delivered 11 goals and 76 points for Barcelona last season.

The Inter strike partnership of Marcus Thuram (€8.0m) and Lautaro Martínez (€9.5m) are each under 7% owned at the time of writing, despite hitting a combined 13 goals in the run to last season's final. While Martínez scored nine of those, the lower-priced Thuram has started the new campaign with two goals in as many games.

Having made a move to Liverpool on 1 September, Alexander Isak (€9.0m) is awaiting his debut for the Reds, which could work in the favour of those shrewd Fantasy bosses who own the striker prior to Matchday 1, when his new club take on Atlético de Madrid at Anfield.

Other options: Julián Alvarez (7%), Cody Gakpo (4%), Patrik Schick (1%)