#UCLfantasy: What the numbers say

Predicting which Fantasy players are going to perform on a 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 12 are given below. As ever, check team news before making your final selections.

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GOALKEEPERS

Liverpool's Alisson Becker, Barcelona No1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris and André Onana of Ajax are the four men tasked with keeping their opponents at bay in matchday 12.

Just Liverpool are projected to keep a clean sheet. Given the Anfield club conceded three at the Camp Nou, this may seem a little surprising. However, the Reds have been defensively outstanding at home in the competition this year, conceding only two goals and keeping four clean sheets in their five UEFA Champions League home matches. None of the remaining three sides are projected to record a shut-out, so their order is dependent on their save potential.

DEFENDERS

With just Liverpool projected to record a clean sheet on matchday 12, the top four spots on the projected defenders list are occupied by their expected back line. Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson and Joël Matip all started in the first leg against Barcelona, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to be recalled for the upcoming match-up.

Van Dijk, with two goals and two assists in this season's UEFA Champions League, has recorded the highest number of points through attacking returns of the four. Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have both recorded two assists so far, Alexander-Arnold's have come in 132 fewer minutes of pitch time, while Matip has no attacking returns in the competition as of yet. Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba makes his weekly appearance; the Barcelona full-back remains to top scoring defender in #UCLfantasy after another assist and clean sheet on matchday 11. His points tally now stands at 62 points from ten appearances.

MIDFIELDERS

Two Ajax players take the top two positions for matchday 12; Donny van de Beek scored in the first leg against Tottenham and now has two goals in his last two UEFA Champions League appearances while Hakim Ziyech has registered two goals and two assists in Ajax's last five fixtures in the competition.

Facing a three-goal deficit from the first leg, Liverpool will need to go all out attack to stand any chance of getting back into the tie – an outlook that should bode well for owners of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, who remain the two top-scoring midfielders in #UCLfantasy despite blanking last time out.

Another team needing to come from behind are Tottenham, who welcome back Son Heung-Min which could prove pivotal in unlocking Ajax's defence. The South Korean international has picked up four goals in his last four UEFA Champions League appearances, including two away to Manchester City in the quarter-final second leg.

FORWARDS

Dušan Tadić drops tosecond after being displaced at the top by Messi. The Serbian is also the second highest point scoring forward in #UCLfantasy, with 20 points more than third-placed Harry Kane). Costing just €7.9m, Tadić still represents the best budget forward option left in this season’s competition. His Ajax team-mate David Neres is at third, while Barcelona's Luis Suárez and Liverpool's Roberto Firmino take fourth and fifth.