Predicting which fantasy players are going to perform for a given matchday can be 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 other major parameters used in our projections.
The top projected players for each position for matchday two are given below.
GOALKEEPERS
| Player | Price |
Club | Opponents | Home/Away | Gameday | Projected |
| Anthony Lopes | 4.5 | Lyon | Shakhtar | H | Tuesday | 6.1 |
| Jan Oblak | 6.0 | Atlético | Club Brugge | H | Wednesday | 6.1 |
| David de Gea | 6.0 | Man. Utd | Valencia | H | Tuesday | 6.1 |
| Manuel Neuer | 6.0 | Bayern | Ajax | H | Tuesday | 6.1 |
| Robin Olsen | 4.0 | Roma | Plzeň | H | Tuesday | 6.0 |
The goalkeepers projected to keep a clean sheet in matchday two vary in terms of their price bracket. Atlético’s Jan Oblak, Manchester United’s David de Gea and Bayern’s Manuel Neuer are all priced at €6.0m Atlético face Club Brugge, who managed a single away goal the last time they reached the UEFA Champions League in 2016/17. Manchester United have kept four clean sheets in their last six UEFA Champions League home matches, while Bayern conceded just one goal at home in last season’s group stage.
The cheaper options are Anthony Lopes, whose Lyon side host a Shahktar Donetsk team that failed to score in three of their four UEFA Champions League away matches last season, and Robin Olsen of Roma. The Italian side kept five clean sheets in six home UEFA Champions League matches last season.
DEFENDERS
| Player | Price |
Club | Opponents | Home/Away | Gameday | Projected |
| Joshua Kimmich | 6.0 | Bayern | Ajax | H | Tuesday | 8.1 |
| Aleksandar Kolarov | 5.5 | Roma | Plzeň | H | Tuesday | 7.3 |
| Marcelo | 6.5 | Real Madrid | CSKA Moskva | A | Tuesday | 7.2 |
| Alex Telles | 5.5 | Porto | Galatasaray | H | Wednesday | 7.1 |
| Mats Hummels | 6.0 | Bayern | Ajax | H | Tuesday | 6.7 |
| Jérôme Boateng | 6.0 | Bayern | Ajax | H | Tuesday | 6.2 |
| Kieran Trippier | 5.5 | Tottenham | Barcelona | H | Wednesday | 6.0 |
| Kostas Manolas | 6.0 | Roma | Plzeň | H | Tuesday | 6.0 |
| Victor Lindelöf | 5.0 | Man Utd | Valencia | H | Tuesday | 6.0 |
| Chris Smalling | 5.5 | Man Utd | Valencia | H | Tuesday | 6.0 |
The top projected defenders highlight how important home fixtures are in the UEFA Champions League, with nine of the ten playing in front of their own fans on matchday two.
The top four projected defenders are full-backs, although Marcelo is likely to miss Real Madrid’s trip to Moscow. Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich and Roma’s Aleksandar Kolarov offer both defensive and attacking potential for Fantasy managers. During last year’s home group stage matches, Bayern conceded just one goal with two clean sheets, while Roma went one better as they shut their opponents out in all three home group stage matches. At the other end, Kimmich scored three times at home in the competition during 2017/18 with two assists, whilst Kolarov chipped in with two assists at home.
MIDFIELDERS
| Player | Price |
Club | Opponents | Home/Away | Gameday | Projected |
| Philippe Coutinho | 8.5 | Barcelona | Tottenham | A | Wednesday | 7.6 |
| Paul Pogba | 9.0 | Man Utd | Valencia | H | Tuesday | 7.2 |
| Douglas Costa | 8.5 | Juventus | Young Boys | H | Tuesday | 7.1 |
| Mohamed Salah | 11.0 | Liverpool | Napoli | A | Wednesday | 6.8 |
| Luka Modrić | 8.0 | Real Madrid | CSKA Moskva | A | Tuesday | 6.7 |
| Yacine Brahimi | 7.0 | Porto | Galatasaray | H | Wednesday | 5.4 |
| Sadio Mané | 9.5 | Liverpool | Napoli | A | Wednesday | 5.1 |
| Thiago Alcántara | 8.5 | Bayern | Ajax | H | Tuesday | 5.0 |
| Piotr Zieliński | 6.5 | Napoli | Liverpool | H | Wednesday | 4.8 |
| Arjen Robben | 8.5 | Bayern | Ajax | H | Tuesday | 4.8 |
In midfield, Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho sits at the top of the list having managed five goals and two assists in just five appearances for Liverpool in last year’s group stage, earning an impressive 4.67 points per appearance.
Fresh from his two-goal display against Young Boys on matchday one, Paul Pogba faces a Valencia side that conceded two goals and two penalties to ten-man Juventus in their opening match. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané scored 20 goals between them in the 2017/18 Champions League on Liverpool’s run to the final.
FORWARDS
| Player | Price |
Club | Opponents | Home/Away | Gameday | Projected |
| Neymar | 11.0 | Paris | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 10.4 |
| Roberto Firmino | 9.5 | Liverpool | Napoli | A | Wednesday | 8.7 |
| Karim Benzema | 10.0 | Real Madrid | CSKA Moskva | A | Tuesday | 8.6 |
| Antoine Griezmann | 10.5 | Atlético | Club Brugge | H | Wednesday | 8.0 |
| Romelu Lukaku | 10.0 | Man Utd | Valencia | H | Tuesday | 7.6 |
| Kylian Mbappé | 10.0 | Paris | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 7.2 |
| Edinson Cavani | 11.0 | Paris | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 7.1 |
| Vincent Aboubakar | 6.5 | Porto | Galatasaray | H | Wednesday | 7.1 |
| Steven Bergwijn | 6.0 | PSV | Internazionale | H | Wednesday | 6.7 |
| José Callejón | 8.5 | Napoli | Liverpool | H | Wednesday | 5.6 |
Validating their price tags, the top ten projected forwards have an expensive look to them. Top of the list is Neymar, who had a hand in six goals (four goals, two assists) at the Parc des Princes in last season’s group stage. Playing Crvena zvezda in their opening home match means club-mates Kylian Mbappé and Edinson Cavani also make the list.
Be the first to comment