UCL Fantasy Football: What we know so far – Forwards

UEFA.com casts its eye back on the first three matchdays to assess the key performers in each position, and what that means for #UCLfantasy managers going forward. Here we look at forwards.

The forward line is arguably the most important area of any #UCLfantasy squad, and selecting the idea trio on any given matchday can give Fantasy managers plenty of headaches. Unlike last season where there were one or two budget gems to be had, this time around the premium picks have largely justified their price tags. None of the top ten highest-scoring Fantasy forwards cost under €8m, with Mönchengladbach’s Alassane Pléa (€8.0m) offering excellent value as the current top points scorer. The French forward leads the way thanks in large part to his 18-point haul in a 6-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk last time out, and given that he faces off against the same opponents on Matchday 4, his 2% ownership is likely to rise as a result.

Elsewhere in the top ten we see plenty of familiar names, with popular picks Lionel Messi (€12.1m) and Erling Braut Haaland (€11.0m) the only two forwards to have scored in each of the three matchdays so far. Álvaro Morata (€9.0m) – recently recalled to the Spain squad – is enjoying life at Juventus right now and has hit two doubles in the UEFA Champions League this season, while his club-mate Cristiano Ronaldo (€12.0m) marked his first appearance in the competition this season with an assist in a 4-1 win at Ferencváros on Matchday 3.

Those #UCLfantasy managers who need to make up ground in their mini-leagues have plenty of differential options at their disposal as we head into the second half of the group stage. Aside from the aforementioned Pléa, the 6%-owned Duván Zapata (€9.7m) surely has to be in the conversation given that he has accrued the same amount of points as Messi, while Internazionale’s Lautaro Martínez (€10.5m) and the evergreen Karim Benzema (€10.5m) – currently fifth on the all-time list of UEFA Champions League goalscorers – also represent tempting differential options going forward.

One player who has tested #UCLfantasy managers’ patience is Robert Lewandowski (€12.0m) who, after finishing as the top scorer in Bayern’s triumphant 2019/20 campaign, failed to find the net in the champions’ first two games in Group A. However, perseverance was rewarded when he struck twice against Salzburg on Matchday 3, and given his prolific form in the Bundesliga, more returns can be expected when the UEFA Champions League returns after the international break.