#UCLfantasy matchday 1: What the numbers say
Monday, September 16, 2019
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UEFA.com crunches the numbers to find out which players are predicted for big matchday one totals.
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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 one are given below. As ever, check team news before making your final selections.
GOALKEEPERS
| Player | Price | Club | Opponents | Home/Away | Gameday | Projected |
| Manuel Neuer | 6.0 | Bayern | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 6.1 |
| Samir Handanovič | 5.5 | Inter | Slavia Praha | H | Tuesday | 6.1 |
| Lukáš Hrádecký | 4.5 | Leverkusen | Lokomotiv Moskva | H | Wednesday | 6.1 |
| Ederson | 6.0 | Man City | Shakhtar | A | Wednesday | 6.0 |
| André Onana | 5.0 | Ajax | LOSC Lille | H | Tuesday | 6.0 |
The top projected goalkeeper is Bayern's Manuel Neuer, who faces a Crvena zvezda side that failed to score in two of their three away matches in last season's group stage. Inter's Samir Handanovič will play Slavia Praha in one of Tuesday's early kick-offs while Lukáš Hrádecký of Leverkusen is third and is an attractive budget option for matchday one. Leverkusen welcome Lokomotiv Moskva, who scored just one goal in three away group games last season.
Manchester City's Ederson and Ajax's André Onana occupy the final two spots in the top five projected goalkeepers. Ederson kept two clean sheets against matchday one opponents Shakhtar Donetsk last season, while Onana and Ajax face a LOSC team who have not scored in four of their last seven UEFA Champions League group matches.
DEFENDERS
| Player | Price | Club | Opponents | Home/Away | Gameday | Projected |
| Joshua Kimmich | 6.5 | Bayern | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 7.4 |
| Lucas Hernández | 5.5 | Bayern | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 6.9 |
| Nicolás Tagliafico | 5.0 | Ajax | LOSC Lille | H | Tuesday | 6.3 |
| Oleksandr Zinchenko | 5.0 | Man City | Shakhtar | A | Wednesday | 6.1 |
| Milan Škriniar | 5.5 | Inter | Slavia Praha | H | Tuesday | 6.0 |
| Diego Godín | 5.5 | Inter | Slavia Praha | H | Tuesday | 6.0 |
| Wendell | 4.5 | Leverkusen | Lokomotiv Moskva | H | Wednesday | 6.0 |
| Jonathan Tah | 5.0 | Leverkusen | Lokomotiv Moskva | H | Wednesday | 6.0 |
| Sven Bender | 5.0 | Leverkusen | Lokomotiv Moskva | H | Wednesday | 6.0 |
| Niklas Süle | 5.0 | Bayern | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 6.0 |
The top two projected defenders for matchday one, Joshua Kimmich and Lucas Hernández, are part of a Bayern team that kept four clean sheets in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League and also offer attacking potential. Left-backs Nicolás Tagliafico and Oleksandr Zinchenko could offer excellent value for money, particularly if the Ajax defender can match his attacking output from last season when he scored three times in Europe; he scored twice over the weekend in the Eredivisie. Inter and Leverkusen, whose players complete the top ten, are both projected to keep a clean sheet on matchday one.
MIDFIELDERS
| Player | Price | Club | Opponents | Home/Away | Gameday | Projected |
| Raheem Sterling | 11.0 | Man City | Shakhtar | A | Wednesday | 7.2 |
| Philippe Coutinho | 9.0 | Bayern | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 7.0 |
| Mohamed Salah | 11.0 | Liverpool | Napoli | A | Tuesday | 6.9 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 10.5 | Man City | Shakhtar | A | Wednesday | 6.8 |
| Hakim Ziyech | 8.0 | Ajax | LOSC Lille | H | Tuesday | 6.3 |
| Sadio Mané | 10.5 | Liverpool | Napoli | A | Tuesday | 6.0 |
| Riyad Mahrez | 8.5 | Man City | Shakhtar | A | Wednesday | 5.7 |
| Heung-Min Son | 9.5 | Tottenham | Olympiacos | A | Wednesday | 5.4 |
| João Félix | 8.0 | Atlético | Juventus | H | Wednesday | 4.8 |
| Kai Havertz | 5.5 | Leverkusen | Lokomotiv Moskva | H | Wednesday | 4.8 |
A good combination of players that play Tuesday and Wednesday are represented in the projected top ten midfielders, with Manchester City's Raheem Sterling topping the list. The Englishman has started the 2019/20 season in fine form having scored eight goals already for club and country. Bayern's Philippe Coutinho has ample UEFA Champions league pedigree, having scored 47 points (three goals, two assists) in #UCLfantasy for Barcelona last season. Mohamed Salah and Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mané were the two top-scoring midfielders in #UCLfantasy last season, recording a combined 115 points.
FORWARDS
| Player | Price | Club | Opponents | Home/Away | Gameday | Projected |
| Lionel Messi | 11.5 | Barcelona | Dortmund | A | Tuesday | 8.4 |
| Robert Lewandowski | 10.5 | Bayern | Crvena zvezda | H | Wednesday | 7.5 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 11.5 | Juventus | Atlético | A | Wednesday | 6.6 |
| Sergio Agüero | 10.5 | Man City | Shakhtar | A | Wednesday | 6.3 |
| Dušan Tadić | 9 | Ajax | LOSC Lille | A | Tuesday | 6 |
| Romelu Lukaku | 10 | Inter | Slavia Praha | H | Tuesday | 6 |
| Karim Benzema | 9.5 | Real Madrid | Paris | A | Wednesday | 5.7 |
| Gareth Bale | 8.5 | Real Madrid | Paris | A | Wednesday | 5.5 |
| Harry Kane | 11 | Tottenham | Olympiacos | A | Wednesday | 5.4 |
| Kevin Volland | 6.5 | Leverkusen | Lokomotiv Moskva | H | Wednesday | 4.9 |
A mixture of Tuesday and Wednesday gamedays in the projected top forwards means Fantasy managers can make the most of the ability to substitute players between gamedays. The top projected forward is last season's top #UCLfantasy point scorer, Lionel Messi. In four group stage matches in 2018/19, Messi scored six times and assisted another.
Robert Lewandowski, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Agüero are projected to score heavily on the opening matchday, with the Bayern striker finishing top scorer in last season's group stage with eight goals. Investment in Real Madrid's forwards would also appear to be wise, with Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale projected to produce attacking returns despite a tough trip to the Parc des Princes to face Paris on Wednesday.