#UCLfantasy Matchday 4: 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 4 are given below. As ever, check team news before making your final selections.

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GOALKEEPERS

Matchday 4's projections show the value of playing at home with all five selected goalkeepers set to perform in front of their own fans. With the fixtures from Matchday 3 reversed, Keylor Navas (€5.5m) and Thibaut Courtois (€6.0m) will be looking to keep clean sheets again.

The top scoring keeper currently in #UCLfantasy, Roman Bürki (€5.5m) has been remarkably consistent this season, securing two clean sheets in the opening two UEFA Champions League matchdays before saving a penalty against Inter last time out. Dortmund have an excellent defensive record at their own stadium in international competition, keeping a clean sheet in four of their last five European home matches

DEFENDERS

There is a definite French feel to the projected top ten defenders, as four of the top nine defensive point scorers play for Paris. Juan Bernat (€5.5m) leads the way, as in addition to clean sheets, he is also a threat in the opposition box, boasting two assists already in this season's competition.

Alongside the four Paris assets are a number of players from clubs who are expected to keep a clean sheet on Matchday 4. The likes of Raphaël Varane (€5.5m) and Mats Hummels (€5.5m) highlight the potential point-scoring ability of centre-backs who make a number of ball recoveries each match. During Matchday 3, Varane secured three additional points thanks to ten ball recoveries, while Hummels has already made 31 total ball recoveries in the UEFA Champions League this season.

MIDFIELDERS

A hat-trick, an assist and a penalty earned Raheem Sterling (€11.0m) 22 #UCLfantasy points on Matchday 3 to make him the leading #UCLfantasy points scorer this season, three ahead of second-placed Mislav Oršić (€6.0m).

In addition to the multitude of premium options that are suggested for Matchday 4, there are also a couple of viable budget options for #UCLfantasy managers to consider. Ajax's Quincy Promes (€7.0m) and Zlatko Junuzović (€6.0m) of Salzburg have both performed well; Promes already has two goals to his name and had a strike disallowed against Matchday 4 opponents Chelsea last time out. Junuzović, meanwhile, has proven capable of picking up points through multiple different avenues as he currently has three assists and 22 ball recoveries.

FORWARDS

Kylian Mbappé

There's only one place to start when it comes to the Matchday 4 projections and that is with Paris forward Kylian Mbappé (€10.5m). Last time out, the French international came on in the 52nd minute against Club Brugge, and by the 83rd minute he had scored a hat-trick in addition to laying on an assist for Mauro Icardi (€8.5m).

Budget striker Erling Braut Haaland (€4.5m) still leads the way in the scoring charts after finding the net twice on Matchday 3 against Napoli. Haaland is now up to six goals in three matches and is really benefitting from playing in a Salzburg side that relentlessly attacks their opponents, regardless of who they may be.

After a stuttering start to the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League, last year's beaten finalists Tottenham got their Group B campaign up and running on matchday 3 with a 5-0 victory over Crvena zvenda. As always, Harry Kane (€11.0m) leads the way; he scored twice on Matchday 3, taking his total in Europe this season to four.

NOW PICK YOUR TEAM FOR MATCHDAY 4