UCL Fantasy is back for the 21/22 season and we look at the top 10 players in each position and the best value picks in our player rankings.
UCL Fantasy Forward Rankings
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund | @Beşiktaş J.K. | €11M | The current Golden Boy awardee was the top goal-scorer in UCL last season with 10 goals and returned in all of the games in which he played except one. He has started this season on a similar note and has more G+A (5 goals and 3 assists) than Lewandowski (6 goals) in the first four Bundesliga games. So despite the fact that there are lots of good forwards this week, Haaland is the best pick for me because he has one of the best fixtures among all players and has the highest ceiling. He also plays on Wednesday so he is a perfect captain choice on a day with few standout captaincy picks. |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | @Young Boys | €11.2M | It is impossible to stop the man with the most goals scored in UCL history from adding more goals to his name when he has players such as Fernandes, Pogba, Shaw, Greenwood, Rashford and Sancho to assist him. |
| 3 | Kylian Mbappé | PSG | @Club Brugge | €10.5M | It is anyone's guess who will do better on the day from the most dangerous attacking trio in the world current - Mbappé, Neymar and Messi. But as it stands, Neymar and Messi have both played less than two games for the Parisians in Ligue 1 so far whereas Mbappé has scored four goals and assisted twice in five games. It is a nightmare matchup for Club Brugge who are in the top 6 for most goals conceded so far in the Jupiler Pro League and I think that Mbappé should benefit the most as the focal point of the attack with Messi around him. Fun fact: Mbappé scored a hattrick against Club Brugge in this same fixture in 2019. |
| 4 | Romelu Lukaku | Chelsea FC | vs Zenit FC | €10.5M | Lukaku already has three goals in the same number of games in his second stint for Chelsea and I think that he will be too hot to handle for a Zenit team that is missing a few key players in defence such as Lovren, Karavayev and Barrios. |
| 5 | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | @Barcelona | €11.5M | Although Bayern Munich have improved massively and Barcelona have seemingly done the opposite after the 2-8 loss the last time these teams met, I don't expect this game to end up in a similar way although I expect lots of goals and when it comes to scoring then you can always count on Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker broke the record for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season with 41 (!) goals in just 29 games to go along with 7 assists in 20/21 and has carried that form onto this season and is currently on a run of 13 consecutive Bundesliga games in which he has scored. Talk about form. |
| 6 | Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | @Inter Milan | €10M | Carlo Ancelotti has turned this Real Madrid side into one of the most menacing sides in Europe and the biggest beneficiary of his return has been striker Karim Benzema. He already has 5 goals and 4 assists in just 5 La Liga games and his hattrick in the last game against Celta Vigo is just a glimpse of what he is capable of. The first game against Inter Milan isn't ideal but he faces newcomers Sheriff Tiraspol and Shakhtar Donetsk in the next four matchdays. |
| 7 | Paulo Dybala | Juventus | @Malmö FF | €9M | Possibly the best fixture there is this week but Juventus look out of sorts and haven't won a single Serie A game yet. That being said, Dybala and Morata are flying under the radar and could be worthy differential picks against a leaky defence on Matchday 1. |
| 8 | Youssef En-Nesyri | Sevilla FC | vs RB Salzburg | €8.5M | Salzburg (17) were second only to İstanbul Başakşehir (18) when it came to goals conceded in the group stages last season and although it was a much tougher group than the current one, I expect them to ship lots of goals again with their attacking high-line approach. |
| 9 | Luis Suárez | Atlético Madrid | vs FC Porto | €9.5M | |
| 10 | Diogo Jota | Liverpool | vs AC Milan | €8M | I would prefer Jota as a midfielder since there are few options to choose from but I still think he could be good value at just €8M for the first two matchdays at least. |
UCL Fantasy Midfielder Rankings
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | @Young Boys | €10.5M | There was a lot of talk last season as well that Bruno is nothing without his penalties but that isn't the case. He has scored 29 goals and assisted 19 in the Premier league out of which only 13 goals have been penalties. Bruno is still the standout midfield pick from United for me as he is their primary playmaker but Lingard is also worth a shout if he starts. |
| 2 | Marco Reus | Borussia Dortmund | @Beşiktaş J.K. | €8M | |
| 3 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | vs AC Milan | €10.5M | Expensive but still one of the most fixture proof players you can get. |
| 4 | Jamal Musiala | Bayern Munich | @Barcelona | €6.5M | Musiala has been a revelation for Bayern this season. He has been one of their best players so far and is like a livewire in midfield whenever he plays. Musiala has two goals and two assists in just one start so far and is the best Bayern midfielder to get if he starts but even he if doesn't he is more than capable of getting returns off the bench. |
| 5 | Erik Lamela | Sevilla | vs RB Salzburg | €6M | Lamela has been playing like a completely different player ever since his move to Sevilla and has three goals in his first three La Liga games. He could be an absolute gem at €6M if he starts and Sevilla play first so you can easily replace him if he doesn't. |
| 6 | Ferran Torres | Manchester City | vs RB Leipzig | €7.5M | Fantasy Managers are spoilt for choice when it comes to the City midfield but the Pep Roulette is a real curse because you never know who will start and who will not. That being said, Torres playing OOP as a striker has been Pep's go-to man so far with two goals and an assist in four games and should start unless he has a bad game or Pep just decides to bench him for no reason. |
| 7 | Casemiro | Real Madrid | @Inter Milan | €6.5M | Ball recoveries have real value in UCL Fantasy and Casemiro is the best midfielder at it. He was second only to Romero when it came to recoveries with 86 balls recovered and got a generous 25 points for it at an average of 2.5 bonus points for recoveries every game. |
| 8 | Jorginho | Chelsea | vs FC Zenit | €6M | Mount, Havertz and Jorginho have their own advantages and disadvantages but I prefer Jorginho for his ball recovery potential and the fact that he is on penalties. |
| 9 | Ángel Correa | Atlético Madrid | vs FC Porto | €7M | Correa was looking like a must-have with three goals in his first three games but the return of a certain Frenchman has spoiled the party a bit. However, it is still too early to say whether he is worth an unwanted midfield slot or not. |
| 10 | Nicolò Barella | Inter Milan | vs Real Madrid | €7M |
UCL Fantasy Defender Rankings
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Achraf Hakimi | PSG | @Club Brugge | €6.5M | Hakimi for the attacking potential. Marquinhos for the ball recoveries. |
| 2 | Reece James | Chelsea | vs FC Zenit | €5.5M | A bit of a rotation risk but dangerous in attack whenever he starts. |
| 3 | Mats Hummels | Borussia Dortmund | @Beşiktaş J.K. | €5M | The Dortmund defence might be wobbly but Hummels is the best ball recovering defender left in the game and is a great bargain at €5M with a fantastic group consisting of Beşiktaş J.K, Sporting CP and Ajax. |
| 4 | João Cancelo | Manchester City | vs RB Leipzig | €6M | RB Leipzig are supposed to be title contenders in Germany but have had a tough start to life under new coach Jesse Marsch winning just once in their four Bundesliga games. I think a clean sheet is on the cards here for Manchester City along with a possible attacking return for Cancelo. |
| 5 | Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool | vs AC Milan | €6.5M | |
| 6 | Robin Gosens | Atalanta | @Villareal | €5.5M | If attacking potential is what you are looking for then Gosens plays for one of the best attacking teams in the world and also scored the most goals among defenders in the top five leagues last season with 11 goals alongside 6 assists. |
| 7 | Mario Hermoso | Atlético Madrid | vs FC Porto | €4.5M | |
| 8 | Danilo | Juventus | @Malmö FF | €5M | Danilo is only worth considering as a one week punt because he plays Chelsea on MD2. |
| 9 | Ridle Baku | Wolfsburg | @LOSC Lille | €5.5M | An OOP defender playing as a right-winger for just €5.5M? Baku is a hidden gem but I have my concerns after watching Wolfsburg sit back and defend after taking the lead against the worst Bundesliga team in the league a few days ago. Jérôme Roussillon for €4M and the remaining €1.5M spent elsewhere might be the way to go. |
| 10 | Luke Shaw | Manchester United | @Young Boys | €6M |
Goalkeepers
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edouard Mendy | Chelsea | @Real Madrid | €6M | Mendy is expensive but for a reason. He plays for one of the best defences and kept the most clean sheets in UCL last season with 13 and conceded just one goal throughout the entire tournament. A double-up of Chelsea defence should be worth it. |
| 2 | Keylor Navas | PSG | @Club Brugge | €5M | A bit surprising that a keeper from a team that is expected to go deep in the tournament is priced at €5M but Navas has Donnarumma breathing down his neck waiting for a chance to replace him. |
| 3 | Ederson Moraes | Manchester City | vs RB Leipzig | €6M | |
| 4 | Jan Oblak | Atlético Madrid | vs FC Porto | €6.5M | The most expensive keeper in the game and certainly not worth it. A better idea might be to get two rotating keepers for that price instead. |
| 5 | Gregor Kobel | Borussia Dortmund | @Beşiktaş J.K. | €4.5M | Kobel probably is the best keeper you can buy at €4.5M but that isn't because the Dortmund defence is good but because the group isn't too challenging. |
Value Rankings
| Rank | Name | Position | Team | Opponent | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jérôme Roussillon | DEF | Wolfsburg | @LOSC Lille | €4M | Rousillon plays for possibly the best defence in the Bundesliga that is still unbeaten under a defensive coach in a group with Lille, Sevilla and Salzburg. It doesn't get any better at €4M. |
| 2 | Noussair Mazraoui | DEF | Ajax | @Sporting CP | €4.5M | Mazraoui is one of the best attacking defenders under €5M, has one goal and two assists in four matches already and plays Sporting CP and Beşiktaş in the first two matchdays. |
| 3 | Marcos Acuña | DEF | FC Sevilla | vs RB Salzburg | €4.5M | |
| 4 | Lassina Traoré | FWD | Shakhtar Donetsk | @Sheriff Tiraspol | €6.5M | Haaland-Lukaku-Ronaldo is going to be the most popular front line among managers but there are some hidden budget gems in the forward position such as Lassina Traoré. The former Ajax man has scored five goals in six Ukraining Premier League games this season and could certainly score a goal or two against Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol in their debut UCL game. |
| 5 | Alberto Moreno | DEF | Villareal CF | vs Atalanta | €4M | The best thing about Moreno is that he will play OOP as a left-winger due to injuries. Salzburg's Wöber is also worth a shout as he is popular for being a bonus points generating machine through ball recoveries. |
| 6 | Ander Herrera | MID | PSG | @Club Brugge | €5.5M | Most of PSG's midfielders in fantasy are defensive players and Herrera is no exception but he has found his shooting boots this season and is the second-highest goal-scorer in a team that has Mbappé, Neymar and Messi with three goals and two assists in five games. An even more interesting fact is that he boasts of a goal conversion rate of 75% after taking just four shots in total. A shrewd pick at 5.5M? |
| 7 | Juan Musso | GKP | Atalanta | @Villareal | €4.5M | |
| 8 | Pedro Porro | DEF | Sporting CP | vs Ajax | €4.5M | If you believe in Sporting CP's potential to cause upsets in this group then Porro could be a good differential pick as he is on set-pieces as well. |
| 9 | Viktor Tsygankov | MID | Dynamo Kyiv | vs S.L. Benfica | €7.5M | Tsygankov is Kyiv's talisman and is the first choice for every single set-piece. |
| 10 | Ersin Destanoğlu | GKP | Beşiktaş J.K. | @Borussia Dortmund | €4M | Plays for a team is yet to concede a single goal in the Süper Lig this season and is virtually a free player. |
You can find UCL Fantasy resources for the 21/22 season here.
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