The UEFA Champions League kicks off this week with 32 of Europe’s best teams competing in the Group Stage of the competition.
For Fantasy Premier League managers, the UCL Fantasy game offers an intriguing fantasy football option outside the English Premier League. Just as the best teams play in Europe, the best fantasy managers should welcome the opportunity to test their mettle on the continental stage.
I’ve been playing Champions League Fantasy for the last 7 years and the game is hugely attractive for a number of reasons:
- Massive Player Pool — The UEFA Champions League features 32 teams, providing UCL Fantasy managers with a limitless player pool from which to select a team of 15. While fantasy prospects in the EPL are comparatively limited and template teams prevalent, the Champions League offers a multitude of viable options for point returns.
- Elite Players — UCL Fantasy is the only game (apart from World Cup Fantasy) that offers managers the opportunity to own football’s biggest superstars. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Eden Hazard, Robert Lewandowski just to name a few – they all live here.
- Major Point Hauls — Forget the evenly balanced, low scoring affairs of domestic league football. The Champions League groups regularly produce uneven matchups and consequently the potential of goal fests. Shrewd managers can target specific fixtures in every Matchday for an avalanche of points.
- A Puritan’s Dream — The glut of resources dedicated to EPL Fantasy means that there are few competitive advantages available. If you’re thinking of a player, chances are that he’s already been highlighted in a blog post, article or review and revealed to your mini league rivals. UCL Fantasy is completely different. The game favours managers that possess knowledge of the continental game as well as those willing to research a bit to find the diamonds in the rough. A bit like what Fantasy Football used to be!
- Rule Variations – The UCL Fantasy game has a number of intriguing rule differences to traditional FPL that should appeal to fantasy managers:
- Manager Substitutions – This feature gives managers much greater flexibility than standard FPL. At the end of each game day, you are allowed to change your captain to a player that hasn’t played yet, and you can substitute non-performing players with players from your bench who haven’t yet played.
- Scoring – Most of the scoring is the same as FPL, however there are a few variations. For the first time this season, an extra point is awarded for goals scored from outside the box. Additionally, 1 point is awarded for every 3 balls recovered making defensive midfielders a viable option to consider.
- Limitless Wildcard – Unlimited transfers with an unlimited budget for one matchday affords managers the opportunity to construct an all-star lineup. Who doesn’t like assembling a team of Avengers for one matchday?
So what are you waiting on? Register at the UEFA Champions League Fantasy site and pick your team to get started.
4 years, 7 months ago
Who's playing UCL Fantasy?
Feel free to share your teams and questions here before group stage kicks off this evening. Would be great to know some of the key players and strategies you'll be deploying for those that are new to the game - more than happy for some people to write HTs on this if there's enough interest!
Good luck all 🙂