Champions League

The strategies and captaincy picks of the top ten in Scout’s UCL Fantasy mini-league

With less than two weeks until the UEFA Champions League resumes, we’re looking at the managers who currently top the Fantasy Football Scout league in the UCL Fantasy game. This article will focus on the top 10 within our league, looking at how they’ve used their chips, their captaincy decisions and which players they’ve relied on to get them to the top.

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Chips

There are only two chips in the UCL Fantasy game: Wildcard (just like FPL) and Limitless (unlimited budget for one Matchday). Every player in the top 10 has used both of these chips in the group stage and clearly, they’ve used them well. Eight of the top 10 used their Limitless chip on Matchday Two and all scored over 80 points with it that week. In fact, every player in the top 10 scored over 80 points with their Limitless – Mo Hafiz (fourth) got 85 points on Matchday Three and Damjan (joint-eighth) racked up 90 on Matchday Six. This shows how powerful this chip can be when used right – without it, they would have very different rankings.

There’s a lot less consensus on when was the best point to use the Wildcard. The top two both used it on Matchday Four, five of the top 10 used it straight after their Matchday Two Limitless and the two who didn’t use the Matchday Two Limitless both chose to Wildcard that week instead. AlNasib, who sits fifth, chose to Wildcard on Matchday Six, having been in a strong position starting with consistent high scorers like Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Ilkay Gundogan and Angelino. This highlights that, whilst there is never a ‘right’ time to use the Wildcard, knowing when is right for your team can reap massive rewards. 

Captaincy

Captaincy has also played a key role in getting the top 10 to where they are. Of the 60 captaincy picks across the top 10, there have only been five blanks, with none of them having more than one. Forty-four of these 60 picks have been one of Neymar, Mbappe, Ronaldo, Messi, Haaland and Lewandowski, highlighting how effective going with the popular pick can be. None of the top three managers have varied from those players when choosing their captains. 

Midfield picks have been the least popular, with Salah, Felix, De Bruyne and Coman all donning the captain’s armband once, for an average of 16 points each. Interestingly, defenders have been captained seven times, with top-scoring player Cristian Romero accounting for five of those when captained for his Matchday Five and Six hauls. 

Neymar is the highest-scoring captain on average – backed by five of the top 10 managers for the first time in Matchday Six, he returned 36 points. Damjan’s differential pick of Coman on Matchday Four got him 24 points to be the second-highest scoring captain on average, closely followed by Romero with 22 points on average. 

From this, we learn that most of the top 10 managers stick with the consensus, the classic ‘big hitters’, and it’s got them to where they are now. Having two or more of these big hitters is a staple of all of these teams and their captaincy statistics speak for themselves. 

Key Players

Interestingly, every player in the top 10 started with Angelino’s 19-point haul on Matchday One. All of the top eight teams found some use for Wilmar Barrios as a cheap option for balls recovered. This aside, there’s very little consistency in the players used amongst the top 10, which demonstrates perfectly how many ways there are to skin the UCL Fantasy cat with the depth and variety of players available in the group stages. As the player pool halves going into the last 16, more of a template will likely come to the fore. 

Two or three big-hitting forwards have been at the heart of every team, supported by defenders who either score high for balls recovered or have high attacking threat – ideally both. Teams very rarely find a place for more than one premium-priced midfielder, with many preferring a selection of midfielders priced between 7-9m, knowing they’re unlikely to captain a premium option like Salah or De Bruyne.

All things considered, most of the top 10 have made it there in their own, individual way. The most common path was using Limitless in Matchday Two and Wildcarding the week after, using solely premium forwards as captaincy options, but this is by no means a set rule. People will still be able to make up ground quickly with chips still to be used and a lot of football still to be played. 

292 Comments Post a Comment
  1. marcos11
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Best option for just gw23 and gw24?

    a) Rudiger
    b) Mee

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Got the same dilemma.

      Is Rudiger 100% nailed and does he pose an aerial threat in the box?

      1. marcos11
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I think hes nailed at the moment, Silva went off injured last night and Zoumas also carrying a knock. I would say he poses an aerial threat in the box

    2. House Frey Wedding Planner
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I'd say Mee as he has an extra game in gw 24 and has better fixtures than Rudiger for gw 25 & 26

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Agree

  2. KAALI_DAAL
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bench 2:

    Justin (wol)
    Coufal (ful)
    Dallas (CPL)
    Dias (liv)
    Webster (bur)

    1. marcos11
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Dias and Webster

    2. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Webster Webster and Cohen.
      Peace be the journey!

      Webster,Dias

  3. Red Dog
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bench boost in 24? (Hear me out)

    I have 3 free transfers and Money to upgrade my fodder to Bur/City players. Who i would play, which gives me a bench of:

    Martinez (bri), soucek (SHU), Holding (LEE), Robertson (Lie).

    No dgw players but probable returns: 7, 5, 2, 2??

    I could then wildcard for 25/26 not spread my money too thin on WC but use my bench to prep for 29 (no FH).

  4. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Best mid upto 6.2 for DGW24?

    1. R.C
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      (Own Gundo and triple City)

    2. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      McNeill, Look an. Prob better off with a singler.

    3. Tonyawesome69
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      punt on Lookman

  5. Free Hat
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sad to see Joses post match interviews every time.

    He always seem to watch a different game than me.

    Nothing wrong with saying that the team is playing badly... Dont look for excuses, find a solution and man up.

    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      100%, but it's too late in his coaching career to expect that.

  6. Ozzy smith
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Start one?

    A) Stones (with Dias)
    B) Digne
    C) KWP

    1. Tonyawesome69
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Digne - Stones ceiling is 6 points, KWP might still be injured (wait for presser) and Digne has attacking potential

      1. Botman and Robben
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Stones ceiling is 21 points 🙂

  7. Gunners in Haaland
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gtg?

    Martínez
    Cancelo | Shaw | Cresswell
    Soucek | Salah | Fernandes | Sterling | Gündogan
    Bamford | Antonio(c)
    =======================================
    Johnstone | Maguire | DCL | Digne

    1. Tonyawesome69
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Sort the bench order - DCL first on the bench

      1. Gunners in Haaland
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers Tony

  8. Tonyawesome69
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    A. Johnstone to Pope GW23 or 24
    B. Holding to Lowton GW24
    C. Both for free in GW24

    1FT 6.7itb
    Martinez
    Cancelo Digne Cresswell
    Salah Bruno Gundo Raphinha Soucek
    Bamford Antonio
    (Johnstone DCL Stones Holding)

    1. House Frey Wedding Planner
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      C

  9. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Mitchell, Saka to Mee, Raphinha

    or

    Mitchell to Mee and give Saka the Arsenal game

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A

  10. Weeb Kakashi
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Thoughts on Mount for the next 3? Playing as a No 10 and with those fixtures . Thoughts??

    1. marcos11
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Wouldnt say hes totally nailed

  11. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Start DDG or Martinez

    Or get Pope now for double gw?

    Thoughts?

  12. MoSalalalalalalalalah
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Best moves to make? Think I need to get Chilwell out and maybe Son. Thanks for your help

    2.2 ITB
    2FTs

    Martinez
    Cancelo | Cresswell | Mee
    Sterling | Soucek | Gundogan | Bruno | Son
    Watkins | Bamford

    GK: Steer | Chilwell | DCL | Digne

    1. MoSalalalalalalalalah
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Getting Pope for the DGW could also work

  13. b91jh
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez to Pope yay or nay?

    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Nay.

    2. MoSalalalalalalalalah
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thinking about it as well, seems like good move with their fixtures

      1. b91jh
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I agree but Martinez's fixture is still perfect to navigate with the WC30 plan.

  14. MoSalalalalalalalalah
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Captain for this week?

    1. b91jh
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Antoniooooooo

    2. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Antonio or Bruno

    3. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bruno now but will switch if Olsen plays.

  15. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Which attacker to bench?

    A) Salah
    B) Rashford
    C) Gundo
    D) DCL

    DDG
    Stones, Dias, Coufal (Digne, Holding)
    Salah, Bruno, Rashford, Grealish, Gundo
    Watkins, Antonio, DCL

    1. b91jh
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      DCL obviously

  16. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    DDG, Mitchell to Pope, Rudiger

    or play DDG against Everton and have 2FT for gw24?

    1. House Frey Wedding Planner
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Keep 2ft for gw24

  17. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Is Antonio on pen?

  18. SOTHPAW
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sorry for the re-post, any changes needed here?

    Sanchez
    Shaw, Diaz, Dawson
    Salah, Maddison, Son, Bruno(c)
    Watkins, Wilson, Antonio(v)

    De Gea, Gundogan, Digne, Stones

    £2.6 mil itb & 1 free transfer