UEFA.com takes a look at the best managers in the #UCLfantasy, presented by Playstation, after the group stage, as well as highlighting some aspects that may be useful for others to study as we approach the knockout rounds.
The performance of the top ten managers in the world this season has been analyzed to identify some key factors in their success in Fantasy thus far.
WILD CARDS
Just like last season, the top ten in the standings have already used their Wild and No Limit tokens, opting to take advantage of favorable group stage matches to do so.
The most popular strategy among the top ten was to risk early and use the Wild Card in the second day, with four managers opting for this tactic. However, it did not turn out to be such a profitable option, as it produced an average of only 68 points, ten less than the average of the second day of those who did not use any chips.
However, all those who used their Wild Card on other occasions reached triple figures in their respective points of the day, with the 126 points achieved by Giorgi Chkuaseli, sixth placed, in the sixth day, the highest record in the top ten .
None of the top ten managers chose to use their Wild Card on matchday four.
UNLIMITED
The Limitless tab proved to be a very useful resource for the most prestigious coaches, since eight of the top ten surpassed the 100-point barrier on the day in which they used it.
Matchdays 5 and 6 were just as popular when it came to using the No Limits token, with three managers using it on each occasion. The three best technicians in the ranking chose the first option, and obtained an average of 110 points, 14 above the average of those who chose not to use any chips on the fifth day.
The same happened with the users who used Limitless on the sixth day, whose average score was also 14 points higher than that of those who did not use any token. Lisboa, ranked fifth, chose this strategy well, accumulating 126 points, the highest score among users who used this resource.
As in the case of the Wild Card token, none of the top ten managers used this option on matchday four.
CAPTAINCY
This season, the midfielders have been chosen more as captains than last. In the 2021/22 group stage, there were only seven occasions in which the top ten chose a midfielder as captain at the end of a matchday, but that figure has risen to 24 this term. Forwards remained the most popular option, with a total of 33 chosen, while there were three occasions when a defender ended up wearing the armband at the end of the day.
The greatest consensus in the choice of captain occurred on matchday five, when seven of the top ten captained Kylian Mbappé and were rewarded with a total of 16 points. However, two of the three coaches who went against the current benefited from the 20 points obtained by Lionel Messi. Sometimes taking risks can pay off.
One #UCLfantasy manager who certainly has a knack for picking a profitable captain is 10th-ranked Kadir, whose six captaincy choices during the group stage produced 172 points (when doubled), more than any other user in the top ten. .
SELECTION OF THE TEMPLATE
During the group stage, the range of inexpensive goalkeepers was plentiful, and that was not lost on world number one Tim Leichtfried, who never spent more than €5.0m on a goalkeeper over the course of six journeys. With Tim holding a sizeable 27-point lead at the top of the standings, few would dispute his strategy, although it wasn’t a tactic shared by all. Fourth-placed JBoavida, for example, opted for at least one top-level goalkeeper on each matchday, and only on one occasion did this tactic not allow him to keep a clean sheet.
On the offensive front, two or three top-tier strikers were common each matchday for the top ten, with much of the #UCLfantasy funds being spent on top-tier forwards. There were a few exceptions to this rule, such as Ferran Jutglà’s early spells with Brugge, being picked by one or two astute managers, while Manchester City’s Julián Álvarez became a relatively popular option later in the recruitment phase. groups.
Whether these ten managers can keep up throughout the knockout stage remains to be seen, but they have had a clear model of success so far and their approach may offer some important insights for other #UCLfantasy managers to emulate when they want to climb the ranks. .
