UEFA Champions League fantasy football
Hello everyone and welcome to UEFA Champions League Fantasy Football 2018/19. Just when you are starting to get the hang of what names you should be targeting in FPL we hit you with another fantasy game. On a site where no fantasy game, well almost no fantasy game, is out of bounds, we ask that you give Fantasy Champions League a go also. For those of us that have participated in the past, it is always something we usually look forward to. I mean who doesn’t enjoy fighting with the UEFA site to make a substitution, that will actually save on time before the next fixture starts? If you’ve given it a go in the past there are no real differences this time besides the booster they have added this time – the limitless wildcard! Which we will explain shortly. For those who have never played let us give you a quick rundown of the rules and things to watch for as you embark on yet another frustrating fantasy experience. And we don’t just mean in terms of results…
You can access the game here – Fantasy Champions League
Our official FF247 league code is TMILEI3FTY
The Rules
As far as the rules go, you can access them here via – THIS LINK but let us give you a quick rundown of what they are.
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- SCORING
The scoring itself is pretty much as per FPL. The only real differences that we would notice is that there are no bonus points and we will not get an assist if our player wins a penalty that is scored, but the player will get 2 points for winning said penalty no matter if it results in a goal or not.
- SCORING
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- FORMAT
The format is a bit like the World Cup fantasy. For those who aren’t familiar with this it basically means a tad more planning as you can sub players in before they have played to replace those that already have. A quick example would be to pick a Man United guy, let’s call him Paul, for arguments sake. And maybe a Liverpool guy, let’s call him Sadio. Given as Paul plays on Day 1 you can put him in your X1 and see how he does, whilst placing Sadio on your bench. If you like what you see from Paul then you can leave him in the team. If he has a stinker (likely) then you can simply activate manual subs and bring Sadio in to replace him for his later game. Simples, really. Don’t pick Paul 😉
- FORMAT
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- MANUAL SUBS / AUTO SUBS
If you activate a manual sub then your right to auto subs (as per FPL) disappears. You have the option to do either. Manual subs is your best bet we feel as you control who comes in and you get 4 more shots at getting it right, basically.
- MANUAL SUBS / AUTO SUBS
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- CAPTAIN
The Captain Armband works in much the same way as fantasy world cup and not FPL. You may change your captain after each round (if he was not sent off) with a player from your squad whose team is yet to play.
- CAPTAIN
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- TRANSFERS
Before the game begins: UNLIMITED
Matchday 1–6: 2 per matchday
Between matchday 6 and round of 16 1st leg: Unlimited
Before round of 16 2nd leg: 3 transfers
Before quarter-final 1st leg: 5 transfers
Before quarter-final 2nd leg: 3 transfers
Before semi-final 1st leg: 5 transfers
Before semi-final 2nd leg: 3 transfers
Before final: 5 transfersBe aware of this little nugget “Only one free transfer can be carried forward between matchdays. A user can make a maximum of 3 free transfers during the group stages. No free transfers can be carried forward in the knockout stage.”
So basically it’s like FPL in terms of being able to carry 1 transfer over. However once we reach the knockout stage we will not have the option of carrying a free transfer with us, you don’t use it, you lose it.
- TRANSFERS
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- Deadlines
Deadlines are subject to change and will be at the time of kick-off of the first match of the matchday. So unlike FPL you do get to see the line-ups in advance and adjust accordingly. Just be aware that some GW’s will kick off early due to the Russian games. It’s a trap many if not all get caught by at some stage or another.
- Deadlines
Wildcard
You get 1 regular wildcard and you can play it anytime you like prior to the start of a round. It acts the same way it does in fpl.
Limitless Wildcard
This is a different type of wildcard here, one that many will find very appealing. It is very similar to the “Free Hit” chip we have in FPL. However, there is one major difference… “The Limitless Wildcard enables the user to create a team without any budget restrictions and affords them unlimited transfers for one matchday.” So for one matchday you can afford whatever team you like. You do still have to meet the criteria for players from one team and formations and all that, but there is no budget, so spend away. Once the matchday is over, just like the free hit chip, our teams revert back.
UEFA Champions League fantasy football Tracker
This tracker has placed each team in the place that oddsmakers are expecting them to finish in said group. While it won’t hold true in every group, this should at least give you a better idea of what players to target. Also, the teams on the left all play on the same exact days through the group stages. This of course means that the teams on the right do the same. For those of you who want to use your manual subs, this tracker should help you in picking out players from both days of a matchday (the equivalent of a gameweek) so you have cover for any players who don’t perform well.
UEFA Champions League Set Piece Takers List
We did our best, but understand that some of these teams are very hard to get decent info on. Didn’t bother guessing on two of them in certain categories because we really couldn’t get an idea. Nevertheless, here is our effort to give you an idea on who is likely to take charge on set pieces for each team.
So that’s the basics, in as much of a small nutshell as we could manage, without boring the pants off you. If you have any further questions or queries or if there are any clarifications you need then as always please feel to ask below.
Please feel free to post any RMT’s on the issue or indeed as ever, especially as we’ve slightly interrupted the FPL weekend for this, just carrying on talking about that!
Here’s my effort (so far).
Anyone??
GP
Think PSV
Potty
Is that short for PoSitiVe?
Seriously, they are on fire
Goals in every department
Potty
PSV are off to a flying start — w/ Lozano, Pereiro, Luke De Jong, etc scoring a bunch of goals for them — but in a tuff group in CL w/ Barca, Spurs and Inter. Form over fixture?
Barca have the highest clean sheet probability based on some odds I just looked at.
Look at the teams they’ve scored a lot against recently! Means nothing in CL to be frank! ADO Den Haag and Willem II… They score a lot in Eredivisie means not much, I’d steer clear!
@GP, why not just go with Olsen (4.0) from Roma at your other keeper spot instead of Lopes?
Goretza looked really good in his debut for them, but he missed this past weekend with a minor injury and left training early today, although it sounds like he is ok. Bayern are a bit like Madrid and City, a touch unpredictable in the midfield because a surplus of talent. I have Goretzka in if I knew he start for sure. Not sure what the price on Shick is but he gets substituted in or out a lot, which means he is always getting less minutes than ideal.
Thanks for the feedback Legend.
Assume Olsen is sure to start then?
Might risk Goretska but I am unsure on Schick’s playing time. Like some Roma cover for four if their games.
Looks like Olsen is.
GP
Think PSV
Potty
Very Sensible Play Gp
Potty
Never played UCL before, your article was convincing enough for me to give it a try.
First draft, how does it look like?
Thanks Frenchie, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Tad different from FPL with the quirk of the subs and the capo switch options but it’s better for it, probably my favourite fantasy format actually. Just makes it a bit more interesting knowing you have to pick 15 potential starters and be able to use them all tactically.
Milner and Fellaini stand out there as ones I’d be unsure on, I reckon there may be better value picks than those. Probably likewise with Jesus in all honesty.
@Frenchie, think Lucas has an injury or something, but even if he doesn’t I am not sure he is definitely starting, at least not consistently over Filipe for him to be worth it. Rest looks fine to me, I am not going to question anyone who plays FPL on their choices of PL players, you know them well, you know what you get.
Cheers guys. I reckon I’ll replace Hernandez by Jimenez, and look at some options in midfield.
Anyone chasing group stage Atletico CSs this time around? They’ve been good defensively in past seasons but in a tuff group this time around…
Diego Godin is a must have.
Usually do, as you know, to the tune of about 3 of them! Might take one and leave it at that this time.
Yeah, they haven’t started that well defensively in La Liga either this season.
I’ll probably give ’em a pass, tough group like you say and they’re not that solid defensively as they were… Better value elsewhere I reckon like Porto who are in a ridiculously easy group, well priced defs there imo!
I won’t have them, have looked a lot more vulnerable this season.
Are there any starting 4.0 defenders or 4.5 midfielders? Looking to go heavy on attack
Dias from Benfica I believe is a starter. Hendrix from PSV, Nagatomo from Galatasaray and Magnusson from CSKA is the ones I would eye.
AS far as mids go there should be plenty. I haven’t looked that hard yet, but I do know Patrick and Stepnanko from Shakthar look to be starting, also Manatalos and maybe Diawara from Napoli, but not sure on that last one. There is probably a bunch more, but it is most likely only your holding mid types. Patrick will take some set pieces for Shakthar and Manatalos takes pens and some set pieces for AEK.
Ruben Dias is a sure starter.
#take1 and possibly last one given I’m in a training session all day, but if someone has the time to look at it maybe I can find a few minutes for a tweak or two. Any shrewed moves I’m missing? Cheers
Looks good. I am a little scared of having Isco, feels like he should start, but if he does it probably be at the expense of Modric and not sure if Lopetegui is willing to do that. Plus Madrid hasn’t had 3 games in one week, so it is hard to know how Madrid rotate and how much they do it. Isco is rested as he didn’t start at the weekend, but he did come on and score. There is an odd man out and there is probably 50/50 shot that it is Isco.
Humm wasn’t aware of that. Wanted some Madrid cover really. So who’s nailed in there? Bale?
Bale, Benzema and the 4 defenders.
Asensio feels close to being nailed, he has been our best player so far this season, he is who I will have in my squad.
The others are tricky. If Casemiro plays he sits deep, so not point in having him. If he benches Casemiro, Kroos sits deep so not point in having Kroos. Modric plays box to box but has struggled and Isco has been on and off so far. He landed on the bench because he was struggling a bit, but Luka has not looked good either. Isco comes off the bench this weekend and he scores. So it is hard to figure out what JLO will do with his XI. Based on performances, I would bench Modric and play Isco in his place. But I am not sure Lopetegui wants to rock the boat yet. So if Isco starts it will probably be for Casemiro or possibly even Asensio, but that last one would just be dumb.
Well we must listen to the voice of reason and knowledge and buy the only Madrid consistent performer in Cristi.. ahem Asensio is in!! Thx Mito for the indebt feedback.