In UCL Fantasy, budget is everything. You only have 100m to build a 15-man squad, and every 0.1m matters when you are trying to fit in the likes of Mbappe and Kane alongside a functional bench. The managers who consistently rank highest are not the ones who splash out on every premium. They are the ones who find value.
We have crunched the numbers across all 1,216 players in the game after 11 matchdays, calculating points per million (total points divided by current price) to identify the players who have given managers the best bang for their budget this season. The results might surprise you.
The Value Rankings: Top 10 Overall
Yes, you are reading that correctly. Seven of the top 10 value picks are defenders. This is the story of UCL Fantasy 2025/26 in a nutshell, and it should fundamentally change how you build your squad going forward.
Grimaldo: The Undisputed Value King
Alejandro Grimaldo sits at the top of the entire game with 90 total points at just 6.4m, giving him a staggering 14.1 points per million. For context, that is nearly double the value of Kylian Mbappe (7.4 pts/m at 11.1m). Grimaldo has been involved in everything for Leverkusen: 4 goals, 3 assists, and 5 clean sheets through 11 matchdays. He is averaging 7.5 points per appearance.
What makes Grimaldo extraordinary is the combination of attacking output and defensive solidity. He is effectively playing as a midfielder priced as a defender, and he earns the full 4 points for clean sheets rather than the 1 point midfielders receive. At 20% ownership, he remains criminally underowned for a player of his calibre.
The 5.0m Club: Pacho, Romero and Porro
Three players priced at exactly 5.0m occupy spots in the top 10, and they tell very different stories.
Willian Pacho (Paris, 66 pts, 13.2 pts/m) has been a rock at the back for PSG. Two goals from centre-back plus 3 clean sheets make him an absolute steal at his price. He is the perfect enabler, freeing up budget for premiums elsewhere. At 15% ownership, he is well-known but far from template.
Cristian Romero (Tottenham, 61 pts, 12.2 pts/m) boasts the highest average in the entire top 10 at 8.7 points per game. A goal, 3 assists, and 5 clean sheets from a centre-back is absurd output. The catch? His form has dipped to 0 recently, and Spurs are now eliminated from the competition. His season is over, but the lesson remains: budget centre-backs with set-piece threat can be goldmines.
Pedro Porro (Tottenham, 59 pts, 11.8 pts/m) tells a similar tale. Five clean sheets and attacking contributions from right-back at a basement price. Like Romero, his UCL campaign is done, but he proved the value thesis all season.
The Midfield Value Standouts
While defenders dominate the overall rankings, two midfielders crack the top 10, and both deserve attention for very different reasons.
Anthony Gordon (Newcastle, 88 pts, 12.1 pts/m) is the second-highest scorer in the entire game with 10 goals and 2 assists. At 7.3m, he costs less than the likes of Kvaratskhelia (8.1m) and Olise (8.2m) while outscoring both. His 15% ownership is genuinely baffling. If Newcastle progress, Gordon is a must-own for the quarter-finals.
Sondre Brunstad Fet (Bodo/Glimt, 56 pts, 11.9 pts/m) is the definition of a deep-league gem. At 4.7m with 4 goals, he has been a sensational bench option throughout the campaign. Bodo/Glimt are eliminated now, but Fet proved that there is genuine value to be found at the bottom of the price range if you are willing to dig.
Honourable Mentions: The Near Misses
Several players just missed the top 10 but deserve recognition:
- Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP, 6.5m, 10.6 pts/m) - 69 points with a form rating of 5.0. The in-form pick of the tournament right now. Four goals, 4 assists, and the highest average (7.7) of any midfielder still in the competition.
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, 6.2m, 10.8 pts/m) - 67 points including 2 goals, 2 assists and 4 clean sheets. Liverpool's defensive solidity has made VVD a season-long set-and-forget.
- Jens Petter Hauge (Bodo/Glimt, 6.4m, 10.5 pts/m) - 67 points as a forward priced at 6.4m. Six goals and 2 assists. Like Fet, his season is finished, but a remarkable campaign.
The Overpriced Premium Problem
Now let us flip the table and look at where value breaks down. The premium forwards tell a sobering story:
Premium forward value comparison:
Mbappe (11.1m) - 82 pts - 7.4 pts/m | Form: 0.5 | Status: Doubtful
Kane (10.8m) - 58 pts - 5.4 pts/m | Form: 5.0
Haaland (10.7m) - 55 pts - 5.1 pts/m | Form: 3.0
Alvarez (9.1m) - 65 pts - 7.1 pts/m | Form: 2.0
Mbappe at 7.4 points per million is roughly half the value of Grimaldo. Kane and Haaland are even worse. The only premium forward who comes close to justifying his price is Victor Osimhen (8.1m, 67 pts, 8.3 pts/m), who has combined goals (7) and assists (3) with a strong form rating of 4.5. If Galatasaray survive tonight, Osimhen becomes the premium forward of choice on pure value.
What This Means for Quarter-Final Planning
The data sends a clear message: invest in attacking defenders and value midfielders, then pick one or two premium attackers at most. Here is the blueprint:
The value squad structure:
Spend big on 1-2 premium attackers (Mbappe or Osimhen)
Load your defence with attacking full-backs (Grimaldo, Nuno Mendes, Hakimi)
Target mid-price midfielders (Gordon at 7.3m, Trincao at 6.5m, Szoboszlai at 7.0m)
Use the savings to strengthen your bench for rotation coverage
The managers who have climbed the rankings this season are not the ones who went premium-heavy. They are the ones who identified Grimaldo at 6.4m, Gordon at 7.3m, and Pacho at 5.0m early, and built balanced squads around them.
With the quarter-finals approaching, the value principles do not change. Find the players who punch above their price tag, and let the numbers do the talking.
Find Your Own Value Picks
Use our Expected Points model and Transfer Planner to build the perfect value squad for the quarter-finals.
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