Here are some key stats to consider on the top fantasy options ahead of the this week's Champions League matches.
Forwards
With Lionel Messi playing limited minutes (if any at all), Tier 1 forward Luis Suárez stands out as the pick of the bunch among the players in the category. There may not be another player in the world as in-form as Suárez, who has six goals and three assists during his past five games in all competitions. He may not have scored against Inter Milan two weeks ago, but the Uruguayan had eight shots and four chances created and promises to be in the action again.
Two options stand out as Tier 2 forwards, starting with Robert Lewandowski at home to AEK Athens. Although the Polish striker has only scored in two of his past nine games with club and country (three goals), Lewandowski has averaged five shots per game and 1.14 expected goals per game over his last four Bayern Munich appearances. Lewandowski is ninth on the all-time UCL top scorers list, one behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Andriy Shevchenko for seventh and three behind Thierry Henry for sixth.
Although Roma faces a November trip to Russia to face CSKA, Tier 2 forward Edin Dzeko has been on fire and has potentially earned a spot in your team. The Bosnian is tied with Messi for most goals this season in the Champions League with five. There have only been seven other players in UCL history to score five goals through three matchdays. Since joining Roma, Dzeko has scored 15 goals in 22 Champions League games, and he is only two shy of Francesco Totti's Roma record in the competition.
Midfielders
Another in-form option is Manchester City's Tier 2 midfielder Raheem Sterling. The key with Sterling is that City hosts Shakhtar at the Etihad Stadium, where he is coming off a two-goal, two-assist performance against Southampton on Sunday. In fact, Sterling has now been directly involved in 18 goals in his last 13 Premier League matches at home (11 goals and seven assists). Sterling has scored in each of his four home Premier League matches this season. Sterling failed to score against Shakhtar two weeks ago, but if he starts, look to bring him into your team.
Just as Robert Lewandowski stood out as a Tier 2 forward, his teammates Arjen Robben and James Rodríguez are each Tier 2 midfielders. Rodríguez and Robben each featured on Saturday in a disappointing draw against Freiburg, but they led the team with two shots on goal each, and five and three chances created, respectively. Even more impressive when you consider that both were withdrawn early, perhaps resting the pair for the midweek Champions League match. The pair face an AEK Athens side that has conceded eight goals in three UCL Group Stage matches thus far this season. Bayern is winless in its last three home Champions League games dating back to last season; it has not gone winless in four straight home UCL games in the 21st century.
Defenders
In the Tier 1 position, Tottenham's Kieran Trippier has created the most chances among defenders in Champions League this season with 11, including eight in his last match against PSV two weeks ago. Trippier has two assists in his last three games in all competitions.
In what promises to be a high-scoring game in Lyon, Hoffenheim's Tier 2 defender Pavel Kaderabek could be a nice pick for your team. Kaderabek had six chances created against Lyon last week and has three assists in his last four games in all competitions.