Is Harry Kane the best captaincy option this week?
MD8 PREVIEW
I’M BACK!
First newsletter in about 10 months, and we’re straight into a huge spot: UCL Fantasy Matchday 8.
I’m currently around 250th in the world, no chips left, but pretty happy with the position. The big twist: way more top teams still need results than expected, so rotation should be lower and non‑chip squads can absolutely compete.
All games kick off at 20:00 on Wednesday, and we see every lineup before the deadline.
Big Picture
Teams still with something to play for (points/seeding/top‑24) include:
Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, Chelsea, Barcelona, Man City, Atlético, Sporting, Atalanta, Club Brugge, Marseille, Napoli, PSV.
More likely to rotate heavily:
Bayern, Arsenal (but even here, lineups could give us juicy punts).
Fixtures I’m Mostly Avoiding
I’m not using transfers to chase:
Atlético vs Bodo/Glimt – awkward assets, upset potential.
Pafos vs Slavia – low ceiling.
Ajax vs Olympiacos – messy, no clear talisman.
Juventus vs Monaco – fine if you already own cheap Juve defence, but not a priority.
Best Attack Fixtures
Real Madrid @ Benfica
Mbappé, Vinícius Jr
Benfica need to win, but have been poor.
Real still care about seeding.
Mbappé is classic safe captain material: pens, volume, consistency.
Man City vs Galatasaray
Haaland
City not secure in top‑8 yet.
Haaland’s open‑play form is down, but the ceiling is still huge.
Great to own; captaincy fine but not automatic.
Barcelona vs Copenhagen
Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Fermín López, Lewandowski
Probably the highest‑ceiling game.
Barça at home vs weak defence; 3–5 goals entirely possible.
I love double Barça midfield (Yamal/Raphinha/Fermín).
Captaincy fantastic here, especially if you’re not over‑stacked.
Bayern @ PSV
Kane, Sané
Bayern through, but usually still strong.
PSV concede ~2 per game.
Kane is one of my favourite captain options if he starts; early sub risk if they coast.
High‑Upside Secondary Spots
Liverpool vs Qarabag
Van Dijk, Szoboszlai
Liverpool need a point, Qarabag concede plenty.
Van Dijk is a very nice pick; Szoboszlai still solid.
Salah is more “nice to have” than essential right now.
PSG vs Newcastle
PSG attackers + defence
Newcastle away have been poor.
Double PSG defence is very reasonable.
PSG forwards (e.g. Dembélé/Kvaratskhelia‑type role) are great differential captain options.
Sporting @ Athletic Club
Suarez
In good form and a great downgrade from a premium striker.
Ideal if you need funds and some upside.
Club Brugge vs Marseille
Vanaken
Both basically need to win, could be chaotic.
Vanaken is a fantastic mid‑priced hold, especially at home.
Rotation & Lineup Edges
Arsenal vs Kairat
Arsenal are safe, Kairat are out.
Expect heavy rotation, but whoever starts is in a dream fixture.
I’ll wait for lineups, then consider an Arsenal punt with a free transfer.
Napoli vs Chelsea
Both probably need a win.
Napoli look shaky; Chelsea are chaotic but attacking.
Enzo and Palmer are excellent mid‑priced options if starting – great to already own, not must‑buys.
Chips & My No‑Chip Plan
MD8 looked like a perfect Limitless week in pre‑season. In reality, with so many top teams needing results, the advantage is smaller:
Limitless can still stack Barça/Bayern/PSG/Arsenal.
But you’re forced to ditch brilliant cheap picks like Fermín, Enzo, Vanaken – who are very playable this week.
With no chips, my plan at ~250th:
Stick with my value players.
Use 1–2 transfers after lineups drop to:
Jump on any obvious Arsenal/Bayern/Barça/PSG starter.
Remove a dead pick.
Let captaincy do most of the heavy lifting.
Captaincy Shortlist
I’ll pick from:
Mbappé (Benfica A) – safest all‑rounder.
Kane (PSV A) – huge ceiling if he starts.
Barça attacker (Copenhagen H) – Yamal/Raphinha/Lewandowski in the best fixture.
PSG attacker (Newcastle H) – great differential route.
Right now, I’m leaning Kane if he starts, with Mbappé and a Barça mid very close behind.
I’ll be online around 19:00 on Wednesday, scanning lineups, making one or two sharp moves, and locking in captain.
It’s good to be back. Below is my team at the moment.
