The Most Balls Recovered in UCL Fantasy (Before R16)

Balls recovered. A great source of points in the Champions League fantasy football. There were too many questions about this new feature when it was introduced because we had no data about it from previous seasons.

It was hard to predict, how it was going to influence players’ points. Now we know that some players are better than others at balls recovered and that they offer a stable route to getting fantasy points.

Most Balls Recovered per match in UCL Fantasy 2023/24

Table of players that were best at balls recovered in the current season before the start of Round of 16. We calculated the average balls recovered per match, so the number of matches played does not influence the results.

NameTeamPositionBalls recovered per matchBalls RecoveredMatches
HummelsDortmundDEF9.5576
KimBayernDEF9.2465
Mario GilaLazioDEF9182
SánchezGalatasarayDEF8.75354
OtamendiBenficaDEF8.33506
Diogo LeiteUnion BerlinDEF8.17496
VavroCopenhagenDEF8486
TerzićSalzburgDEF8162
PavlovićSalzburgDEF7.83476
Abdülkerim BardakcıGalatasarayDEF7.5456
CasemiroMan UnitedMID7.5152
ŠkriniarParisDEF7.17436
Hakan ÇalhanoğluInterMID7284
GvardiolMan CityDEF7213
Rúben DiasMan CityDEF6.8345
AlderweireldAntwerpDEF6.8345
PatricLazioDEF6.75274
Carter-VickersCelticDEF6.75274
De VrijInterDEF6.75274
TorreiraGalatasarayMID6.67406
TomoriMilanDEF6.67406
BoscagliPSVDEF6.6335
BenitoYoung BoysDEF6.6335
WiefferFeyenoordMID6.5396
FernandoSevillaMID6.5264
BondarShakhtar DonetskDEF6.5264
MatviyenkoShakhtar DonetskDEF6.4325
David CarmoFC PortoDEF6.25254
MerinoReal SociedadMID6.2315
MarquinhosParisDEF6.2315
LukebaLeipzigDEF6.17376
BidstrupSalzburgMID6.17376
ZubeldiaReal SociedadMID6.17376
VermeerenAntwerpMID6366
MedinaLensDEF6366
CoulibalyAntwerpDEF6366
TraoréReal SociedadDEF6305
Kaan AyhanGalatasarayDEF6305
KnocheUnion BerlinDEF6183
ZubimendiReal SociedadMID5.83356
HanckoFeyenoordDEF5.83356
ZerroukiFeyenoordMID5.8295
JelertCopenhagenDEF5.8295
Ronald AraújoBarcelonaDEF5.75234
GocholeishviliShakhtar DonetskDEF5.75234
KimmichBayernMID5.67346
BoeyGalatasarayDEF5.67346
Di LorenzoNapoliDEF5.67346
WitselAtlético de MadridMID5.67346
LivramentoNewcastleDEF5.67173
DoekhiUnion BerlinDEF5.67173
CamaraYoung BoysDEF5.6285
RamosSevillaDEF5.6285
UpamecanoBayernDEF5.6285
MoratoBenficaDEF5.6285
SchlotterbeckDortmundDEF5.5336
HakimiParisDEF5.5336
TrippierNewcastleDEF5.5336
AmendaYoung BoysDEF5.5224
António SilvaBenficaDEF5.5224
ChristensenBarcelonaDEF5.5224
RyersonDortmundDEF5.5224
KoundéBarcelonaDEF5.5224
TraunerFeyenoordDEF5.5224
RaumLeipzigDEF5.4275
GoretzkaBayernMID5.4275
GeertruidaFeyenoordDEF5.33326
NiasseYoung BoysMID5.33326
AursnesBenficaMID5.33326
DiksCopenhagenDEF5.33326
AlabaReal MadridDEF5.33163
SavićAtlético de MadridDEF5.33163
CamavingaReal MadridMID5.25214
BensebainiDortmundDEF5.2265
KokeAtlético de MadridMID5.2265
FrankowskiLensDEF5.17316
X. SchlagerLeipzigMID5.17316
DragovićCrvena zvezdaDEF5.17316
AnkersenCopenhagenDEF5.17316
DalotMan UnitedDEF5306
RamalhoPSVDEF5306
TaylorCelticDEF5306
DjigaCrvena zvezdaDEF5306
DansoLensDEF5306
SalibaArsenalDEF5306
NiakatéBragaDEF5255
MazraouiBayernDEF5204
MaguireMan UnitedDEF5204
KeitaAntwerpDEF5153
PiątkowskiSalzburgDEF5153
MijailovićCrvena zvezdaMID4.83296
LeragerCopenhagenMID4.83296
CalabriaMilanDEF4.83296
GarciaYoung BoysDEF4.83296
GudeljSevillaMID4.83296
HartmanFeyenoordDEF4.83296
NatanNapoliDEF4.83296
NachoReal MadridDEF4.83296
ScalesCelticDEF4.83296
Bruno GuimarãesNewcastleMID4.83296
PepeFC PortoDEF4.8245
A. RrahmaniNapoliDEF4.8245
HenrichsLeipzigDEF4.75194
José FonteBragaDEF4.75194
VaraneMan UnitedDEF4.75194
João NevesBenficaMID4.67286
FalkCopenhagenFOR4.67286
SchärNewcastleDEF4.67286
MuñozReal SociedadDEF4.67286
GosensUnion BerlinDEF4.67286
EustáquioFC PortoMID4.67286
GabrielArsenalDEF4.67286
Juan JesusNapoliDEF4.67143
Le NormandReal SociedadDEF4.6235
AmrabatMan UnitedMID4.6235
JuranovićUnion BerlinDEF4.6235
SchoutenPSVMID4.6235
GraditLensDEF4.5276
WijndalAntwerpDEF4.5276
L. HernándezParisDEF4.5276
DedićSalzburgDEF4.5276
AzarovShakhtar DonetskDEF4.5184
NazarynaShakhtar DonetskMID4.5184
ReijndersMilanMID4.33266
LaimerBayernMID4.33266
RüdigerReal MadridDEF4.33266
JoelintonNewcastleFOR4.25174
RodriMan CityMID4.25174
MarušićLazioMID4.2215
Zambo AnguissaNapoliMID4.2215
Al MusratiBragaMID4.2215
BaidooSalzburgDEF4.2215
João CanceloBarcelonaDEF4.17256
IB HwangCrvena zvezdaMID4246
AugustoInterDEF4246
RakitićSevillaMID4246
TezePSVDEF4246
RiceArsenalMID4246
Gourna-DouathSalzburgMID4205
AcerbiInterDEF4205
LascellesNewcastleDEF4205
LauperYoung BoysMID4164
Fran GarcíaReal MadridDEF4164
WalkerMan CityDEF4164
LindelöfMan UnitedDEF4164

Data source: UEFA Player Stats

Most Balls Recovered in UCL Fantasy 2022/23

Table of players that were best at balls recovered in the last season. We calculated the average balls recovered per match, so the number of matches played does not influence the results.

NameTeamPositionBalls Recovered Per MatchBalls RecoveredMatches
HincapieLeverkusen Defender9455
KondogbiaAtlético de Madrid Midfielder8.67263
OtamendiBenfica Defender8729
RamosParis Defender7.88638
MecheleClub Brugge Defender7.75628
BalerdiMarseille Defender7.67466
SavićAtlético de Madrid Defender7.67233
TutaFrankfurt Defender7.57537
SundgrenM. Haifa Defender7.5304
HasebeFrankfurt Midfielder7.25294
FofanaChelsea Defender7.2365
PerićDinamo Zagreb Defender7.17436
ŠutaloDinamo Zagreb Defender7.17436
Thiago SilvaChelsea Defender7.13578
ÁlvarezAjax Midfielder7426
PavlovićSalzburg Defender7426
KjærMilan Defender7426
BondarShakhtar Donetsk Defender6.67406
KoulibalyChelsea Defender6.57467
TomoriMilan Defender6.56510
RabiotJuventus Midfielder6.4325
AlonsoBarcelona Defender6.4325
SeiwaldSalzburg Midfielder6.33386
VerrattiParis Midfielder6.29447
UribePorto Midfielder6.29447
SüleDortmund Defender6.25508
KalvachViktoria Plzeň Midfielder6.17376
Gonçalo InácioSporting CP Defender6.17376
Alexander-ArnoldLiverpool Defender6.14437
N'DickaFrankfurt Defender6.13498
Di LorenzoNapoli Defender6.16110
António SilvaBenfica Defender6.16110
RodriMan City Midfielder67212
KimNapoli Defender6549
RomeroTottenham Defender6427
DierTottenham Defender6427
TahLeverkusen Defender6366
JorginhoChelsea Midfielder6366
SeckM. Haifa Defender6366
ReinildoAtlético de Madrid Defender6366
KossounouLeverkusen Defender6305
HummelsDortmund Defender6244
PepePorto Defender6244
SowFrankfurt Midfielder5.88478
MišićDinamo Zagreb Midfielder5.83356
GvardiolLeipzig Defender5.83356
J. TimberAjax Defender5.83356
LobotkaNapoli Midfielder5.85810
LundstramRangers Midfielder5.8295
RrahmaniNapoli Defender5.71407
KimmichBayern Midfielder5.67519
Emre CanDortmund Defender5.57397
AkanjiMan City Defender5.556111
Rúben DiasMan City Defender5.56612
StepanenkoShakhtar Donetsk Midfielder5.5336
LaviM. Haifa Midfielder5.5336
VavroCopenhagen Defender5.5224
FlorentinoBenfica Midfielder5.45410
OrbánLeipzig Defender5.38438
DedićSalzburg Defender5.33326
JenzCeltic Defender5.33326
DaniloParis Midfielder5.29377
ThiawMilan Defender5.25214
SandsRangers Midfielder5.25214
GrujićPorto Midfielder5.25214
BasseyAjax Defender5.17316
AcerbiInter Defender5.086112
JakićFrankfurt Midfielder5408
OliveraNapoli Defender5408
JuranovićCeltic Defender5306
AndrichLeverkusen Midfielder5255
DaniloJuventus Defender5255
Eric GarcíaBarcelona Defender5204
MeunierDortmund Defender5204

Data source: UEFA Player Stats

Most Balls recovered in UCL Fantasy 2021/22

Table of players that were best at balls recovered in the 2021/22 season. We calculated the average balls recovered per 90 minutes, so the number of minutes played did not influence the results.

PlayerBalls recoveredMinutes playedBalls recovered per 90
Gvardiol3833410.24
Solet353289.6
Capaldo292819.29
Kounde464509.2
Fernando505408.33
Reinildo758168.27
Akanji414508.2
Fabinho738497.74
L. Hernandez495727.71
Meunier414847.62
Thiago Silva647577.61
Pique333937.56
Balanta334077.3
Casemiro749147.29
Otamendi638107
Onguene344377
Sule405156.99
Pepe273496.96
De Light486276.89
Hendry415406.83
Tsimikas263446.8
Goretzka354666.76
Matviyenko273606.75
Bennacer283766.7
Felipe354726.67
Konate537206.63
Hummels263586.54
Witsel344716.5
Pavard557646.48
Tomori304186.46
Van Dijk588106.44
Militao7610766.36
Upamecano466606.27
Seiwald456496.24
Kondogbia405786.23
Bastoni466666.22
Gilberto497156.17
Kante294276.11
Dias456646.1
Zaidu263896.02

Most Balls recovered in UCL Fantasy 2019/20 and 2020/21 season

Player19/20 Ball recovered per 9020/21 Ball recovered per 90
Klostermann8.7811.25
Upamecano8.3110.2
Barrios89.36
BlindNot Available9.3
Wober8.339.3
Casemiro6.919.1
MukieleNot Available8.59
FabinhoNot Available8.51
Hummels9.888.32
MazraouiNot Available8.23
KristensenNot Available8.2
Alcantara8.528.08
DjimsitiNot Available7.75
CanceloNot Available7.46
AkanjiNot Available7.45
ToloiNot Available7.44
De Vrij8.177.33
De Roon6.247.25
D. CarlosNot Available7.16
C. MataNot Available7.08
Marquinhos4.647
TAANot Available6.91
SuleNot Available6.91
SavičNot Available6.88
Lenglet6.626.81
Jorginho7.216.74
DaniloNot Available6.71
KantéNot Available6.69
PepeNot Available6.67
UlmerNot Available6.67
Deli7.836.51
T. Silva7.676.44
Junuzovic7.836.22
F. De JongNot Available6.08
AlabaNot Available6.05
Van Dijk9.720

How balls recovered influence players’ points?

Centrebacks and defensive midfielders are gaining a big portion of points from this feature. That makes some centrebacks much more appealing than more expensive attacking fullbacks. And there are some really cheap defensive midfielders who outscored premium mids just because of the balls recovered, too.

We think it really changes the dynamics of our teams. Players with big balls recovered potential have a “higher floor” of points. For example centre back like Otamendi may end up match with 4 points with no clean sheet and with 6 balls recovered (which is pretty common for some players). Imagine what happens when they add a clean sheet to that. Huge amount of points.

These kinds of players offer stability in their points outcome because we don’t have to hope for attacking returns. On the other hand, their output is limited, their “points ceiling” is lower than the points ceiling of attacking players – especially in the case of defensive midfielders. You will get balls recovered points, clean sheet points and that’s it.

A tip for your UCL squad

So how could you use it in your fantasy team? We think you should choose one really cheap defensive mid to your UCL fantasy squad – great price for a stable outcome of 4-5 points per match. Then pick at least 2 or 3 centre-backs who are recovering balls and have high clean-sheet potential. So with a clean sheet, you will get 8-9 points, without CS 3-5. That could separate your team from the rest of the crowd and gain you a few extra points that could be really valuable in the long run.

Predicting Balls Recovered

Is it possible to predict how many balls certain players recover in the match? Mike tries to use data and model it. Read more about it in his article: Predicting Balls Recovered: a Data-Driven Attempt

Matej Šuľan

Fantasy Football enthusiast with two top 1k finishes in FPL. Best FPL overall rank: 119th in 2019/20 season. Five top 500 finishes in UCL Fantasy, best overall rank: 23rd in 2018/19 season. Founder of Fantasy Football Reports.