So here we are, after 6 months of waiver wires, free agent pilfering and numerous too-close-to-call matchups over the 18 rounds of the Fantasy Rugby Draft Aviva Premiership season, it comes down to the next 3 weeks. The previous 18 rounds now count for nothing, regardless of whether you dominated your league 18-0 or just scraped through due to a particularly weak pool, it means nothing. If you are in the final four in your league, just three rounds remain between you and potential glory and that all important number in your “Trophies” column (the ultimate sign of a true fantasy rugby expert). And if you are in a league with the Fantasy Rugby Draft king, Justin “Justincredibles” Vermuelen, with his 15 (and counting…) trophies, trust me, having anything in that column is crucial.
So with this in mind, let’s look at some strategies to help you boost your chances to make the next 3 rounds count and bring home that trophy!
Check the fixtures
To give yourself the best possible advantage, it’s time to start loading your sides with players from teams who have favourable fixtures over the next 3 rounds, and especially teams who are fighting for Play-off places and Champions Cup spots. With London Irish all but doomed and with 6th place pretty much out of reach for the likes of Quins, Northampton and Worcester, these four sides don’t have a huge amount to play for for the rest of the season, so teams hosting these sides should go well.
Here’s a summary who still has a lot to play for…
Our #AvivaPrem season forecasts after Round 17. pic.twitter.com/khiOEmdtWE
— Rugby Vision (@rugbyvision) March 5, 2018
Good looking options in Round 19 look like Exeter (hosting an inconsistent on the road Gloucester), Newcastle (gunning for a Champions Cup spot against a Worcester side who look to be safe from relegation) and Sarries (away at a Saints side safe from relegation but miles from Champions Cup contention).
For the second leg of the Fantasy Rugby Draft play-offs in Round 20, two great options present themselves in Wasps (hosting Worcester) and Exeter (going away to London Irish, and more than likely officially consigning them to relegation in the process).
For Finals week in Round 21, teams with good looking matchups are Exeter (home to Sale), Wasps (home to Northampton Saints) and Saracens (away to London Irish).
So Exeter, who will be out to make it two years in a row as Aviva Premiership Champions, without any European distractions, look to be the team to focus on in the final stages this year, with two comfortable home ties and a visit to London Irish in their itinerary. Wasps and Saracens both also look to have some good opportunities to score big.
Watch out for European involvement
Be wary of potential squad rotation of players at Saracens, Newcastle and Gloucester. All three remain in European competition so should they progress into the semi-finals, they may well be looking to rest some of their top players to keep them fresh for the big knockout games.
Ditch your injured big hitters
Anthony Watson, Sam Underhill, Nathan Hughes, Ben Youngs and Courtney Lawes are all out for the season, and it looks like the likes of Semesa Rokoduguni, Billy Vunipola and Jack Nowell are touch and go to make any more appearances this season. You may have had them stashed away in the hope that they will return, but it’s time to ditch your crocked big guns and release them for talent who will be making a big impact over the next three weeks.
Play for two legs in the semi’s
Don’t forget that the semi-final is played over two rounds. If you dominate in Round 19, don’t rest on your laurels, many a team has fallen foul of a huge second leg comeback. Consider the second leg a new match and build your side to be as strong as possible.
Manager Pro
If you are looking for an extra bit of edge to take your Fantasy Rugby Draft team even further, then I can’t recommend enough the Manager Pro feature (what is Manager Pro you ask? Look no further…)
Given the mad rush to pick up free agents at lineup announcement time, Manager PRO is invaluable, so get on it here!
If you want some more sources to help you finalise your decisions, go to our resources page where you’ll find all this year’s Aviva Premiership fantasy games, all the stats sources, injury news, team news, fantasy relevant rugby betting odds and tons of other useful information.
One more thing…
With the FIFA World Cup around the corner, would you like make some money while watching?
Apologies for advocating the round ball game, but with the World Cup almost here, we would like to bring your attention to a brilliant and new(ish) online platform that combines the enjoyment of fantasy sports with low-risk betting, Football Index.
FRG has been playing Football Index for over a year now, and while we were sceptical at the start (it seemed too good to be true), the returns that can be made are huge.
In the simplest of terms, Football Index is a platform that allows fans to become traders on a football stock market, using their knowledge of the game to buy and sell players and make money. Money is made though increases in player value as well as dividends paid out regularly for top performers on the pitch as well as players courting attention in the media.
We’ve made a tidy profit on it at FRG, we love it and we’re sure you will love it too. They are running some great promotions over the World Cup, so there has never been a better time to sign up and get trading so take a look here and best of luck with your trades (over 18’s only obviously).
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