The latest instalment of our weekly pre-match updates where we analyse the weekend’s lineups, crunch the stats and see what the bookies are thinking to help you optimise your lineups for peak performance this weekend! By the time you finish this article you should have all the insight you need to score big fantasy points this weekend. A reduced report this week due to the Fantasy Rugby Geek’s day job duties!
Potential mismatches
Into Round 21, a huge weekend for Fantasy Rugby Draft managers with Finals week here and a crunch weekend for all other fantasy Aviva Premiership managers as opportunities to catch the league leaders start to dwindle with just 2 rounds left of the regular season. Round 21 offers up another set of great opportunities for some big scores, with several matches having a combination of some teams having everything to play for and others who seem to already be on the beach on their summer holidays. In the eyes of the bookies, one way traffic is expected in five of the six games…
In Paddy Power’s eyes the most nailed on games this weekend with a projected winning margin greater than 10 is…
- Wasps to beat Northampton with a margin of 17 points
- Saracens to beat London Irish with a margin of 16 points
- Exeter to beat Sale with a margin of 12 points
Elsewhere, in a huge battle for the play-offs, Leicester are expected to squeeze past Newcastle at Welford Road. A Gloucester side high on morale after reaching the European Challenge Cup final should comfortably dispatch an out-of-sorts Bath at Kingsholm. Finally, Worcester welcome a Quins side who just desperately want the season to end and are expected to take the win.
Expected to go well
*Players who are starting favourably out of position (i.e. Hooker in back row, Centre on wing, etc.)
Recommended captain pick in bold
FRONT ROW
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
Jake Cooper-Wooley (Wasps)
Ellis Genge (Leicester)
Alec Hepburn (Exeter)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Jack Yeandle (Exeter)
Tommy Taylor (Wasps)
LOCKS
Don Armand* (Exeter)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Bryn Evans (Sale)
BACK ROW
Jackson Wray (Saracens)
Sam Simmonds (Exeter)
Jake Polledri (Gloucester)
Thomas Young (Wasps)
Ben Curry (Sale)
Sione Kalamafoni (Leicester)
SCRUM-HALF
Faf De Klerk (Sale)
Dan Robson (Wasps)
Nic White (Exeter)
FLY HALF
Joe Simmonds (Exeter)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Jimmy Gopperth* (Wasps)
CENTRES
Henry Slade (Exeter)
Elliot Daly* (Wasps)
Mark Atkinson (Gloucester)
Joe Marchant (Harlequins)
OUTSIDE BACKS
Liam Williams (Saracens)
Jason Woodward (Gloucester)
Jack Nowell (Exeter)
Willie Le Roux (Wasps)
Telusa Veainu (Leicester)
Christian Wade (Wasps)
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Looking for more Fantasy Rugby insight and Resources?
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.
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