This week we help you with your building of your squad in the new Fantasy Game courtesy of The Rugby Magazine, check it out here.
You have a salary cap in this game of just £7m, so every bit of your budget counts. Therefore, we have crunched the stats and identified 10 players, all of whom with a value of under £200k who will provide you the most bang for your buck…
Joe Marchant – Pos: Centre (Harlequins) – Price: £167k
Marchant had a true breakthrough season last year and will be expected to strike up a potent centre partnership with new signing Francis Saili this season. At £167k, he is an absolute steal. He contributed 4 tries, and average metres gained of 40m a match, an average 2.4 defenders beaten a game as well as good clean break, offload and tackle stats, as well as only conceding 1 penalty all season.
Mark Wilson – Pos: Flanker, Number Eight (Newcastle Falcons) – Price: £175k
A versatile back rower who only missed one game all season at Kingston Park last year (and earned a well-deserved England call-up for the tour to Argentina as a result). Last year he contributed good attacking stats with 5 Tries and an average metres gained of 15m per match, which is not bad for a back rower (unless your name is Billy Vunipola or Louis Picamoles), but also contributed defensively with an average of 12 Tackles made per game.
Michael Haley – Pos: Full Back (Sale Sharks) – Price: £181k
After making his first appearance in Week 6, Mike Haley remained ever-present in the Sale Sharks back line recording some outstanding running stats. He averaged 70m gained in every match he played with an average of 2.7 defenders beaten every match. Haley also recorded some good numbers for clean breaks, all of which will provide some great points returns.
DTH van der Merwe – Pos: Centre, Winger, Full Back (Newcastle Falcons) – Price: £182k
New to the Premiership this season, and big things are expected off a man who has always recorded brilliant attacking stats wherever he has played. He brings all important versatility, covering three of the fantasy game’s back line positions. Throughout his career he has average a try almost every over game and he will be expected to fly on the artificial pitch at Kingston Park
James Short – Pos: Winger (Exeter Chiefs) – Price: £185k
Year after year, James Short has proven himself as a consistent and clinical Premiership try machine. Last year he scored 10 tries over the course of the season with an average 2.7 average defenders beaten per match. He will also contribute points defensively averaging a 12 Tackles-per-match average. A low-risk, high-returns value pick.
Bryn Evans – Pos: Lock (Sale Sharks) – Price: £189k
An extremely consistent lock pick. Evans only missed one game week all last season contributing 5 tries from the Sharks engine room. He offered up some solid if unspectacular stats with 6.6 Tackles average with just 8 tackles missed all season, 12 Lineout steals over the season, and was highly disciplined, with an average of just 0.35 penalties conceded over course of season.
Juan Pablo Socino – Pos: Fly Half, Centre (Newcastle Falcons) – Price: £192k
One of the stand-out centres in last year’s campaign. Socino contributed 6 tries and only missed one match all season. He averaged 30m carried a game with 2.7 average defenders beaten. He can be relied upon for an offload a game, and also defensively recorded some good stats.
Jason Woodward – Pos: Fly Half, Centre, Winger, Full Back (Gloucester) – Price: £193k
Hugely versatile, being able to cover four positions in the game. He arrived halfway through the season at a struggling Bristol side and recorded some hugely impressive attacking stats, scoring 4 tries and carrying for over a 100m on 4 separate occasions. In his last 10 games he beat 22 defenders, recorded 15 offloads and 14 clean breaks. Slotting into an extremely exciting Glaws back line, he is expected to kick on.
Will Addison – Pos: Centre, Winger, Full Back (Sale Sharks) – Price: £197k
A great all round option, who despite having his season curtailed by injury registered some great stats. He contributed tries, metres gained, defenders beaten, clean breaks and offloads. Also a good option with the kicking tee scoring 23 penalties and conversions last season while he was fit.
Matt Scott – Pos: Fly Half, Centre (Gloucester) – Price: £198k
An absolute try machine from midfield scoring 9 tries over the course of last season. No slouch defensively either, having a clean bill of no missed tackles in 10 matches last season.
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