Gallagher Premiership 2020/21 Value Picks, Sleepers and Busts on Fantasy Rugby Draft

Fantasy Rugby Geekon

Draft night; an absolute minefield of statistics, brinkmanship, psychology and sheer panic. 2 hours seem to fly by in a blur, and no matter what, all logic seems to go out of the window when you see your all-time favourite but injury ridden centre appear on the draft window; after all, this could be his year! On so many occasions, preparation and planning seems to go out of the window after that first round; as the old saying goes, “no plan survives first contact”.

But I want to help, and with Gallagher Premiership draft nights starting to gather pace on Fantasy Rugby Draft ahead of the season kick-off on Friday 20th November, here are FRG’s thoughts on the busts, sleepers and deep sleepers on the Fantasy Rugby Draft rankings to help you pick up some genuine value picks as well as dodging some players who on paper look like brilliant picks but in reality could cause you some serious headaches throughout the season.

One important thing to note this season is that the Premiership Rankings on Fantasy Rugby Draft are only based on each player’s score last season, so the onus is on you the player to identify who will out perform themselves this season (unless you subscribe to Manager Pro, more on that later…). What this means is that new signings or players who were out for large parts of last season can appear right down the rankings or even appear unranked outside the top 200, so there are some absolute bargains to have and it will make draft night even more fascinating.

In terms of our sleepers and busts, players who are unranked but should score well are considered sleepers, we’ll also include those who are unlikely to be on international duty so can make a full contribution across the season and be fresh with no Rugby World Cup exertions in the tank. So, without further ado…

SLEEPERS

Semi Radradra – Midfielder – Bristol – FRD Default Ranking: 91
 
Okay so maybe people aren’t sleeping on him, but positioned at 91 in the default ranking and even being away on international duty for the first few weeks, he will still rightly be many people’s first pick in the Draft.
 
 
Max Malins – Outside Back – Bristol – FRD Default Ranking: 35
 
Described by Mark McCall as “England Rugby’s Beauden Barrett“, Malins ended last season in scintillating form at the Bears, racking up some huge points hauls. It looks like he may be on the fringes of Eddie Jones’ squad for the Autumn but may well find himself released back to Bristol most weeks and so should get some game time. With Callum Sheedy away on intenational duty he may well also find himself with kicking duties. A lethal runner and constant threat with ball in hand, he will be a great pick-up in any draft. 
 
Ben Spencer – Scrum Half – Bath – FRD Default Ranking: 86
 
Seemingly not in Eddie’s plans any time soon, Spencer is a great fantasy threat with a great eye for the tryline, searing pace and the ability to rack up the occasional kicking point. With many other Scrum Halves away on international duty, Spencer could quite easily find himself as the top-scoring scrum-half in FRD by the end of the season.
 
Jacobus Van Wyk – Outside Back – Leicester – FRD Default Ranking: Unranked
 
Jacobus (aka Kobus) van Wyk was one of the more eye-opening signings made over the summer. A rapid and prolific try-scorer on the wing, he has been in scintillating form in 2020 in Super Rugby since arriving at the Hurricanes, bagging 4 tries in 3 games in the curtailed Super Rugby season and adding a further 3 tries in Super Rugby Aotearoa. He only made one appearance at the end of last season, but with Nadolo away at the Autumn Nations Cup we should see a lot more of him this season.
 

Joe Marchant – Midfielder – Harlequins – FRD Default Ranking: 120

Joe Marchant had a short but productive stint in Super Rugby at the Blues which was curtailed somewhat by Covid, but he remains a lethal attacking threat in a relatively shallow pool of fantasy-relevant Premiership Midfielders. It remains to be seen Eddie Jones’ plans for him but it looks like he will be in the fringes of the England squad. Nonetheless, being so far down in the rankings, he is well worth a pick up.

DEEP SLEEPERS

Tyrone Green – Outside Back – Harlequins – FRD Default Ranking: Unranked
 
For those unfamiliar with Green, he can play across the backline with unreal pace, a lethal step and real flair. He has shown great promise in his early career in Super Rugby, and Lions’ loss is most definitely Quins’ gain. With several departures over the last 6 months from the Quins back line, some spots have opened up to allow him to make an immediate impact. Well worth picking up. 

Andre Esterhuizen – Midfielder – Bristol – FRD Default Ranking: Unranked
 
Another new addition that seems to be great value is Harlequins’ incoming Springbok, Andre Esterhuizen. Esterhuizen is a great talent with a good eye for the tryline, and who can carry hard but also provide creativity and attacking flair. A consistent performer in Super Rugby for many years, he should adapt very quickly to the the Premiership. Andre “The Giant” is well worth the investment.
 
Ratu Naulago – Outside Back – Bristol – FRD Default Ranking: Unranked
 
How to make a ludicrously exciting backline into an even more exciting prospect? Bristol have just done it. One of the most intriguing signings of the year is Ratu Naulago. Converting from Rugby League, Naulago has been scoring tries for fun in the Super League and is expected to make a succesful transition to Union. The “Tank on the Flank” is a clinical finisher with unbelivable pace and a lethal step (just check out the end to end try at 00:41 in this compilation). If he gets game time and gets in the right position, we can expect fireworks!
 

Jannes Kirsten – Lock – Exeter – FRD Default Ranking: 116

Finding a Loose Forward playing as a Lock in FRD is gold dust; past seasons have seen the likes of Don Armand and Alex Dombrandt reach legendary status as a free scoring Lock. There are a few this year in Jean-Luc Du Preez and Josh Beaumont, but one who seems to have skipped the radar is Jannes Kirsten. Scoring 4 tries last season, a hard carrier and an important part of the machine that is the Chiefs pack, even if he doesn’t start, he should still outscore post other players assigned as a Lock.
 
Nathan Earle – Outside Back – Harlequins – FRD Default Ranking: Unranked
 
Having missed a huge part of last season with a serious knee injury, Nathan Earle made a positive return at the end of last season and should be fit and raring to go for the new season. Earle had a big impact in his first year at Quins and will be hoping to get back into form to force himself back into international reckoning; so pick him up and expect tries.

 

And here’s the BUSTS, players to be wary of…

Jake Polledri – Loose Forward – Gloucester – FRD Default Ranking: 22
 
So just to put a disclaimer out, Jake Polledri is one of my favourite fantasy rugby players; when he is on the field you are guaranteed huge carries, big tackles and a trail of broken defenders in his wake. Unfortunately though, we will probably not be seeing him much on the (Premiership) field for at least the first half of the season given that he is now a first choice starter for the Azzuri. If he is still on the board after the 10th round then he’s worth picking up to stash away but be careful not to fall in the trap of selecting him early.
 
Duncan Weir – Fly Half – Worcester – FRD Default Ranking: 17
 
Up until now an ever reliable FRD performer, however his great Prem form, coupled with injuries to Finn Russell and Adam Hastings has lead to him becoming the first choice 10 for Scotland for the Autumn Nations Cup, which could also solidify his position for the 6 Nations. Watch out in case you are looking to him as a “set and forget” fly half option.
 

Matteo Minozzi – Outside Back – Wasps – FRD Default Ranking: 75
 
Much like Jake Polledri, Minozzi is an excellent performer who’s Premiership form has lead to him being a first choice starter in the Italy squad so again he will be unavailable for much of the first half of the season. Best to keep away for the moment.
 
Albert Tuisue – Loose Forward – London Irish – FRD Default Ranking: 60

An absolute gem last season as a hard carrying Number 8 categorised as a Lock. Fantasy Rugby players however should exercise caution around Tuisue this season. Firstly he will be a key part of Fiji’s Autumn Nations Cup so will be out until late December, and then in addition he has been re-classified from a Lock to a Loose Forward, losing a key differentiator that made him so effective last season.
 
Manu Tuilagi – Midfielder – Sale Sharks – FRD Default Ranking: 156
 
Manu may be some way down the rankings, and when he plays he is obviously a huge threat, but having recently suffered yet another unfortunate injury and then with his England responsibilities, his playing time in the Premiership this season could be very limited indeed. Best to steer clear.

So there you go! Mark these guys on your draft lists and best of luck with your draft nights!

In other Fantasy Rugby Draft news…

With Draft season fully underway, don’t miss our summary of this year’s Sleepers and Busts to help you to select an unstoppable team for this unique and strange season. Also, for even more tips to give you the edge, make sure check out our interview with some previous top Fantasy Rugby Draft players, including Bryn Williams and Roy Robertson.

Also, in case you missed it, your humble FRG editor appeared on the Fantasy Rugby Draft podcast this week alongside Sam Roberts and FRD Founder Bruce Wilkinson to run the rule over the new season. Give it a listen below or check it out on the usual Podcast platforms…

 

 

Also if you are new to the game, check out our guide to Fantasy Rugby Draft this season, with a few additional hints to help take your team to the next level.

Finally, if you are playing Fantasy Rugby Draft and are looking for a helping hand for your Fantasy Rugby Draft team, the good guys over at FRD have a hugely useful Manager Pro feature (what is Manager Pro you ask? Look no further…)

You can buy Manager PRO here for the Premiership for a bargain price of just NZ$24.95 (Roughly GBP £13), an absolute steal, so make sure you get on it; it’s a gamechanger.

In addition, if you are looking to take your league to the next level, I’d highly recommend you and your league mates all chipping in to get League Pro. League Pro allows you to configure your league’s draft order, configure the make up of your league’s pools and above all else let’s you crown the Wooden Spoon winner aka the winner of the Sacko Bracket, by having bracket for the worst performing teams in the league. It’s an awesome addition that really keeps all the players in your league fully committed for the whole season. League PRO is available for NZ$34.00, which works out as NZ$3.40 or GBP£1.75 per player in the league.  

 

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