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.
Potential mismatches
With the Six Nations now underway, the Aviva Premiership returns with several teams shorn of their top talent and so a platform will be provided for upcoming talents and certain out-of-favour players looking to cement their place in the first team. There are some very exciting match-ups lined up this week including several games with the potential for big fantasy returns. In the eyes of the bookies, there are two stand out fixtures in Round 14 with the potential for a big victory.
In Paddy Power’s eyes the most nailed on games this weekend with a projected winning margin greater than 10 is…
- Exeter to beat Worcester with a margin of 19 points
- Saracens to beat Newcastle with a margin of 11 points
Elsewhere, Gloucester welcome Leicester to fortress Kingsholm and should let their considerable home advantage tell. Bath take on Northampton at The Rec, and while the Saints players will surely be pulling out all the stops to impress their new coach Chris Boyd, the bookies are expecting a 7 point victory for Bath. Sale visit London Irish and are expected to record a marginal victory while Quins and Wasps are simply too close to call with the bookies unable to separate them.
Top 5 most likely to score (Odds via Paddy Power – 5/6 matches with odds confirmed)
- 1 Liam Williams (Saracens) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.62
- 2 Santiago Cordero (Exeter) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.73
- 3= Ollie Thorley (Gloucester) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.8
- 3= Chris Wyles (Saracens) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.8
- 5= Olly Woodburn (Exeter) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.83
- 5= Christian Wade (Wasps) – Anytime tryscorer odds: 1.83
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
Vincent Koch (Saracens)
Ross Harrison (Sale)
John Afoa (Gloucester)
Ben Moon (Exeter)
Christopher Tolofua (Saracens)
Tom Dunn (Bath)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter)
LOCKS
Don Armand* (Exeter)
Calum Green (Newcastle)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Bryn Evans (Sale)
Matt Garvey* (Bath)
BACK ROW
Jamie Gibson (Northampton)
Lewis Ludlow (Gloucester)
Jackson Wray (Saracens)
Ruan Ackermann (Gloucester)
Thomas Young (Wasps)
SCRUM-HALF
Ben Spencer (Saracens)
Nic White (Exeter)
Faf de Klerk (Sale)
FLY HALF
Gareth Steenson (Exeter)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Alex Lozowski (Saracens)
CENTRES
Ian Whitten (Exeter)
Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Ryan Mills (Worcester)
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester)
OUTSIDE BACKS
Olly Woodburn (Exeter)
Chris Wyles (Saracens)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Santiago Cordero (Exeter)
Willie Le Roux (Wasps)
Ahsee Tuala (Northampton)
Christian Wade (Wasps)
Under-the-radar pick
Santiago Cordero – He hasn’t arrived to much in the way of fanfare, but the Exeter Chiefs have landed a very astute signing in Argentina international winger Santiago Cordero. With 11 international tries under his belt and a high quality team around him at Exeter, expectations are high that he will hit the ground running at Sandy Park. Well worth looking at adding to your Rugby Mag teams, and keep a close eye on the waiver wire to pick him up for your Fantasy Rugby Draft sides.
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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