A slightly shortened 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!
Potential mismatches
Round 12 offers up some fairly tight looking matches with one stand out opportunity for big fantasy returns in the visit of Worcester to Allianz Park to face a rejuvenated Saracens. In the eyes of the bookies, it is the stand out fixture of Round 12 and is the only game that the bookies are offering a handicap greater than 10.
In Paddy Power’s eyes the most nailed on games this weekend with a projected winning margin greater than 10 is…
- Saracens to beat Worcester with a margin of 20 points
Elsewhere, Gloucester are expected to extend their 100% home record against Sale and Exeter should comfortably dispatch Leicester at Sandy Park. Closer affairs are expected at The Rec and Madejski as Bath welcome Wasps and London Irish take on Newcastle. Finally, in front of a huge crowd at Twickenham, Quins should have enough to see off an out of sorts Northampton side.
Expected to go well
Please note that at the time of publication, lineups aren’t known so please double check that these players are in the match day 23 before adding to your team
*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
Richard Barrington (Saracens)
Juan Figallo (Saracens)
Ross Harrison (Sale)
John Afoa (Gloucester)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Tom Dunn (Bath)
Dave Ward (Harlequins)
LOCKS
Don Armand* (Exeter)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton)
Jeremy Thrush (Gloucester)
Sam Skinner (Exeter)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
BACK ROW
Jamie Gibson (Northampton)
Mark Wilson (Newcastle)
Thomas Waldrom (Exeter)
Lewis Ludlow (Gloucester)
Ruan Ackermann (Gloucester)
SCRUM-HALF
Ben Spencer (Saracens)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Dan Robson (Wasps)
FLY HALF
Gareth Steenson (Exeter)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
CENTRES
Chris Harris (Newcastle)
Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester)
Byron McGuigan* (Sale)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
OUTSIDE BACKS
Olly Woodburn (Exeter)
Josh Adams (Worcester)
Nathan Earle (Saracens)
Charlie Walker (Harlequins)
Christian Wade (Wasps)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Under-the-radar pick
Ben Spencer – For so long at Saracens in the shadow of Richard Wigglesworth, and promising so much, Ben Spencer is benefitting from an unfortunate injury to Wigglesworth in getting a regular run of games at Saracens. Pace to burn, a great boot, and a real nose for the tryline, he is a potent attacking threat. Sarries are expected to go well this weekend agaist Worcester and you can suspect that Spencer will be very much in the thick of the action. He has a relatively low ownership in The Rugby Magazine game, and if he is available in Fantasy Rugby Draft, then pick him up!
Are you playing The Rugby Magazine fantasy game? The good guys behind the game are offering a great deal to access their premium features, don’t sleep on this offer!
Teams are up for the weekend, and to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas we’re giving you access to our Pro upgrade till the end of 2017.
If you find you can’t live with out it, it’s 50% off over the same period too!
Merry Christmas all and a very happy new year! https://t.co/v2OpgNZwZ2— The Rugby Magazine (@therugbymag) December 22, 2017
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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