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 20 and be under no illusion, we are in the business end of the season, with just 3 rounds left of the regular season and the Fantasy Rugby Draft semi-finals now well under way, Round 20 offers up several great opportunities for some big scores, perhaps more so than any other Round this season with a combination of some teams having everything to play for and others with just pride to play for. 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 Worcester with a margin of 18 points
- Saracens to beat Bath with a margin of 17 points
- Leicester to beat Northampton with a margin of 16 points
- Gloucester to beat Harlequins with a margin of 12 points
- Exeter to beat London Irish with a margin of 11 points
Elsewhere, a tight win is expected for Newcastle at home to Sale.
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)
Ben Moon (Exeter)
Tom Youngs (Leicester)
Schalk Brits (Saracens)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter)
Tom Cruse (Wasps)
LOCKS
Micheal Fitzgerald (Leicester)
Don Armand* (Exeter)
Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Nick Isiekwe* (Saracens)
Jonny Hill (Exeter)
BACK ROW
Jackson Wray (Saracens)
Sam Simmonds (Exeter)
Lewis Ludlow (Gloucester)
Thomas Young (Wasps)
Sione Kalamafoni (Leicester)
Jack Willis (Wasps)
SCRUM-HALF
Callum Braley (Gloucester)
Dan Robson (Wasps)
Nic White (Exeter)
FLY HALF
Gareth Steenson (Exeter)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Jimmy Gopperth* (Wasps)
CENTRES
Henry Slade (Exeter)
Elliot Daly* (Wasps)
Henry Trinder (Gloucester)
Alex Lozowski (Saracens)
OUTSIDE BACKS
Liam Williams (Saracens)
Jack Nowell (Exeter)
Willie Le Roux (Wasps)
Telusa Veainu (Leicester)
Christian Wade (Wasps)
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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