Fantasy Rugby Tips, Picks and Pre-match Thoughts – Heineken Champions Cup 2020/21 Round 1

Fantasy Rugby Geekon

Welcome to the first Champions Cup picks of the season!

This is our 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.

Make sure you come back every weekend before finalising your lineups!

Potential mismatches

The bookies are expecting big wins in Round 1 for tournament favourites Exeter and Racing so load up. The general expectations for the match results from the bookies are as follows…

Mismatches expected

  • Exeter to beat Glasgow by 21 points
  • Racing to beat Connacht by 16 points

Comfortable wins expected (9 to 15)

  • Wasps to beat Dragons by 11 points
  • Bath to beat Scarlets by 11 points
  • Lyon to beat Gloucester by 11 points
  • Munster to beat Harlequins by 10 points
  • Leinster to beat Montpellier by 9 points

Close matches expected

  • Toulon to beat Sale by 6 points
  • Toulouse to beat Ulster by 5 points 
  • La Rochelle to beat Edinburgh by 4 points
  • Clermont to beat Bristol by 3 points
  • Bourdeaux to beat Northampton by 2 points 

Expected to go well on Fantasy Rugby Draft and Superbru

*Players who are starting favourably out of position (i.e. Hooker in back row, Centre on wing, etc.)

Recommended Superbru captain pick in bold

FRONT ROW

  • Harry Williams (Exeter)
  • Eddy Ben Arous (Racing)
  • Kieran Brookes (Wasps) 
  • Beno Obano (Bath)
  • Alfie Barbeary (Wasps)*
  • Jack Yeandle (Exeter)
  • Camile Chat (Racing)

LOCKS

  • Sam Skinner (Exeter)
  • Will Rowlands (Wasps)
  • Felix Lambey (Lyon)
  • Tadhg Beirne (Munster)
  • Guido Petti (Bordeaux)

BACK ROW

  • Sam Simmonds (Exeter)
  • Jack Willis (Wasps)
  • Caelan Doris (Leinster)
  • Thomas Young (Wasps)
  • Marcell Coetzee (Ulster)
  • Peceli Yato (Clermont)

SCRUM-HALF

  • Antoine Dupont (Toulouse)
  • Dan Robson (Wasps)
  • Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon)

FLY HALF

  • Joe Simmonds (Exeter)
  • Jonathan Wisniewski (Lyon)
  • Finn Russell (Racing)

CENTRES

  • Jimmy Gopperth (Wasps)
  • Virimi Vakatawa (Racing)
  • Henry Slade (Exeter)
  • Romain Buros (Bordeaux)*
  • Duncan Paia’aua (Toulon)*
  • JJ Hanrahan (Munster)*

OUTSIDE BACKS

  • Tom O’Flaherty (Exeter)
  • Teddy Thomas (Racing)
  • Zach Kibirige (Wasps)
  • Stuart Hogg (Exeter)
  • Kurtley Beale (Racing)
  • Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse)

Value Fantasy Rugby Draft Free Agent Pick-ups

Please note that not all of these players may be available as free agents in your leagues, but if they are, then move quickly!

  • Ciaran Frawley – M – Leinster
  • Jimmy O’Brien – M – Leinster
  • Duncan Paia’aua – M – Toulon
  • Dillyn Leyds – OB – La Rochelle
  • Charlie Atkinson – FH – Gloucester
  • Sergio Parisse – LF – Toulon
  • Josh Van Der Flier – LF – Leinster
  • Jules Plisson – FH – La Rochelle
  • Fabien Sanconnie – LF – Racing 92
  • Morgan Parra – HB – Clermont
  • Kotaro Matsushima – OB – Clermont
  • Louis Carbonel – FH – Toulon
  • Baptiste Couilloud – HB – Lyon

Come and join the FRG league!

Join our public fantasy league on the SuperBru Champions Cup Fantasy Game. Sign up to the game here.

 

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