This week we help you with your building of your squad in the new Fantasy Game courtesy of The Rugby Magazine (check it out our overview of it here) by looking at some of the fantasy rugby value picks in this year’s game.
You have a salary cap in this game of just £7m, so every bit of your budget counts. Therefore, we have crunched the stats and identified 15 players, all of whom with a value of under £230k who will provide you the most bang for your buck…
Name: Sam Skinner
Price: £156k
Position: LK, FL, N8
Club: Exeter
At £156k, Sam Skinner represents incredible value. A versatile member of the Chiefs pack, Skinner made 20 appearances last season, and will be expected to be handed more game time this year. Last season he totalled 463 points in the regular season, averaging 38.7 points per 80 minutes, punching massively above his price tag. Skinner’s points hauls generally come from his good performances in the lineout, a high workrate in the tackle (averaging >10 tackles per 80 as well as a >90% tackle success rate) and some excellent performances with ball in hand, carrying on average more than 20 metres per 80 throughout the season.
Name: Joe Simmonds
Price: £155k
Position: FH
Club: Exeter
The tail end of last season saw the breakthrough of Joe Simmonds, following in the trail that his brother had blazed all season. Grabbing his run in the first team with both hands and keeping Gareth Steenson out of the team in the process, Rob Baxter will surely be handing Simmonds more game time this season. Simmonds made just 8 appearances last season, but in that time recorded in the regular season a try, 24 successful kicks, 2 assists, 17 defenders beaten and 47.26 metres gained per 80 minutes in several all-action performances. He’s only going to get better, so at £155k represents a very low-risk investment.
Name: Bryn Evans
Price: £199k
Position: LK
Club: Sale
One of the most consistent yet underrated fantasy players in the Premiership, Bryn Evans once again represents incredible value at £199k. Evans contributes in all aspects, setting up tries, dangerous in the lineout, contributing with carries, industrious in the tackle and contributing the occasional try. He’s always been a hugely consistent player and I’m certain that will continue this season.
Name: AJ MacGinty
Price: £213k
Position: FH
Club: Sale
Despite making just 14 appearances last season after suffering a serious mid-season injury, MacGinty impressed many with some cool and collected performances including a try, 7 assists, 15 clean breaks and 36 defenders beaten. Exemplary from the kicking tee with a total of 58 successful place kicks and a success rate of 84%, he will surely be handed kicking duties for a team that will no doubt score tries with such a potent back line. One of the cheapest starting 10’s in the game (and as we’ve identified before, fly half is not necessarily a position that you want to spend big in with The Rugby Magazine fantasy game…) he should be one of the first names in your team.
Name: Zach Mercer
Price: £228k
Position: FL, N8
Club: Bath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsXUAL7Wvts
An all-round talent with huge potential (and a lot of hype behind him), there will be a huge amount of expectation behind him and he will be expected to receive plenty of game time this season. Registering 15 league appearances last season, Mercer contributed well in terms of attacking stats with 3 tries and 2 assists as well as 31 defenders beaten over the course of the season. An industrious worker, Mercer averaged 45.85 metres gained per 80 as well as an average tackles per 80 of 15.23. With stats like that and a very reasonable price tag of £228k, he is well worth adding.
Name: Ben Curry
Price: £221k
Position: FL, N8
Club: Sale
While it was his brother who was one of the stars of England’s summer tour to South Africa, it was Ben Curry who quietly went about his business to build up a significant points haul last season. 5 tries in 21 appearances and 487 points in total demonstrates the great potential of this prodigious talent, and it seems that he is only going to get better. Dangerous in attack (over the course of the season contributing 3 assists, 18 clean breaks, 21 defenders beaten and 407 metres gained) and in defence (with an average of 14.82 tackles per 80), Ben Curry, along with his brother will continue to get increased game time this season and so is well worth investing in.
Name: James Phillips
Price: £151k
Position: LK, FL, N8
Club: Sale
Recently transferred to Sale from Bath, Phillips is a versatile player who always makes an impact (just ask the Worcester back line after his monstrous try from last season). With huge competition in the Sale pack, Phillips’ versatility may result in him gain game time and if he does £151k is an absolute steal. Phillips gained a total of 285 points in The Rugby Magazine game last year, which is more than the likes of Jonathan Joseph, Thomas Waldrom and Schalk Burger. Phillips consistently causes damage with ball in hand as well as recording turnovers won, lineouts won and some huge tackle stats. At just 151k he can be a huge bargain.
Try stopping James Phillips 🎳
He runs through Worcester to give Bath a bonus point try. pic.twitter.com/ooMnxKaYwg
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) January 5, 2018
Name: Jono Ross
Price: £180k
Position: FL, N8
Club: Sale
Ross was an ever-present in the Sale team last term making 22 appearances and in that time he made a huge impact. Sale fans will be hoping for more of the same this season. One of the highest scoring back rowers in the game last year with 468 points, which was mainly down to his immense tackle count, averaging 19 successful tackle per 80, and his ability in the lineout. A hugely consistent performer with a great price tag. Well worth a gamble.
Name: Josh Adams
Price: £227k
Position: WG, FB
Club: Worcester
If you are looking for a try threat for under £230k then you won’t find any better option than the one of the joint top try-scorers from last season, Josh Adams. Adams enjoyed an incredible breakthrough season in the Premiership and expectation will be high for him to continue this form into next season. In addition to his 13 tries, he made 33 clean breaks, beat 61 defenders and averaged 57.5 metres gained per 80. With that pace he surely will be earning his owners serious points again this season.
That pace 🔥
Josh Adams gets his NINTH try of the season for Worcester Warriors. He’s the leading try scorer in the Aviva Premiership this season 👏 pic.twitter.com/AxQOnVtoD4
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) December 30, 2017
Name: Vincent Koch
Price: £222k
Position: PR
Club: Saracens
Koch was an integral part of the all conquering Saracens front row last season and is one of those rarest of gems in the The Rugby Magazine fantasy game, a ball-carrying prop. With a point per metre gained, Koch was fantasy gold dust with an average of 19m gained per match and some excellent tackle stats, not to mention his three tries. The only issue is the hugely competitive Sarries front row, which may limit his appearances, but at £222k, he is well worth having up your sleeve for when he is selected.
Name: Jake Polledri
Price: £188k
Position: FL, N8
Club: Gloucester
In just 14 appearances last season, Jake Polledri made a huge name for himself and was a genuine breakout star in a hugely competitive Gloucester back row. He recorded 2 tries, 13 clean breaks, an incredible 56 defenders beaten, 134 tackles made (just 3 missed) and averaged 47.27 metres gained per match. With plenty of competition, not least in the form of new arrival Jaco Kriel, Polledri may not always be in the starting XV, but at £188k he’s another low-risk option to “have up your sleeve”.
Welcome to the latest episode of Jake Polledri running over people. pic.twitter.com/2OJ7Je0lrV
— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) 16 April 2018
Name: Will Spencer
Price: £199k
Position: LK
Club: Leicester
Making an exciting move from Worcester to Leicester, in his 14 appearances last season the hard-running lock was a dominant force and will be expected to make a big impact in the Leicester engine room. Spencer registered some great stats last season when it came to metres gained (averaging just under 20 metres per 80), tackles made and in the lineout. At £199k he represents another great value addition amongst the lock options.
Name: Greg Bateman
Price: £199k
Position: PR, HK
Club: Leicester
Bateman qualifies both as a prop and a hooker in The Rugby Magazine game which adds serious value when it comes to maximising squad value. Not only that, but his price tag is a very reasonable £199k. He may not start every week, but when he does, he is fantasy gold. An extremely mobile and dangerous front rower, as demonstrated by his try against Quins, he can shift. In 19 appearances he scored 3 tries, beat 19 defenders, averaged 20 metres per 80 (I’m a broken record, but Props + Metres Gained = Serious Points) as well as contributing some great tackle stats. He’s a very shrewd choice to add to your team.
Name: Alex Lewington
Price: £211k
Position: WG
Club: Saracens
Alex Lewington this summer was granted his much speculated move to a “big club” by being transferred to Saracens and there will be a lot of eyes on him to see if he can bring his clinical finishing skills to Allianz Park and make the step up to international honours. Prolific for London Irish for a number of years, he scored 8 tries, 3 assists and an average of 47.38 metres gained per 80 last season, he represents a low cost option into the Sarries back line and is sure worth a gamble.
Name: Byron McGuigan
Price: £208k
Position: CE, WG
Club: Sale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u1ck3N8Jps
McGuigan may find opportunities slightly harder to come by this season with so much competition in the Sale back line however with price tag of £208k, the versatile centre/winger represents great value. He had a sensational season last year when not injured, scoring 12 tries in just 15 appearances and also recording a huge metres run average of 71.03m per 80. His performances earned him an international call-up last season and, if given the opportunity, he will hopefully replicate last season’s stunning form.
Honourable Mentions…
These are the guys who almost made the list and definitely represent value in the sub-£230k bracket…
Joe Cokanisiga (£226k – WG – Bath), Guy Thompson (£223k – FL, N8 – Leicester), Ed Slater (£221k – LK, FL – Gloucester), Calum Green (£216k – LK – Newcastle), Michael Rhodes (£210k – LK, FL – Saracens), Michael Fitzgerald (£210k – LK, FL – Leicester), Jack Yeandle (£201k – HK – Exeter), Josh Strauss (£200k – FL, N8 – Sale), Sione Kalamafoni (£200k – FL, N8 – Leicester), Jack Singleton (£198k – HK – Worcester), Ryan Mills (£197k – FH, CE – Worcester), Kyle Cooper (£190k – HK – Newcastle), Lewis Ludlow (£156k – FL, N8 – Gloucester)
Learn more about The Rugby Magazine’s Fantasy Game with our overview here.
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Looking for more Fantasy Rugby insight and Resources?
New for the 2018/19 season, we are proud to present the The Fantasy Rugby Geek Guide to Fantasy Rugby. An exhaustive collection of wisdom and experience gained from over a decade of fantasy rugby playing. Primarily aimed at less experienced players but with enough nuggets of wisdom and insight for even the most grizzled fantasy rugby veteran. There is something here for all players. The eBook is available to download now for £4.99 on Gumroad as a PDF and on Amazon in Kindle format – check it out!
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 Gallagher 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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