The latest in a series of game overviews to give you the ins and outs of the available games in place for this season’s competitions . If any new games pop up, please let us know at fantasyrugbygeek@gmail.com or @frugbygeek on Twitter.
Next up is a brand new game for this season, Dream XV Rugby. Built by Rugby fans for Rugby fans, Dream XV Rugby is an exciting new addition for fantasy rugby that aims to do a lot for the the sport, beyond just providing a fantasy game. You can check it out here.
THE PREMISE
Blending aspects of daily fantasy with classic fantasy rugby elements, Dream XV Rugby (which for the moment just covers Premiership Rugby) is a game with gameweek and season long prizes on offer.
The core aim is straightforward. You have a salary cap to select 15 starters (1 x Hooker, 2 x Props, 2 x Second Row, 3 x Back Row, 1 x Scrum Half, 1 x Fly Half, 2 x Centre and 3 x Back Three) and 1 supersub (a player who is starting on the bench in real life and will get triple points when they come on). Player values are dynamic over the course of the season, going up and down based on player performance. You will also get a double scoring Captain pick.
Scoring on Dream XV Rugby is rich and rewards multiple aspects of game play, not just the classic attacking metrics like tries and metres carried. The full list of scoring metrics can be found here, but notable metrics not typically used in fantasy games include Scrums Won, Completed Lineouts, Interceptions and Metres in Contact, as well as penalising knock ons.
You can change your team up completely each week (providing you have a subscription or have registered via postal entry – more on that later) and your team for the game week will be the 16 you have selected when the first match of the game week kicks off.
In terms of leagues, you’ll be entered automatically into the DXV league. You’ll also be able to select the grassroots club you would like to support. By doing so your points will help them towards an overall club competition that will net the winning club £2,000 worth of kit for the club. You’ll be put into a league with everyone else supporting your club, bringing you some essential bragging rights within the clubhouse!
🏆📣A big DXV welcome to @PulboroughRFC who have joined our Grassroots Club league! 📣🏆
— Dream XV – Fantasy Rugby Game (@DreamXVRugby) August 29, 2024
They’ll now be in with a shout to win £2,000 worth of rugby stash! Their players, members and supporters will be able to support them when signing up at https://t.co/MLrw024bwL and adding… pic.twitter.com/cNr8zHa79m
You’ll also be able to select the Premiership club that you support, which will enter you into a league with your fellow fans. Finally you can set up private leagues and invite all your mates to join. Make sure you join the FRG league by going to the Leagues section, clicking “Join a Private League”, and entering the code cjqxwh.
Everyone who enters, either online or via postal entry, will be entered into the round and season prize draws which will be drawn from all entries. There is a prize per Round of £500 and a prize at the end of the season of £2,500. That’s a total of £12,500 to be won over the season. A key point to flag is that you don’t need to top the fantasy league to win the cash but if you come between 1st and 25th each round you will win additional entries into the draw and increase your chances! After all rounds are complete, all the entries you’ve accrued will be entered into the end of season prize draw.
As mentioned above you can join the game in two ways, one is to pay via subscription, which is £2.50 per round, £8 a month (which gives you access to the game for 4 rounds) or £30 for the whole season. The alternative is the free play option via postal entry, which offers equal eligibility to win prizes as the subscription option, but without access to the premium features available on the website (including historical stats and real time data updates). You can learn about the free entry process here.
Beyond the game, the team behind the scenes are highly active on the socials including X, Instagram and TikTok, and have an excellent Podcast well worth subscribing to.
THE KEY POINTS
- Squad Size: 16
- Team size: 15 (Plus a supersub)
- Double scoring captain?: Yes
- Designated Kicker?: No
- Transfers: No limit, you can fully change your team
- Max players from one team: No limit
THE EDGE
Don’t miss the deadline!
You have a small window of time between the Saturday and Sunday squads being announced at midday and the Friday night game kicking off, so make sure you log on in this time to make sure your proposed 16 is actually playing. Keep an eye on the Fantasy Rugby Geek Premiership Twitter List to catch the team announcements as they come in.
Out of position players
Players who are categorised in certain positions, but mostly play in others can be great value. Back Three players who generally have a high probability of scoring tries, beating players, breaking the line and carrying for metres may be more likely to so if you can find a Back Three categorised as a Centre, then load up! Likewise this works well if you can find a Loose Forward categorised as a Second Row.
Tear it all up and start again!
Don’t feel bound to make a limited number of transfers. Unlike other games, Dream XV Rugby allows you to completely tear up your team for no points penalty in between rounds. This means you can load your team fully optimized for each round. If you need to make 16 changes, then don’t hold back. Just do it!
Load up on Kickers
Another top tip is around kickers. Very often in fantasy rugby games, you are obliged to select one kicker to gain points from conversions, penalties, drop goals, etc. Not here, so if you can find kickers who play outside of the fly-half position (for example, Henry Slade), then they are well worth picking up, as they are guaranteed kicking points.
Supersub
Make sure you have a strategy for your Supersub, which when played well, can be an absolute game-changer. There is often luck involved, for example, if one of the starting XV needs to go off in the early stages of the game, but likewise, you could be at the mercy of a coach who decides to leave his backs on the bench for the entire 80 minutes, so you have to play the percentages and consider the risks.
The key points to consdider are; Firstly, will they come on, and will they play a significant period of time? For this, we see Props, Hookers, and Scrum-Halves tend to come on typically between the 45-60 minute point, so they usually get some good game time (and often hookers find themselves on the end of a driving maul and so bring an added try threat). With Locks and Loose Forwards, it is not rare to see a starting Lock or Loose Forward play the full 80. That said, Locks and Back Rowers are not typically left on the bench either. Fly Halves are a bit more unpredictable; they could come on early if the game plan is not working, but likewise, sometimes a change is too disruptive and can be left late, and in some cases not at all. Centres and Back 3 are also a bit of a lottery.
Looking for more Dream XV Rugby tips? Check out our interview with one of the founders of the game here.
Come and join the FRG league for 2024/25!
If you back your Fantasy Rugby skills to lead you to Premiership glory, then join our public league. To join, go to the Leagues section, click “Join a Private League”, and enter the code cjqxwh.
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