Things are off to a great start in the G&GR Fantasy League. Our league average (taken from top 5) is 1st out of a whopping 1,163 in the overall competition and blowing the Planet Rugby and RugbyDump leagues out of the water! Not too shabby at all.
Doing us proud at the front is ManBearPigs with 413 points for the opening week. That’s good enough for 15th in the entire comp and 1st overall for South Park references, so well done! By the way, our numbers are up to a hefty 171 participants, with a few late additions still coming into the fold. Will be a heated competition for sure. Standings table at the bottom.
Bulls centre Wynand Olivier was the performer of the week with an amazing 54 points, with his teammate Morne Steyn just behind at 51 points. A slew of inside backs topped the points table before the other positions began to trickle in. The scoring changes have manifested themselves in the first week already, which is something that I initially thought wouldn’t have such an inpact. Higher marks for tries, linebreaks, and tightheads made a pretty sizable difference. For example:
- TPN scored 41 and Big Al came away with 30 to lead their respective positions. Two tightheads accounted for 20 of those points for both. The Waratahs front-row is extra valuable because of their potential for scrum dominance.
- Michael Hobbs only played one half for the Highlanders but put together an impressive 49 points through a few sniping runs that resulted in two tries. If you can get lucky with a multi-try player in your selections, you’ll be looking sweet.
- Even more remarkable is the case of Rory Sidey. On the field for only 9 minutes, 2 runs, and gets 18 points! Why? One linebreak and one try. It was his lucky day.
- Of the 30 leading tacklers (players with 10+ tackles), only 10 players scored more than 20 fantasy points, which seems a bit low to me. Also, no player had more than one pilfer or more than one turnover forced in the round. But it’s still early yet… defense may make a comeback.
Some thoughts here. Last year, some of the most valuable back-rowers were defensive focused. Pocock, Brussow, Latimer. This year, with the increased value on running rugby, the best fantasy back-rowers should be the Number 8 types. Look at Waldrom, Palu, and Thompson. Good defense, great running skills, and even handy in a lineout. Rocky when he comes back is another ideal candidate.
Belters: Ellis – $2.0 and 42 pts; Hobbs – $2.5 and 49 pts; Mapoe – $2.0 and 39 pts
Flops: Spies – $9.0 and 4 pts; Nonu – $10.0 and 3 pts; Toeava – $10.0 and 3 pts
Bargain Bin:
Pekahou Cowan: He’s listed as a prop, which gives him extra value as long as he keeps playing hooker for the Force. Bit of a risk going with him, but mediocre hookers often score more than above average props. (cheers Gagger)
Scott Higgenbotham: He comes cheap and looks to be continuing his improvements as an all-round player.
Juan De Jongh: Only $2.5 and had a cracker of a game for the Stormers last week. Plus, PaarlBok is always talking him up.
Dumpster Duds:
George Smith: Looked off the pace all game and his fantasy score reflected that. Bench him if you’re going to keep him until he shows some spark.
Tamati Ellison: I never understood why he’s worth $6 this year.
Rene Ranger: Lost his starting spot for this week. Wait until he settles into a spot before slotting him in.
Finally, there are a lot of significant injuries this week so check your team sheets thoroughly.
