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Fantasy Rugby : Super 12 2002, Round 1
Fantasy Rugby : Super 12 2002, Round 1
(Cones Crusaders take on allcomers!)
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OK, here we go. It's nearly Kickoff time for the Super 12 and for many of the regulars here at Rugbyheads that also means it time to get back into FantasyRugby.com and start building your dream team.

As you will know, if you bother to browse the Fantasy Rugby section of our site, I am quite keen on this game. I have been a longtime Fantasy Basketball fan and when Fantasy Rugby started up in 2000 the chance to get to play a stats game based on our own Super12 was too good to pass up.

If you are new to the game and want some general hints and tips then it's probably worth skimming through the all the older articles as apart from specific player recommendations all the general comments still stands, in particular look at the earlier ones about Increasing your team value and Favourite Fantasy Positions.

I was a bit slack (and busy) last season and didn't manage to write anything much about Fantasy Rugby (although I did still play it) so I decided this year that a better approach might be to follow the trials and tribulations of my own Fantasy Rugby team, Cones Crusaders.

Now I'm not doing this because I think I have it sussed and everyone should copy me (although I'm pretty damn certain that I have beaten the official Fantasy Rugby Guru more often than not!) but it should be interesting for those who are playing along as well, and I may well learn something myself about how I play the game!

My plan is to track my player transactions and try to explain why I have made the moves that I have.

It's always tough to pick your squad for the first week, the basic approach I have taken is that I want to pick guys that are likely to play full games for a start and then I have gone for guys that I think are under-valued, in the hope that their value will go up after the deadline closes at noon on Friday and I can then sell them off and buy some of the big names (who will hopefully decline in value as they are too expensive for starters!).

Anyway enough explaining, here is my squad for week 1.

Cones Crusaders (Rugbyheads Conference) Roster - Week #1 Super 12 2002
Tight Forward
Team
Round Points
Total Points
Player Value
Change from Last week
Why?
Harrison, Justin BRM 0 0 $1,700,000
-
He was the best lock in the comp last year and with Giffen out with an injury he will be the No. 1 lineup option on a team that dominates possession.
Ormsby, Kristian CHF 0 0 $1,050,000
-
He has always been productive in the NPC, gets the start this week against the Waratahs and is cheap for a lock. And locks seem to produce better stats than hookers on average.
Sharpe, Nathan RED 0 0 $1,300,000
-
No. 1 lineout option on the Reds and supposedly the man who will make Qlanders forget about Eales' retirement. In any case I reckon his value might go up a bit and I can hock him off next week!
Loose Forward Team Round Points Total Points Player Value
McCaw, Richard CRU 0 0 $1,600,000
-
The golden boy of last years NPC and a tireless young player. Aside from that he is bound to be very popular (esp. with Kiwi FR players) and should appreciate in value substantially.
Muir, Deon CHF 0 0 $1,650,000
-
Picking Captains is always a good move (as they rarely get subbed) and this guy is one of the best. I expect him to be one of the top Loosies again this season so he may well be a keeper, although if his value climbs as much as I expect it should I could be tempted to flick him off!
Inside Back Team Round Points Total Points Player Value
Burke, Matt WAR 0 0 $2,450,000
-
When healthy he is a very steady fantasy producer, particularly with the boot, but also gets into the try scoring action too. I expect him to be even better this season with the move into the centers which should see him having to do a lot more tackling.
du Toit, Gaffie SHK 0 0 $1,150,000
-
Speculation mainly as for a starting First Five (and likely goal-kicker for the Sharks) he is dirt cheap. I know that the FR boys set these initial values based on the predicted popularity of the player but this one could have slipped through the cracks.
Jackson, Glen CHF 0 0 $1,150,000
-
Again a speculator, the current starting lineups have Jackson listed to start at First-five for the Chiefs (ahead of David Hill) so he may be a sleeper, especially if he goes well, and Jackson has had some huge Fantasy games in the past.
Outside Back Team Round Points Total Points Player Value
Caucaunibuca, Rupeni BLU 0 0 $1,400,000
-
Call me the bargin hunter! If Rupeni maintains his 2001 NPC and pre-Super 12 form then this guy is going to be the most popular outside back in the comp, in which case $1.4m for him is going to seem like a steal.
Tuilevu, Aisea HGH 0 0 $1,350,000
-
Likewise with Tuilevu, I think he was injured in the NPC last year so most people may have forgotten about him, and Highlanders fans tend to go for Wilson, but he was one of the top fantasy outside backs last Super12 and I'm counting on him to reproduce that.

by

Let us know what you think!

Jules mate, you are a geek! Why don't you just do what I do with my team (BlackToddadder's Boys) and select your entire squad from good hardy Crusaders stock! Far simpler, and leaves more time to drinking beer...
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