Bargain Hunting: The best value for money backs in the Gallagher Premiership Fantasy League
The Fantasy League Scout is a mysterious operator. It delves deep into the murky waters of Gallagher Premiership rugby like a cauliflower-eared kraken, emerging from the depths with new trinkets to display and to cherish. It scours the horizon in search of deadwood to jettison in favour of new and better things. What I’m getting at is that The Scout uses maths to figure out which players had a good week and which were naff.
In amongst all this chopping and changing, one must keep a beady eye on the bank balance. It’s all well and good trying to score as many points as possible, but with a limited budget with which to operate, it’s vital to pick up a few bargains on the way. Last week we looked at 3 bargain forwards – those players in the pack that represent great value for money. Today we’re going to do the same thing for the back line. Here are 3 Premiership backs who’re bringing in big points without costing big bucks:
AJ MacGinty (Fly Half, Sale Sharks)
Price: 5.1m
We said from the very beginning that MacGinty could be a great shout for a low-cost player who would deliver big points and so it has proved. MacGinty might not be the highest-scoring Fly Half in the league (that honour goes to George Ford who still sits in the Premiership Team of the Tournament), but he does have the best average points of any Number 10, with 11.88. Nearest rival Owen Farrell is on 11.83, but since the Saracen costs an extra 2.4million there’s certainly an argument to be made that MacGinty is the better choice. The closest player in the same wage bracket as MacGinty is Toby Flood, who sits four places below the Sale man with an average take of 8.77.
MacGinty of course isn’t the flashiest of fly halves, and with the 10 position one of the key points scoring aspects of a good Fantasy League team perhaps you might choose to invest in a bigger name here, especially with Sale Sharks struggling this season. But he’s included in our analysis nonetheless because yet another one of my predictions came true and therefore I wanted to document it as evidence that I possess the greatest rugby mind of all time.
Ryan Mills (Centre, Worcester Warriors)
Price: 4m
The centres seem to represent perhaps the best value for money of all positions, with all of the top three average points scorers costing less than 4.5million and all averaging 9 points or above per game. In contrast, Brad Barritt is averaging only 7.06 despite a price tag of 6.5million. The best pick of the lot is certainly Ryan Mills, whose cracking performances for Worcester have seen him accrue an average of 9.5 points per game. Not only that, but Mills has the highest total points of any centre throughout the tournament, and currently partners Henry Spade (48.6) in the midfield with a very respectable 53.3 points since the start of the campaign.
Worcester are another side that will be disappointed with their performances at the moment, but in a very strange way that may actually be working in Mills’ favour, as he has made an average of 10.76 tackles per game, with 16 in each of his last two appearances for the Warriors. For Mills at least, defence very much is the best form of attack.
David Strettle (Wing, Saracens)
Price: 3m
Shockingly cheap at just 3m, former England winger David Strettle hasn’t featured many times for Saracens since his return to Allianz Park, but he tops the charts when it comes to average points with a mean of 13.75 across his two appearances. A strike rate of three tries in two games would be impressive for anyone, but for a player that costs just 3m it’s even more noteworthy.
Admittedly, Strettle’s total of 27.5 points puts him well behind the big performers such as Team of the Tournament duo Santiago Cordero (64.0) and Charlie Sharples (66.4), but if he can cement himself in a soaring Saracens side expect to see Strettle force his way into the overall team sheet before long.
That’s it for our run down of the Bargain Backs of the Gallagher Premiership so far. The Scout’s mysteries know no bounds however, and it could be all change come this weekend. Our advice: do some research and pick sensibly because unless you’re careful, to paraphrase Gloria Estefan, the algorithm is gonna get you.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments