The 2022 Guinness Six Nations returns for Round 4 this weekend and, as the competition enters its penultimate block of fixtures, let us take a look at the players you need to have in your Fantasy Rugby squad.
The deadline is set for kick-off in the Wales v France fixture – 8pm on Friday, so there is still plenty of time to make changes to your team if you have not already.
We are here to help you make those critical Fantasy Rugby decisions, and with everything left to play for in Rugby’s Greatest Championship, what better time to look at who is at the top of their game ahead of the final two rounds.
Stars of the tournament
Marcus Smith cemented his place as one of the standout players of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations with another outstanding performance in Round 3.
He has scored 48 points in three matches, the highest of any player in this year’s Championship.
That included tries in the 20-17 defeat at the hands of Scotland and in the 33-0 winning effort against Italy, but his most significant performance came when he kicked six crucial penalties in the 23-19 win against Wales.
Out wide, it would be wise to include one of France’s electric wingers.
Gabin Villière has scored three tries and is currently the joint top try-scorer in this year’s Guinness Six Nations.
After stunning performances in the first three rounds, Smith and Villière are expensive at 19.3 and 16.4 stars, respectively.
But the two backs could make the difference this weekend, both for their countries and for your Fantasy Rugby team.
Most Picked players
Scotland players dominate the ‘most picked’ rankings ahead of their game against Italy due to Kieran Crowley’s side suffering three consecutive defeats.
All of Gregor Townsend’s first choice back-three are included in this week’s top five, with fans clearly expecting Stuart Hogg and Darcy Graham to excel in Rome.
Hogg has grown into this year’s competition, recording 29.5 and 36.2 points in the opening two rounds before a 67.3 haul in Round 3 that left him valued at 17.7 stars.
Graham is valued at 13.9 stars after his outstanding performances against Wales and England.
Finn Russell is included in this week’s top-picked players despite not being at his outstanding best against France.
The fly-half will pull the strings at firs receiver and he is still the competition’s third-highest scoring player with 24 points.
Most dropped players
This weekend, Damian Penaud would have been a must-have player in everyone’s Fantasy Rugby teams were it not for injury.
He’ll now miss France’s game against Wales, while Ireland have three players on the list ahead of their game against England.
Andy Farrell’s side beat Italy 57-6 in Round 3, but that hasn’t stopped fans dropping Garry Ringrose, Mack Hansen and James Lowe en masse.
All three players have seen their value dramatically increase since the tournament began.
Still, the quality of their opposition this weekend could have also played a role in the number of Ireland players included in the list.
Captain
After three competitive rounds of Guinness Six Nations action, it is challenging to select a captain.
But with this year’s Championship drawing to a close, we know what to expect from each side’s best players, so you can maximise your points if you get this decision right.
This week, it might be wise to go with a Scotland player, as they’ll be looking to make a statement against Italy after two disappointing results in Round 2 and Round 3.
Potent try-scorers like Graham or Hogg would fill the role perfectly, especially considering the concerns around Russell’s form.
If you do not back Scotland to perform against Italy, then you could go with Wales winger Josh Adams.
He scored his first try of the Championship against England and looks set to be a key player for Wales against France.
