After an exciting start to the Guinness Six Nations, the unpredictability of fantasy teams has, as always, matched the drama on the field.
There have been some surprise standout performers early on, whilst some of the names tipped to shine have not quite hit the heights expected of them yet.
So after two rounds of action, who are the names up front that you need to have in your fantasy team for Round 3 of the Championship?
Grégory Alldritt (France)
Even though Grégory Alldritt featured here last time out, it has become even more of a necessity to get him into any fantasy team looking to do well.
His Guinness Player of the Match award for his performance against Ireland saw him carry team-high 56 metres, following up 113 metres against Italy, and he has also made 19 tackles across the opening two rounds.
Making 120.5 points from the first two games has seen his value increase from 16.9 to 17.2 stars, and it is likely to skyrocket with another big display this Saturday, so now is the time to get him in your team if you haven’t already!
Will Rowlands (Wales)
Will Rowlands joins Alldritt as the only forwards to have made the Team of the Week for each of the first two weeks, and he has had a significant impact in both games he has played.
With 26 tackles and 92 metres on the ball over the first two rounds, he has played a pivotal role for the reigning champions, and at 12.9 stars he remains a relatively cheap option for what he provides to a team.
Kyle Sinckler (England)
Kyle Sinckler has made an excellent start to this year’s Championship, following up an appearance in the Team of the Week in Round 1 with a try-scoring performance off the bench against Italy last time out.
As he did in the opening round, Sinckler made eight tackles in Round 2, and has now amassed a total of 57 metres on the ball across the first two matches, impressive stats for a prop who has played just over 100 minutes of rugby so far.
He is likely to return to England’s starting XV against Wales this Saturday, and having enjoyed such a strong start to the Championship, it is difficult to look beyond him as a mainstay of any top fantasy team’s front row.
James Ryan (Ireland)
James Ryan has enjoyed a strong Championship so far, being named in the Team of the Week in the opening round before a solid 80-minute showing against France in Ireland’s Round 2 defeat.
With 23 tackles and 65 metres made with ball in hand, Ryan has shown that he can amass plenty of fantasy points, and though his value dropped after defeat to the unbeaten French, he will look to bounce back against Italy.
The decrease in value means that he is now worth 14.8 stars, good value going into Round 3, and he’ll be hopeful he can show the same carrying power and work rate that helped carry Ireland to victory in Round 1 against Wales, as the men in green look for a winning return to the Aviva Stadium.
Hamish Watson (Scotland)
As always, Hamish Watson has been a consistent performer for Scotland in the Championship, and though he saw his side beaten against Wales in Round 2, he once again produced an impressive individual display.
He followed up his 14 tackles against England with 17 against the Welsh for an eye-watering 15.5 per game so far, and he also made 69 metres and broken three tackles.
Even coming up against France’s formidable defensive unit, it seems almost certain he will have a major impact in attack again, and with the attacking quality France possess, he’ll be likely to have to increase his tackle stats significantly once again.
Having made as many tackles as he has so far and not missing one since 2019 in the Championship (for 163 tackles in a row), you can expect him to be pushing hard for a second straight spot in Team of the Week.
Gianmarco Lucchesi (Italy)
This young Italian hooker has been one of the surprises of the Championship, having got through plenty of work and ruffled more than a few feathers of opponents he has come up against so far.
His 25 tackles in two games are certainly evidence of this, and Lucchesi has also managed to make dominant hits and break tackles in his first two matches, which provide valuable points to any fantasy team.
Whilst his value has increased during the first two rounds, he remains an absolute steal at 9.2 stars, and if the Italians can get their maul rolling, he may be a beneficiary of the increasing number of tries scored by hookers at the back of lineout drives.
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