Premiership End of Season Differentials

As we approach the end of the season, it’s crunch time for Premiership DoRs and fantasy selectors. For those at the top of their private leagues, whose position is very similar to that of Bristol, then keep your feet up as you’ve clearly done something right to get there.

But for those who are slightly further down the table, just having the same players as everyone else won’t rapidly change anything. Although Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrant, Ollie Hassell-Collins etc. are all exceptional players who score well every week, you may have to throw caution to the wind if you’re hoping to make a sudden climb to the summit. If midtable mediocrity is for your aim then ignore these suggestions, but if you’re willing to gamble, here’s a some of the players that could score well in the back end of the season that are owned by less than 6% of selectors.

Dan Biggar – Northampton Saints – FH

Northampton Saints talisman, Wales flyhalf, now two time British & Irish Lion. Given Dan Biggar’s standing and all that he’s achieved in the game, it may seem odd that he’s only 2% of squads. However, given he’s regularly unavailable due to international call ups and fantasy selectors, much like actual selectors, like to pick their flyhalf early who won’t be miss many matches it becomes understandable. Both these reasons and the lack of ownership makes Biggar the ideal outside pick. Discounting his 20 minutes against Gloucester, Biggar has scored 97 points across these three matches since he returned from the Six Nations and this season he’s averaged a ridiculously high 30 points / 80 minutes. With Saints already qualifying for Champions Cup Rugby next year, they may look to throw the ball around in their final two games which should only wet the appetite for fantasy selectors.

Will Muir – Bath – WG/FB

Despite only making his Premiership debut at the start of February, Will Muir has hit the ground running. The former 7s international has scored seven tries in the last seven Premiership rounds, a statistic only equalled by Sam Simmonds! Despite making just 12 appearances this season, Muir is joint fifth in the try scoring charts and joint sixth in terms of clean breaks. Horse, as he’s affectionally known, is only likely to run in more scores as the ground hardens up and his recent two-year contract extension should only give him more confidence. He now appears to be first choice at Bath and as they still need to battle for a top eight finish, at £248k and only a 6% ownership, Muir could potentially be an incredibly savvy signing in the final few rounds of the season.

Will Rowlands – Wasps – LK

Not a player you’d perhaps expect to be on the differentials list, but Will Rowlands is quietly excellent every week for Wasps. Last weekend he scored a huge 41 points against Northampton and across the last eight Premiership rounds he’s averaged just under 34 points per game. Wasps’ final two fixtures against London Irish and Leicester are both very winnable. They are playing the sides they’re battling against for a top eight spot, and should they win both matches then they’ll be in the Champions Cup next season. Although his price of £291k is slightly on the expensive side, Rowlands should start all the remaining games given Joe Launchbury is out for the season and the Welshman will want to leave Wasps on a high before moving to the Dragons in September.

Filed under: Gallagher Premiership
Written by: Xander Chevallier
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