The opening round of the 2023 Six Nations started with a bang and was filled with brilliant moments, team performances and stunning tries.
As the tournament progresses, so does the Fantasy League, which has already seen transfers in and out of players’ rosters.
Planet Rugby highlights the top 10 most selected players in the Fantasy League after the first round.
10 James Lowe (Ireland)
The Irish wing was sublime against Wales, making 112 yards with ball in hand, winning a turnover on the ground, having one clean break and scoring a try in the opening round, for a total of 63.4 points
The New Zealand-born speed demon is likely to continue to perform well for Ireland since he first wore the green jersey, so it’s no surprise that he’s in the top 10 most selected players.
9 Caelan Doris (Ireland)
It’s not surprising that another Irishman makes the top 10, and it’s a star who’s been in great shape lately. Doris top-scored for the forwards with 63 points thanks to a try, 17 tackles (one dominant), a breakdown steal and 45 yards with the ball in hand.
Doris is a potential long-term choice for this year’s Six Nations as he has shown promise in the back row alongside some quality players.
8 Max Malins (England)
The Englishman had a great first round match against Scotland, scoring twice and carrying 67 yards to earn a total of 55.4 points.
The Saracen star adds plenty of pure pace to England’s back-three, and after an opening round brace, he’s likely to keep his place in the starting XV going forward, which is no surprise as to why the wing is on the list.
7 Owen Farrell (England)
Interestingly, he is one of the few goalscorers in the top 10, but the England captain is a good choice for most fantasy teams due to his extreme reliability and continued selection throughout the tournament.
The Red Rose skipper made 56 yards of ball in hand, kicking a conversion and two penalties against Scotland, despite it being an uneventful performance. However, given Farrell’s quality and prolific scoring nature, it turns out there is a player with over 1000 test points.
6 Ange Capuozzo (Italy)
The only Italian on the list is the youthful superstar full-back who continues to deliver every time he takes to the pitch in Azzurri blue. The talent scored a try against France and made a whopping 114 yards ball-in-hand during the first round.
Capuozzo is an obvious choice for fantasy teams as he plays all matches when he is fit and is likely to be on the scoresheet or at least involved when Italy cross the line. He really is an outstanding player and there is a feeling that he is going to score a boat full of points this season.
5 Fin Russell (Scotland)
The Scottish maverick with a bag of tricks played brilliantly last weekend, making 10 tackles, 85 yards made, three conversions and a penalty in his side’s victory over England.
Russell is key to Scotland’s attacking ability, and to put it plainly, the team is better when he’s on the pitch. His high level of creativity and goal scoring make him an obvious choice.
4 Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
The Irish star currently makes just about every top-10 list in rugby and was once again fantastic against Wales. The reigning World Rugby Player of the Year scored a try, made 12 tackles and ran for 31 yards with the ball in hand as Ireland dismantled their rivals.
Van der Flier is assured of consistency in selection throughout the match and even more so in his form.
3 Antoine Dupont (France)
Dupont will always remain a popular choice in fantasy due to his stature in the game, earned through consistent performances at the top of the world over the past few seasons.
The French magician is a unique player who scores points in fantasy, even in the big games. Against Italy, he made 52 yards and made 12 tackles in a quiet performance by his standards.
There is no doubt that the superstar will score a lot of points and can rack up an impressive number of points by the end of the championship.
2 Ellis Genge (England)
The front row is a popular figure in the sport and it is no surprise that he is one of the most selected players in the fantasy league. Genge offers so much more than others in his position, and against Scotland he made an impressive 83 yards with the ball in hand.
While the rest of his game didn’t add up to any points, if England start under Steve Borthwick then so will Genge’s points.
The star gag is a fair choice for the Six Nations and one that could justify its second place spot on the list.
1 Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
The Scot’s performance and wonder effort against England has propelled him to the top of the list, and rightfully so.
Van der Merwe scored the highest score of any player in the first round thanks to his run of tries, which included 104 running meters and a dominant tackle.
The winger played one of the best games of his career and is not looking to give up. The star will grow in strength throughout the competition and could well earn the most points in the fantasy league.
READ MORE: Six Nations Fantasy Tips: The top scoring XV of the first round
The article Six Nations fantasy tips: The top 10 most selected players after Round One appeared first on Planetrugby.com.