Bouncing back with stellar picks in the CEV Champions League Men Fantasy Game
The play-offs in the CEV Champions League Men are upon us, so we are getting back into the groove with the CEV Champions League Men Fantasy, after the 4th round saw some profficient cherry-picking for some players.
The first-of-its-kind experience for CEV, gives fans the opportunity to become the coach of their own team across the men’s and women’s European premium competitions. Fans can pick a team of twelve players with specific assigned positions inside a dedicated team budget of 100 million euros.
Haven’t you already signed in and chosen your team? Don’t worry, we got you covered.
So, the rules are quite simple and can be found here. To start, you must select a squad of 12 players with an initial budget of 100 million fantasy euros. The initial squad selection must consist of: three outside hitters, three middle blockers, two setters, two liberos and two opposites. You must select 7 players from your squad of 12 players to form your starting roster for each game week.
As the risk of having a player not featuring on the court is not so high anymore, we invested more in the core of the team this time around. We have learnt and adapted and now we get ready to our third draft in the CEV Champions League Men Fantasy.
KEY PLAYERS
Jack Hanes (€10m): Hanes has been a staple of our team in the 4th round, as he is reasonably priced for an opposite – the players who bring the largest number of points into the team – and has outscored all but three other players by at least 100 points in this season. He is the only player who broke the 400-point threshold, averages 69.8 points per match, and is an unstoppable force, facing a known opponent from the German league, SVG Luneburg. He is a shoo-in in the squad and we cannot bet against him in this round.
Marko Mert Matić (€11m): With the budget allowing us to splash, we selected Matić for one of the two middle blocker positions. From the six teams playing in the play-offs, he is currently fourth in the standings, with 147 points totalled in the Fantasy game, averaging 24.5 points per match. He has 12 blocks, two aces and can also spring a point or two in the matches, therefore he will be important for Halkbank in their challenge against Milano and securing a place in the quarter-finals.
Dick Kooy (€7m): Jordan Ewert was slated for this position, but he switched sides in the middle of the season, leaving for Rana Verona. Therefore, we drafted another €7m outside hitter in Halkbank’s Dick Kooy. The Dutch player scored 35 points less than Ewert, but has been very efficient and consistent, with eight aces, 64 attacks and 287 points racked up in the Fantasy game. Halkbank will need every possible point from him in a crunch match against Milano, therefore Kooy is the chosen one on this position.
KEY DIFFERENTIAL
John Gordon Perrin (€7m): Might not be a differential, because his performances were amazing this season, but John Gordon Perrin gets a slot in our team. A well-traveled outside hitter, with plenty of experience at 35 years of age, Perrin has been stupendous for Olympiacos, the big surprise of the season, which made it this far with some excellent performances in the 4th round. The Canadian outside hitter is the team’s top scorer in the Fantasy game, with 298 points, the second largest number for his position, and averages 49.7 points per match, being able to serve well, block good and also being efficient in his attacks.