FANTASY RANKINGS!!!

Okay, so we just put out POWER RANKINGS. And yes, here’s another set of rankings. But the Fantasy rankings are nuanced. Hypothetically every competitor should try to max out the possible fantasy points – they should take down their opponents (+1), pass their guard into mount (+1), then take their back (+1) and sink in a rear-naked choke for a Kill (+6).

But that’s not always the smartest move for the competitor. As a competitor facing three INTENSE matches against serious opponents each night, the best strategy is often to pick your spots. Some opponents are just dang hard to positionally dominate and kill, so pulling guard and hitting a quick break within one minute (getting the 3 for the Break and the 1 for the Elbow Genie bonus point) makes more sense than expending all the energy to attempt to do all the things that would get fantasy points.

Fantasy managers will have to look at each competitor’s main game, their relative skill level to their opponents, their opponents style and durability, and still manage to assemble a great team under their budget for the day. To put it mildly, winning the PGF Fantasy league is going to be tough this year. While some stats nerd will build their own spreadsheets, calculating standard deviations, etc., the rest of the PGF fans can just have fun putting together a team and competing with their friends. To be honest, I just joined a fantasy football league this year with some colleagues after having taken a few years off. I was a fantasy nut, building spreadsheets, watching all the news so I could make the best pickups off the waiver wire, etc. But after 20+ years, I found jiu jitsu was really my passion and I took a hiatus from fantasy football. Now I’m back as a fantasy football manager, but mostly just to have fun and talk some smack. I loved the draft, but mostly let the app pick my roster now. I’m near the bottom of the league, but still having fun. The point I’m trying to make is whether you want to really nerd out on PGF Fantasy or just pick your favorite players and talk smack with friends, it’s all good. Just join up and have fun. we’ll do our best along with my fantasy/stats brother Jason Anik to give you the best info to help you beat your buddies and have a chance to win some great PGF gear.

Also, I have it on good authority that the first iteration/day of the PGF, all competitors will be the same price. In the later days, the prices will vary greatly based on some algorithms and maybe some Egghead input-which will make things substantially harder. So, for the first day, you can load up on the top roster guys on the first day…and you should do so!

So without any more preamble, let’s look at the Pre-Draft PGF Fantasy Rankings:

1. Paul Ardila: 7-0-5 (W-L-D), 3 Breaks, 4 Kills, 2 Elbow Genie Point, 8 Takedowns, 4 Mounts, 5 Back points, 0 Stalls. 52 fantasy points for the season. Get him while you can. Ardila will become expensive quickly. He has the wrestling to earn bonus fantasy points and the BJJ chops to get the subs for points. Everyone will be gunning for him, so consider that as well. It might be hard for him to score when everyone sees him as the super bowl. Still, he has the wrestling to force engagement and the skills to finish.

2. Ryan Aitken: 8-0-4 (W-L-D), 5 Breaks, 3 Kills, 2 Elbow Genie Point, 2 Takedowns, 3 Mounts, 4 Back points, 0 Stalls. 44 fantasy points for the season. Ryan is coming to send a message. His style is made for the PGF and he’s big even for this weight class. He’s likely the consensus frontrunner. While Aitken and Ardila are tied for actual estimated PGF scores, Ardila’s experience as a collegiate wrestler gives him the upper hand in the newly added PGF fantasy stats. Don’t get me wrong, if you can afford either Aitken or Ardila after the first day, add them to your roster every chance you get.

3. Davis Asare: 5-0-7 (W-L-D), 2 Breaks, 3 Kills, 1 Elbow Genie Point, 8 Takedowns, 3 Mounts, 8 Back points, 0 Stalls. 44 fantasy points for the season. Asare will impress! He can attack any part of the body and can play any part of the game of jiu jitsu. Seriously, just look at his PGF Season 6 run. Then look at all his other matches. He has all the skills to hit all the PGF Season 7 Fantasy metrics! Your PGF Season 6 regular season points leader might just give us a repeat performance, at least fantasy-wise.

4. Travis Thomas: 5-1-6 (W-L-D), 2 Breaks, 3 Kills, 2 Elbow Genie Point, 6 Takedowns, 4 Mounts, 4 Back points, 0 Stalls. 40 fantasy points for the season. Thomas’ style and athleticism make him very well-suited for the fantasy game. He’s also still fairly new to jiu jitsu and is constantly improving – so he may be better than we think even now. Fitting that we have the PGF Season 6 regular season points leader followed by the PGF Season 5 points leader (if you don’t count the Yankees team points, Elijah). Thomas will be a great play because there’s still a lot of folks who don’t know him.

5. Chris Wojcik: 6-2-4 (W-L-D), 4 Breaks, 2 Kills, 2 Elbow Genie Point, 4 Takedowns, 2 Mounts, 5 Back points, 0 Stalls. 37 fantasy points for the season. He likes to pull guard, but can also wrestle and pass. He’s going to score a good amount of points this season. After finishing 4th at this August’s ADCC championship (at -88kg), Wojcik has some good momentum coming into the PGF. He can really make an impression, and he will.

6. Kyle Boehm: 6-0-6 (W-L-D), 4 Breaks, 2 Kills, 2 Elbow Genie Point, 2 Takedowns, 4 Mounts, 4 Back points, 0 Stalls. 36 fantasy points for the season. Boehm has likely found his perfect format. He might outperform these predictions. Beohm has faced the top jiu jitsu competitors in the world – in any weight class. Some say he’s one-dimensional and folks can run from his game, but the PGF stalling rules should help Boehm close with his opponents and destroy them. Boehm is actually big for this weight class, probably cutting a good amount. Expect him to come in large, strong, and hungry! (weight cut pun intended)

7. Marcin Maciulewicz: 3-1-8 (W-L-D), 1 Breaks, 2 Kills, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 8 Takedowns, 6 Mounts, 6 Back points, 0 Stalls. 35 fantasy points for the season. He’s your ADCC Europe Trials Winner at -99kg (218lbs). Marcin has the big boy wrestling and positional dominance to rack up fantasy points and the size to get some subs this season. Plus, no one really knows him, so he’ll sneak up on them (as much as a titan can). Yes, he went from near the bottom in the power rankings to near the top of fantasy – that’s what a strong top-game and also just sheer size will likely do.

8. Elijah Carlton: 5-3-4 (W-L-D), 4 Breaks, 1 Kills, 3 Elbow Genie Point, 3 Takedowns, 3 Mounts, 3 Back points, 0 Stalls. 30 fantasy points for the season. NO ONE has more PGF experience than Elijah Carlton. I’m giving him the same stats as last season, essentially. He subbed everyone in PGF Season 2 (225lb) except one person, so he can handle big guys. He will find a way to get points. Never bet against Elijah Carlton in the PGF!

9. Cam Hurd: 2-3-7 (W-L-D), 1 Breaks, 1 Kills, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 10 Takedowns, 4 Mounts, 4 Back points, 0 Stalls. 45 fantasy points for the season. The former Virginia Tech wrestler and two-time PGF veteran is poised to make some noise in the PGF this season. Cam has been training like crazy and getting better every day, but it’s a big step up in competition. As the best wrestler in PGF 7, he’s going to bank points for fantasy managers. Look at the matchups – opponents who immediately sit guard will likely reduce his chances of high fantasy scoring matches. But Cam’s hungry, he could outperform my projections.

10. Kemoy Anderson: 4-0-7 (W-L-D), 2 Breaks, 2 Kill, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 8 Takedowns, 3 Mounts, 1 Back points, 3 Stalls. 27 fantasy points for the season. Kemoy killed it during Season 5. Kemoy’s a veteran and knows how to pick his spots. His awesome ankle pick will get him takedowns. He finds a way to survive and get to advantageous positions. But if you want the subs, put him on the roster when he has at least two opponents in the bottom 10. Kemoy knows he has to capitalize on chances against the lower-ranked guys.

11. Nathan Haddad: 2-2-8 (W-L-D), 0 Breaks, 2 Kills, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 6 Takedowns, 2 Mounts, 6 Back points, 0 Stalls. 26 fantasy points for the season. One of the fan favorites for never giving up a point even though he faced all the top competitors in PGF Season 6. Haddad got into great positions against several of those top opponents in PGF World 6, but he only finished one. So his style is what gets him this ranking – and if he’s improved his finishing, he could get even more points.

12. Adam Bradley: 4-1-7 (W-L-D), 2 Breaks, 2 Kills, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 2 Takedowns, 2 Mounts, 4 Back points, 1 Stalls. 25 fantasy points for the season. Bradley could outperform this estimation, but he could also underperform everyone’s expectations. He has a fairly big name in jiu jitsu and every competitor will turn it up against him. Yeah, this ranking might be an upset special, but every season the PGF has a big name that underperforms. Bradley might be that guy for this season.

13. Dory Aoun: 1-1-10 (W-L-D), 0 Breaks, 1 Kills, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 8 Takedowns, 3 Mounts, 6 Back points, 2 Stalls. 21 fantasy points for the season. Dory likely won’t make the PGF playoffs, but his positional dominant game will get fantasy managers a lot of points with the new fantasy scoring options. Keep an eye on Dory as the season progresses. If the injury bug starts to hit teams, Dory could pounce on the bench players and greatly change his numbers. Dory will be the competitor that gets better as the season progresses, his grit and conditioning shining. I’m honestly surprised he is this low in my rankings. IMDAOUN fans should take advantage of my likely improper low ranking.

14. Sebastian Attard: 4-0-8 (W-L-D), 4 Breaks, 0 Kills, 3 Elbow Genie Point, 0 Takedowns, 0 Mounts, 5 Back points, 0 Stalls. 20 points for the season. People will overlook Attard and he’s will get some wins people won’t expect. He plays a guard game so that limits his fantasy value. He’s will be a fan favorite but a situational starter based on lineup and cost.

15. Kyle Chambers: 5-2-5 (W-L-D), 5 Breaks, 0 Kills, 2 Elbow Genie Point, 0 Takedowns, 0 Mounts, 2 Back points, 0 Stalls. 19 fantasy points for the season. Chambers is a phenomenal talent and will likely make the playoffs, but his style isn’t designed for the new fantasy scoring. Chambers immediately sits guards and finds ways to break folks’ legs.

16. Caleb Crump: 1-4-7 (W-L-D), 0 Breaks, 1 Kills, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 3 Takedowns, 3 Mounts, 2 Back points, 0 Stalls. 14 fantasy points for the season. Caleb Crump is tough and will force good matches, but he’s more likely to be on the short end of the stick against this stacked roster. Still, his style of grappling will lead to fantasy points because he needs those takedowns and positional dominance to implement his game. He has every incentive to rack up fantasy points, regardless of whether he gets a submission or not. This incentive is why he’s higher in this ranking than the power rankings.

17. Andre Porfirio: 4-1-7 (W-L-D), 4 Breaks, 0 Kills, 1 Elbow Genie Point, 0 Takedowns, 0 Mounts, 0 Back points, 0 Stalls. 13 points for the season. Porfirio is going to catch some people this season, but his style doesn’t bode well for fantasy managers. Porfirio will be a situational start on a fantasy team – he’s likely to get a break or two with the Elbow Genie bonus points for a submission in under a minute, but fantasy managers will have to pick their spots when looking to start Porfirio. Admittedly, this ranking will likely get some hate, but look at all of Porfirio’s matches – he’s a guard player that goes for leg locks. He’s awesome at them, but he won’t get those x-factor fantasy points. His fantasy points will be based on the breaks he can get.

18. Bradley Schneider: 2-4-6 (W-L-D), 1 Breaks, 1 Kills, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 1 Takedowns, 1 Mounts, 2 Back points, 0 Stalls. 13 fantasy points for the season. He’s a late addition and I haven’t watched as many of his matches as I have of other competitors. We’ll just have to update our estimations as he shows what he can do in the PGF. But he’s known for funky submission and funky moves to get to positional dominance – this funkiness might make him a great fantasy play.

19. Ernesto Rivera: 2-4-6 (W-L-D), 2 Breaks, 0 Kills, 1 Elbow Genie Point, 2 Takedowns, 1 Mounts, 2 Back points, 0 Stalls. 12 fantasy points for the season. This estimation is likely very low, but traditionally alternates have not scored a lot in the PGF. Ernesto likes to sit guard and go for legs. A lot of competitors do the same thing on this roster. That style won’t get the extra fantasy points, and he’ll have to beat some amazing competitors at their own game.

20. Fedor Nikolov: 2-2-8 (W-L-D), 2 Breaks, 0 Kills, 0 Elbow Genie Point, 4 Takedowns, 1 Mounts, 2 Back points, 4 Stalls. 9 fantasy points for the season. Based on his game and his history against the current competitors, Fedor’s fantasy value is currently low. But it could rise dramatically if he retools his game in light of his prior PGF experience. I’m having a Russian Nightmare even writing these words. I hope I don’t get hurt. But seriously, Fedor recently got his black belt and trains under the incomparable Eddie Bravo – it’s likely he’s improved immensely from PGF Season 5 and will greatly outperform this ranking.

Well, there you have it. Based on all our research into these competitors, the Editorial Board took a SWAG at the estimated stats they’ll have this season. In an organization in which the Editorial Board once belonged, a SWAG is a scientific wild ass guess. Egghead will build his team based on this information and he’s allowed us to share it with everyone. Now the question remains: Can you build a better team than Egghead? Feel free to talk smack on him if you beat him, but don’t be surprised if he talks smack right back when he uses his 20lb brain to defeat you.

Don’t miss PGF World Season 7. The Draft goes live this Sunday, 3 November on the PGF World YouTube channel (link below). Then watch as these competitors have their PGF World stories unfold throughout the week as they have three matches a night and vie for a chance at the PGF World Season 7 title and the highly-desired Regular Season Team $100,000 prize!

Keep following PGF World and Brandon Mccaghren on Instagram and keep tuning in to the PGF Insiders on PGF World’s YouTube page. We normally go live at 7pm Eastern on Sundays. If you want a comprehensive article that breaks down everything we know about PGF World Season 7, check out my “All the Details” article. It’s an amazing time to be a jiu jitsu fan. So much is happening to grow the sport. But the biggest thing you can do to help it become professional is to follow and support the Professional Grappling Federation World. After all, it’s everything you love about sports, plus jiu jitsu!

BTW, if you’re looking to get some new jiu jitsu gear, PGF World Season 6 Team Champions XMARTIAL has some great gear. I wrote a review of my XMartial shorts and rash guard HERE. If you use the coupon code “EGGHEAD,” you will get 15% off your order (and you’ll help me out a bit). XMARTIAL has some really fun rash guards and everyone I know loves their shorts. So check them out.