It’s year two with Gymlytics fantasy college gymnastics in 2023! We all learned lessons last year when GymChem took up the helm and created her revamped game, and we’re ready for a fun 2023.
Our weekly cadence will continue to match Gymlytics: The fantasy “week” begins with Friday meets, ends with any Thursday ones and trading happens every Monday via waiver wire. You’ll find us here every Tuesday talking about “next week,” meaning the fantasy week starting that Friday.
This is your one-stop-shop for all things fantasy each week. We’ll be tracking injuries, byes and double headers, and giving you tips and tricks to put forward your best possible team.
February?! February.
We are rapidly approaching NQS-o’clock. Though we’re not yet sure exactly which week we’ll see the switch, we do know it happens this month. That means teams are sorting out their top lineups and pushing for those all-important road scores.
We can expect some big numbers this week with Auburn at Alabama, UCLA at Utah and Georgia at LSU, plus Oklahoma at home.
Injury Updates Since Last Week
- Katie McNamara (UCLA)
- Nicole Wojcik (Lindenwood)
- Elise Tisler (Towson)
- Maddie Wolf (Cornell)
- Emily Joyce (Cornell)
- Piper Smith (Auburn)
- Lucy Stanhope (Utah)
- O’keri Venn (Alaska): Left team
- Megan Steensland (Minnesota)
- Sarah Coghlan (Boise State)
Gymnasts Removed Since Last Week
- Ayzhia Hall (Nebraska) 01/29/23
- Madison Benson (NC State) 01/24/23
Week 5 Byes & Doubles
Byes: Ball State, Gustavus Adolphus, LIU, SEMO, Towson
Doubles: Air Force, Alaska, Centenary, Iowa State, Pittsburgh, Southern Connecticut, William & Mary
Data Corner
This year we have data editor Dara joining us for Fantasy Central each week. She’ll be breaking down the numbers for you with notes on routine hit rate, lineup appearance frequency and breakout performances to keep an eye on.
Hit Rate and Lineup Frequency: Combining numbers from both the 2022 regular season and the 2023 season thus far, just nine gymnasts hold perfect hit rate and lineup frequency records on more than one event. Among them, Raena Worley stands out as the lone gymnast to hold perfect records on all events, though Jade Carey is a close second, with the only mark against her record a step out of the lineup against Rutgers in the first of Oregon State’s two meets this weekend. The other gymnasts with perfect records are: Derrian Gobourne on vault and floor, Emily Lopez on vault and bars, Rylie Mundell on vault and bars, Halle Remlinger on bars and floor, Sienna Schreiber on vault and beam, Jocelyn Moore on vault and floor, as well as Audrey Davis on bars and beam.
Breakout Performances: In the first four weeks of the season, a handful of gymnasts have shown notable improvements over their performances from last year. They include Iowa State’s Kaia Parker, who has matched or surpassed her 2022 season high of 9.825 on vault in all three of her appearances this year for a 9.850 average on the event, Courtney Blackson of Boise State, who has posted three-straight 9.9+ scores on bars to best her 2022 season high of 9.875, and Stanford’s Ira Alexeeva, who started the season with a 9.800 on bars to exceed her previous career high. Her scores have been trending up since, highlighted by a new career high of 9.900 this weekend against Cal.
Starts, Sits & Pickups for Week 5
This is the spot to find your sleeper picks, your two- or three-eventers and your solutions for those big bye weeks. We’ll also comment on the big names when relevant: Injuries, lineup absences, or inconsistency.
Vault: Alabama’s Shallon Olsen will reportedly be back in action this week. Lucy Stanhope has a bruised heel and didn’t vault last week; Jaylene Gilstrap went up in her place for a 9.850. We don’t yet know Stanhope’s timeframe to return, so only put her in this lineup if you can take a possible zero. Jillian Hoffman upgraded to a Yurchenko one and a half since five hits preceded her, and she stuck it; expect that upgrade to stay unless one of the first five before her is shaky in any given meet. Elexis Edwards didn’t vault for Ohio State, but she competed floor and appeared healthy. We can assume she was just resting.
Bars: Fisk star Morgan Price has some unknown injury and competed only bars. Expect Corrinne Tarver to give Price time to get fully healthy; we’d only put her on bars this week. Makarri Doggette made her return for the Crimson Tide for a casual 10.0. Expect her to continue vaulting and remain in the bar lineup.
Beam: At long last, Olivia Trautman made her 2023 debut for a vintage 9.950. Historically, once she enters lineups she remains, adding to her program until the postseason. Expect her to stay in this lineup, though don’t be shocked if she gets a scattered week or two of rest. In 2022, she beamed a few weeks before adding vault in March, then bars at nationals. The sore back that kept Katherine Levasseur out of the bars and beam lineups seems to have passed as well. We expect her to remain on both. Pioneer Momoko Iwai returned to the beam lineup. Despite her fall, she seems ready to be back in fantasy lineups.
Floor: The Gators were without Morgan Hurd, who was wearing a leo and at least warmed up floor. She may have just been resting, so unless you absolutely cannot tolerate a zero, it seems safe to keep her in lineups. Abby Brenner made her floor debut for the Utes for a 9.875. That’s a better number than Maile O’Keefe or Kara Eaker has had in the spot so far, so expect Brenner to be the likely choice for the contest with UCLA. Towson’s Isabella Minervini added floor this week, and we expect her to remain after putting up a 9.875.
Waiver Wire Wrap-up
Finally, we have a waiver wire in gymnastics! Who should you prioritize this week? Since Fantasy Central comes out on Tuesdays, keep in mind that these tips are catered toward next week.
Note that last week was an anomaly: Trades should always go through on Tuesdays going forward.
Vault: Kentucky’s Bridget Borque anchored the Wildcats’ vault lineup for a solid 9.825. Alex Theodorou is getting back to form after injury for Arizona State; she scored a 9.900 on vault last week. If she’s available, she’s worth picking up.
Bars: Freshman Kiley Rorich made her Denver bars debut for a 9.900, replacing Abbie Thompson in the lineup. Consider picking her up this week. Penn’s McCaleigh Marr rejoined the Quakers’ bar lineup for a 9.875. She topped out at a 9.925 last year and is a great pickup. She’s an excellent beamer, too, and perhaps just needs a bit more time to settle into that lineup, where she scored a 9.950 in 2022.
Beam: Iowa State’s Loganne Basuel made her 2023 beam debut for a 9.900; she was a beam staple last year. Katherine Weyhmiller of San Jose State scored a 9.900 on beam last week, matching her career best. She can be a little inconsistent but is a good pickup if you’re looking for a high risk/high reward beamer.
Floor: Panther Sidney Washington has been on a roll for Pittsburgh. She scored a career-high 9.950 on floor last week. SEMO’s Madison Greene has been steadily scoring in the mid-9.8s and is a solid vaulter as well.
READ THIS NEXT: Fantasy Central: Week 4
Article by Emily Minehart and Dara Tan; additional reporting from Elizabeth Grimsley, Ian LeWarn, Rebecca Scally, Mary Emma Brambila, Tara Graeve and Savanna Whitten
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