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.
Last week was really something; we at CGN hope each and every one of you benefitted from the Week 5 tenapalooza on at least one fantasy team. NQS is imminent; we’re not quite there yet, but one or two more weeks and we will be. That means it’s time for teams to be even more serious about road scores and putting up tip-top lineups. That said, it’s also that time of the season when some stars get a little rest before the push toward postseason.
We’re still deep in conference play but are starting to see a few fun non-conference meets pop up. Eastern Michigan heads to Lexington to face Kentucky, which could be a great opportunity for your MAC stars to shine on the SEC stage. Florida’s at home, as are Auburn, UCLA and Oregon State. Expect generous scores for all four.
We also have Metroplex gracing us with its two-session presence. Illinois recently jumped in the mix after the mysterious Long Island invite was nixed, making this a double for the Illini, who also host a surging Ohio State on Monday. Hosted in Fort Worth, the meet is a podium invite precursor to the postseason, and Oklahoma has traditionally done very well there. Scores are usually very headline-SEC-dual-happy, so if you have a gymnast competing there, best add them to your lineups.
This week is weird. The Road to Nationals week ends after the conclusion of Sunday’s meets, but we have Monday, Wednesday and Thursday meets that will count toward your fantasy Week 6.
Injury Updates Since Last Week
- Nicole King (Georgia): Broken ankle
- Elise Tisler (Towson): Achilles injury
- Chiara Altorfer (New Hampshire): Leg injury
- Olivia Rapp (Kent State): Left team
- Emma David (Rutgers): Left team
- Rylee Gallmeyer (Western Michigan): Medical retirement
- Elia Aird (Rutgers): Leg injury
- Kamryn Ryan (LSU): Updated to mid-foot injury
- Olivia Dunne (LSU): Updated to boot and crutches
- Katie McNamara (UCLA): Torn ACL
- Nicole Wojcik (Lindenwood): Boot
- Maddie Wolf (Cornell): Arm in a sling
- Emily Joyce (Cornell): Crutches
- Piper Smith (Auburn): Retirement
- Lucy Stanhope (Utah): Bruised heel
Removed From the Injury List Since Last Week
- Ayzhia Hall (Nebraska)
Week 6 Byes & Doubles
Byes: Rhode Island, William & Mary
Doubles: Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Ithaca, Stanford, Towson, UW-Oshkosh, Washington, Winona State
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: Five weeks into the season, five freshmen have begun to distinguish themselves with 9.9-plus averages on top of perfect hit rates and lineup frequency records. They include Selena Harris on vault (9.910 average), bars (9.930) and floor (9.915), Kayla DiCello on bars (9.920) and beam (9.920), as well as Lauren Williams (9.900), Gabby Gladieux (9.900) and Faith Torrez (9.900) on floor.
Breakout Performances: After hitting just 40% of her bar routines in the 2022 regular season, UCLA’s Ana Padurariu has found her stride on the event this year, with no scores below 9.850 and a career high-matching 9.900 this past weekend. Ariel Toomey of Utah State has posted back-to-back 9.875s on floor in the last two weeks after hitting just one of her three competitive routines last season. Abby Brenner only put up three competitive vault performances last season but has made the lineup every meet since transferring to Utah where she has been consistently posting scores in the 9.8-plus range.
Starts, Sits & Pickups for Week 6
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: Do not fret about Chae Campbell. The UCLA star missed the Utah meet due to a family emergency; we hope whatever happened is alright and that we’ll see her back this week. In her absence we learned that Clara Wren is the Bruins’ next vault up; she notched a 9.725 for a chaotic-but-landed front handspring pike half. Shallon Olsen was back for Alabama; we can expect her to remain on vault moving forward. We’re not sure why Jessica Castles was missing from lineups for Arizona.
Bars: Arizona’s Elena Deets was present at last week’s meet at Stanford and had no visible injury. Perhaps she was just getting a week off. Illinois’ Makayla Green was listed as the bars anchor but was pulled and slotted into the exhibition spot after the Illini had a tough day on the event. Perhaps she’ll return to the competition lineup next week. Sage Thompson missed Utah’s battle with UCLA with an illness; she has had a slow start to the year, so perhaps expect her to have another week off. Makenna Smith seems to be the next routine up.
Beam (a lot happened this week): After her fall last week, Momoko Iwai was pulled out of Denver’s beam and floor lineups last-minute. We’d keep her out of your lineups until she’s back consistently. Iowa State’s Hannah Loyim was icing, limping and didn’t compete the leg events, which she sometimes does, at Texas Woman’s. We’d keep her in your beam lineup if you can tolerate a zero, but don’t be too surprised if she rests against Central Michigan this week. However, she may be just as likely to compete. Skylar Killough-Wilhelm had a tough beam day, making three attempts at her series. She’s been a little off on the event recently; we’d take her out of this lineup for a week or two until she settles back in. Juuuuust when you thought you had a grasp on Oklahoma’s beam lineup, Jenna Dunn took a week off in favor of Faith Torrez returning to the event. KJ Kindler has an embarrassment of riches here, and it’s looking like the lineup is going to come down to who is looking best on the day. Great for the Sooners, tough for fantasy players. Missouri had a weird beam day: Hannah McCrary’s start value was downgraded because she didn’t connect her dance series. That seems like a one-off error that won’t happen again. Sofi Sullivan didn’t compete for Utah State; we don’t yet know why.
Floor: Washington’s Thu Nguyen broke out on floor for a 9.900. She was a little touch and go previously, but last week is proof she has what it takes to be a stellar floor performer. Kennadi Davis, who has been out of the floor lineup for Washington since Week 1, exhibitioned. We’re not sure she’ll be back imminently, but it’s a good sign.
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.
Vault: UC Davis’ Keanna Abraham has really settled in on vault, topping out at a 9.925 last week. Nebraska’s Emma Spence is quietly having an excellent season on vault, with a 9.850 average so far.
Bars: If Nicole Riccardi happens to be available in your conference, pick her up stat! She’s had two 9.950s for the ascendant Buckeyes. Ava Sorrento hasn’t competed yet, but she did exhibition for Stanford this week. If you want to get ahead of things, she’s an option to pick up and stash away. BYU’s Jayda Lealaogata made her collegiate debut. Just for a 9.675, but she’s someone to keep an eye on.
Beam: SEMO’s Nyah Reader has had three back-to-back numbers of at least 9.825. She’s on a roll and worth looking into if you’re short a beamer. If Ellie Cacciola is available in your league, she’s a go-to pickup after a 9.925 and 9.900 in the past three weeks. Penn’s Campbell Marr has been solid on beam, but she erupted for a 9.925 last week.
Floor: All-arounder Sydney Beers of Cornell posted a career high 9.900 on floor last week. She’s been consistently improving there this year. SEMO’s Madison Greene has also been a strong floor worker, nabbing two 9.875s so far. Carmella Calafati is on a 9.875 roll—three in a row—for Towson.
Notes From the Fantasy Roundtable
We’ve been wondering what’s up with Julianna Roland‘s floor scores this year, and we’re not sure she starts from a 10.0. Something to keep an eye on, because if that gets resolved, she’s certainly a gymnast worth picking up. Minnesota’s Brooklyn Rowray was in a boot and not in lineups. Post-meet, Jenny Hansen said the injury was short term.
READ THIS NEXT: Fantasy Central: Week 5
Article by Emily Minehart and Dara Tan; additional reporting from Kalley Leer, Rebecca Scally, Elizabeth Grimsley and Ian LeWarn
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