Fantasy Tennis: Americans looking to shine

How do you manage your team in the weeks after a Slam? It’s a tricky question that fantasytennisleague.com managers around the world have been grappling with over the past seven days. Players withdraw from tournaments (in droves – if Game Week 22 is anything to go by), while surprise names take wildcards into events.

The good news is that the North American swing is getting into gear, and all of the big names should be back in action in GW25.

Until then, it’s a matter of checking the draws, and managing your team – and trades – through these fallow weeks of the season.

Check out who is playing where in the coming weeks with our player calendar

The men: North American hard court season kicks off

One thing is certain over the coming weeks: if you’re short on trades and need consistent players, there are some well-priced Americans to choose from. In particular, John Isner ($6.56m) looks like cracking value given that he is scheduled to play every week until GW27. Jack Sock ($6.46m) is another well-priced player, and is down to play up until GW26. What’s more, both men usually perform well on home soil.

If you don’t fancy adding an American flavour to your team, we know that Nick Kyrgios ($6.32m) likes the American hard courts and is good value for money. That said, the Aussie has been struggling with injuries of late, so double-check the draw before you invest.

There are still a few clay court events on the calendar, and David Goffin ($10.43m) made a surprise return to action this week when he took a wildcard in Umag. The Belgian is schedule to play Gstaad, but at that price it’s worth watching his form as he tries to rediscover his fitness.

Meanwhile, Albert Ramos-Vinolas ($7.73m) should deliver points in the coming week; steer clear of Pablo Carreno Busta ($8.66m) who seems beset with injury problems; and maybe have a think about Fernando Verdasco ($6.16m), a consistent points scorer who is down to play every week until the US Open.

The women: Big guns come out to play

The tournaments might not be ‘big’, but some of the names playing them are. Caroline Wozniacki ($11.59m) is returning to action on the Bastad clay next week. The Dane, who should do well against a weakened field, will surely score you points, but is only scheduled to play three game weeks ahead of US Open.

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Carla Suarez Navarro ($6.23m) will be in action for four of the next five game weeks. A proven point scorer on clay, the Spaniard represents good value for next week but may struggle when it comes to playing Rogers Cup or Cincinnati.

Of the other players in action in the coming weeks, Kristyna Pliskova ($5.41m) could be worth a look, Caroline Garcia ($9.63m) is undoubtedly coming into form, as is Julia Goerges ($6.95m).

Top tip: In these post-Slam weeks it pays to check the draws.
Do buy: John Isner ($6.56m) – the big serving American is a proven performer on the US hard courts.
Do sell: Pablo Carreno Busta ($8.66m) – the Spaniard retired from Bastad and seems to be struggling with injuries.