The 2024 Season is in the books, and the year end awards are starting to be handed out. As per usual, we took a look at the best Fantasy Wrestlers of the 2024 season.
Just like in the past few years, some names are going to be expected, while a lot more may not be. That's the beauty of Fantasy Wrestling, where any wrestler can be the star of the weekend and win the dual for you.
So, on to the Top-20 at each weight. Make sure to bookmark these articles because it’s a great resource to fall back to in a few months when your 2025 season draft research begins.
To compile these lists, we used standard WrestleStat Fantasy College Wrestling Data & Scoring. Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat leagues:
1) The scoring used was standard team scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by major, etc)
2) Scoring only counted against D1 competition
3) Wins via forfeits (FFT) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total
4) Wins or losses by medical forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total
5) Points were only accumulated during the regular season
133 Top-20
Notes:
Little Rock’s first All American, Nasir Bailey, is your #1 Fantasy Wrestler at 133. Of his 24 matches wrestled, two were by loss (both by decision to Vito Arujau and the other to Dom Serrano), two were won by decision, and the remaining 22 were by bonus. In fact, half of those wins by bonus were by tech or pin (none to two, respectively). While impressive as that is, the #1 Fantasy Wrestler at 133 actually did not crack the Top 10 Overall.
14 Fpts behind the leader stands “The Bouz.” Though he suffered seven losses (two by major), Nic Bouzakis still was able to overcome that and wind up in the #2 slot. Nine pins and six techs will help with that.
Dom Serrano edged out the originally redshirting Dylan Ragusin by one Fpt. Ragusin missed three of Michigan’s scheduled duals before pulling his redshirt which would have helped move up the ranks had he participated. Winning one of those three by Decision would have moved him to #3 at 133 this year and winning on by major or better would have landed him at #2. But even with missing those three matches, had he beat Van Dee (NEB), he would have been the outright #2.
Another Fighting Camel finds himself in the Top-5 of a Top-20 Fantasy Wrestling ranking (and it won't be the last), with Domenic Zaccone. Bucknell’s Kurt Phipps was one decision away from being Top-5 but finished 1 Fpt better than phenom Freshman Ryan Crookham.
Possibly the most improved wrestler of the year, Dylan Shawver, finds himself on the Top-20 tied with Chattanooga’s Blake Boarman but falling juuuust behind at #10 due to PPM.
The three-time 133 Fantasy #1 wrestler (in 2023, 2022, and 2021) only had 13 countable matches for fantasy, the lowest of any wrestler in the Top-20 at 133. Despite the best PPM out of any 133 wrestler this season, ultimately the lack of matches held him back. Still, #12 with only 13 matches is very impressive.
After a short stint at 125, Braxton Brown moved up to 133 and finds himself at #15 and two Fpts above Sacred Heart’s Andrew Fallon. Fallon tied Cal Poly’s Zeth Romney with 50 Fpts, but did so in fewer matches giving him the bump via PPM.
Two All Americans, Evan Frost and Kai Orine round out the Top-20, but this weight was one wrestler short of being composed of all Starters. Jacob Cox, NC State teammate, tied Orine in points, matches, and PPM to sneak in and get his seat at the table.
Who Missed The Cut:
Your 133 National Champion, Vito Arujau (COR) only wrestled 11 matches in the regular season. He missed significant time (and matches) from after the Journeymen Classic on November 12th until January 27th (he did make a two match appearance at Collegiate Duals on December 18th). His lone loss against #7 Crookham turned out to be the reason for him not making the Top-20. Had he of beat Crookham, he would have ended with 44Fts and squeaked in at #20.
Arujau was the only 133 All American in 2024 not to break the Top-20 in Fantasy.
In the opposite direction to Arujau, Sam Latona (VT) and Julian Chlebove (ASU) had 24 and 23 matches, respectively, but fell short of making the Top-20. Due in large part to both tying their most losses in a season, in their career. Latona had six losses (one by Pin), and Chlebove had seven.
One of the biggest and most talked about wrestlers from this past offseason Portal Pickups was Aaron Nagao to Penn State. He only wrestled 14 matches which was only good for 33 Fpts and 29th place.
Brody Teske (IOWA), the last second postseason entrant, also finished outside of the Top-20 with 29 Fpts (good for #35 at in the 133 rankings).
Other notables not to make the Top-20 include: Derrick Cardinal (SDSU) at #22 with 40 Fpts, Kade Moore (MIZZ) at #27 with 34 Fpts, Tyler Wells (MINN) at #31 with 31 Fpts, and last year’s #4 wrestler at the weight, Michael Colaiocco (PENN), who finished this season with 29 Fpts at #36.
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