Fantasy Basho is now live for the Aki 2024 Basho on Fantasizr! You can sign up now for the Public League or Create Your Own League to play with friends. Live sumo starts on September 8th, which means you have got about two weeks to pick your lineup for Day One.
Of course, more news and updates will come between now and then. Holding off could be smart. Or you can pick one lineup now based on the freshly released Banzuke. The new rankings are listed below in Fantasy Basho style, with the Budget Value for Aki. Remember that you will pick four rikishi--as long as their values add up to less than 50.
Study the Banzuke below, along with some notes.
NOTES:
We have one Yokozuna (of course), two Ozeki (sad, but expected), four Sekiwake (wow!), and two Komusubi. It's certainly an unusual Sanyaku grouping. Here's what makes it crazier: Daieisho and Hiradoumi are the two Komusubi but had Sekiwake-worthy performances in July. Nothing is guaranteed, but Daieisho went 8-7 and Hiradoumi went 10-5 with a Special Prize. Sanyaku is tricky. The four Sekiwake MUST be Sekiwake. Abi, Onosato, and Kirishima were Sekiwake in July and all got winning records. Takakeisho is a newly-demoted Ozeki. Those are definitional Sekiwake, which leaves Daieisho and Hiradoumi without the Sekiwake rank.
Also, they kind of need to be the Komosubi. There weren't a whole lot of July Maegashira performances that warranted the promotion to Sanyaku. Takanosho gets the top Maegashira slot after his 12-3 playoff loss from Maegashira #6. Tobizaru jumps up to be the other Maegashira after a 9-4 from Maegashira #4. Everyone just behind them was basically just okay enough to get their ranks.
The joi-jin line is at Maegashira #4 East Shodai. He is the 16th ranked rikishi, so in theory everyone from him up will face each other. Of course, once you factor in injuries, performance based matchups, and the ban on stablemates fighting, Kotoshoho, Ura, and Shonannoumi are all likely to see some Sanyaku opponents. They probably all would like to have an easier slate over the course of Aki, but they are likely unlucky on that front.
The three men who have been brought up from Juryo are Onokatsu, Shirokuma, and Kitanowaka. Kitanowaka is the non-exciting one, as he has been yo-yo-ing between lower Maegashira and Juryo for a year. Onokatsu and Shirokuma are both University men who are making their Maegashira debuts. Onokatsu is 24 and Shirokuma is 25. Onokatsu is a Mongolian who entered as a Makushita Tsukedashi one year ago. Shirokuma entered from the bottom one year earlier, but both are here as somewhat young men with decent size and impressive records. There is no guarantee they will dominate immediately, but the lower divisions have been little problem for them. Now they see how they'll do at Makuuchi. (Important note: Kitanowaka is younger than both Onokatsu and Shirokuma. Plus, he's been here before. But debuts are exciting, so he feels like an old hand.)
The bigger story than the promotees may be who they have replaced. Onosho, Asanoyama, and Chiyoshoma all went down in varying degrees because of injury. Onosho went 0-4-11, Chiyoshoma came back to struggle to a 5-5-5, and Asanoyama started 3-1 before pulling out on Day Five. Participating even slightly didn't even help them a smidge. Interestingly, Onosho's demotion being coupled with Onokatsu's promotion means that Onokatsu is now the highest ranked rikishi at Onomatsu-beya. This is the first time Onosho has not been the senior wrestler at Onomatsu since his Makuuchi debut.
Keep checking for more content between now and the start of the basho, tell anyone you think would like us about Fantasy Basho, and sign up on Fantsizr now.
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