APP Tour Houston Open – Fantasy Draft Preview
It has been a little hiatus with some big news that came down the pipe with Steve Kuhn stepping down from MLP. We have been on a hiatus as well and, frankly, we probably needed a break too. We do intend to cover some of the things we missed in some fashion for those of you who have been asking. For the pickleball action getting started again, this is one of the more intriguing APPs we are seeing in 2023. It should be a fun next 3 weeks with MLP and Nationals on deck.
Slim is up 1 on the year but Gritty won the toss and elected to pick first.
(1) Susannah Barr / Andrei Daescu (Gritty)
(2) Rob Nunnery / Andrei Daescu (Slim)
(3) Megan Fudge (Slim)
(4) Susannah Barr / Megan Fudge (Gritty)
(5) Hunter Johnson (Gritty)
Gritty – This was close between Susannah/Andrei and Rob/Andrei. Rob/Andrei have been dominant and almost beat JW/Dylan earlier this week in a real event for legit money. Susannah/Andrei are the team I chose with Parris/Hunter in the field. Susannah/Megan have been doing better recently and without Parris/Simone in there, they are the number 1 team. Hunter Johnson will see the toughest APP singles field in a long while and there was a real argument for Martinez Vich in this spot.
Slim – Rob and Andrei have been the dominant men’s team on the APP tour this year and I like their chances again this weekend. Megan Fudge has started to separate herself in women’s singles on the APP tour.
(6) Vivian Glozman / Alix Truong (Slim)
(7) Jaume Martinez Vich (Slim)
(8) Judit Castillo (Gritty)
(9) Salome Devidze (Gritty)
(10) Stefan Auvergne / Brendon Long (Slim)
(11) Emily Ackerman / Allison Harris (Slim)
Gritty – I go back to back with Castillo and Devidze as there are 3 clear top teams in women’s singles.
Slim – Vivian/Alix are a bit up and down, but they have gold medal potential. We haven’t seen a lot of Jaume on the APP tour this year, so it is interesting when we do. Allison Harris’s stock is on the rise, can she and Emily Ackerman make a splash this weekend?
(12) Ewa Radzikowska / CJ Klinger (Gritty)
(13) Quang Duong (Gritty)
(14) Yates Johnson (Slim)
(15) Alix Truong / Andre Mick (Slim)
(16) Andre Mick / Jason McNulty (Gritty)
(17) Christopher Haworth (Gritty)
Gritty – Ewa/CJ showed out at MLP Atlanta so they seem as good as bet as anyone for silver in this weird but somewhat deep singles field. We haven’t seen Quang Duong since his first APP and he appears to be grinding hard. Mick/McNulty have been getting medals so why not them in a deep but anything goes draw for men’s doubles. Chris Haworth had his first Championship Sunday at the last APP and I think it was a mistake for Slim to let him slide this far.
Slim – Yates Johnson is very inconsistent in singles but has gold medal potential. Andre and Alix are a team that could beat anyone in this mixed field.
(18) Greg Dow / Anderson Scarpa (Slim)
(19) Bobbi Oshiro / Ryler DeHeart (Slim)
(20) Alli Phillips / Shelby Bates (Gritty)
(21) Emily Ackerman (Gritty)
(22) Bobbi Oshiro / Kelsey Grambeau (Slim)
(23) Megan Fudge / Jack Munro (Slim)
Gritty – We see some of these MLP teams getting together the week before the 2nd event of the year in Dallas and I liked the way Phillips/Bates looked together at MLP. If anyone is to find a podium in women’s singles outside of the top 3, it’s going to be Ackerman.
Slim – Dow/Scarpa are one of the more consistent men’s team in this field. Kelsey Grambeau is a player on the rise, it will be interesting to see how she and Bobbi Oshiro do this weekend. Jack Munro is a young talented player on the rise, and I’m making a bet that there is a run in him with Megan Fudge, who has been playing very well of late and got a bronze with Kaden Seward.
(24) Yates Johnson / Hunter Johnson (Gritty)
(25) Alli Phillips / Todd Fought (Gritty)
(26) Bobbi Oshiro (Slim)
(27) Shelby Bates (Slim)
(28) John Cincola / Jack Munro (Gritty)
(29) Ewa Radzikowska / Judit Castillo (Gritty)
(30) Jack Foster (Slim)
Gritty – Yates/Hunter have not been good at all lately, but they still have the podium to make a podium. The Phillips/Fought choice leaves a lot of quality teams undrafted in mixed. John Cincola/Jack Munro are an intriguing team playing another event together. Radzikowska/Castillo have some sneaky potential to find a medal and I like getting them with my last pick, which is not said very often when we do these.
Slim – We don’t see Bobbi Oshiro is many singles fields these days but she can play a pretty high level of singles.
Do you think the Parris and Simone pairing is done? Recent podcast from Loong said there was a trade proposal for Simone out of the Bouncers at MLP, and last week Simone paired with Harris in an event instead of Parris (which could’ve been and opportunity for them to practice for next week’s MLP). So wondering if those two are done at APPs. And if so, where does that leave those two for future APPs or if Parris switches over to PPA and Simone retires from APPs (unless she can pick up Harris).
So foster and emmerich not in top 6 MD finishers? You guys never change.
We are stubborn sometimes! They were in the running
Well the problem seems to be that Simone hasn’t appeared to be healthy. It’s tough for teams to stay together. Parris may not have been available for that event. Don’t know if they are done yet but Parris and Simone may not even play APPs next year, in which case they may want to find others, especially Parris