A LAST-MINUTE fitness test for Max Gawn (RUC, $1.00M) sent panic through his coaches, with some, including me, panicking so hard we took the captaincy off him for a somewhat mediocre VC score.

Well, he made that a regrettable move while also sending a message to the other big men in the competition regarding who the boss is. After managing just one triple-figure score in the previous three weeks which included a disappointing 86 against the Eagles, the big fella didn't just return to form, he annihilated the Saints for a season-high 152 from 27 possessions, seven marks, three tackles, a goal and 34 hitouts. So much for a sore calf!

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OK, the byes are here and strategically, we are about to face the toughest of them all in that regard. Despite the fact there are only four teams having the week off, the biggest challenge this week is our trade targets have a break in one of the following three weeks. Therefore, many coaches are using it as an opportunity to grab some cash by downgrading fattened cash cows (especially ones with a red dot) to have the cash to launch into premium upgrades from the teams sharing the round 12 bye. It also sits a little easier bringing in a rookie for a rest as opposed to an expensive premium.

A friendly reminder that we revert back to the 'best 18' scores from the players on our field over the next four weeks, so anything over 18 is a bonus. We get three trades per week over this time so try and use them wisely to strengthen your team long-term, rather than straight swapping premiums week to week seeking instant reward.

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MOST TRADED IN

• Kane McAuliffe (MID, $292,000)
• Joel Freijah (MID/FWD, $315,000)
• Harvey Harrison (FWD, $289,000)
• Jordan Ridley (DEF, $760,000)
• Will Day (MID, $738,000)

MOST TRADED OUT

• Tom Powell (FWD/MID, $661,000)
• Hugo Garcia (MID/FWD, $374,000)
• Will Graham (DEF/MID, $490,000)
• Blake Howes (DEF, $464,000)
• Harvey Thomas (MID/FWD, $387,000)

TOP FIVE PRICE RISES

• Joe Richards (FWD, $376,000) +$79,000
• Travis Boak (MID/FWD, $678,000) +$62,000
• Nick Hind (DEF/FWD, $469,000) +$56,000
• Kai Lohmann (FWD, $558,000) +$56,000
• Zak Fisher (FWD/DEF, $751,000) +$54,000

TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS

• Connor Rozee (MID, $771,000) -$81,000
• Matt Roberts (DEF/MID, $546,000) -$54,000
• Stephen Coniglio (MID, $761,000) -$50,000
• Miles Bergman (DEF/MID, $622,000) -$49,000
• Cooper Sharman (FWD, $310,000) -$49,000

LOWEST BREAKEVENS

• Joe Richards (FWD, $376,000) - 21
• Toby McMullin (FWD, $260,000) -6
• Kane McAuliffe (MID, $292,000) -5
• Joel Freijah (MID/FWD, $315,000) -3
• Logan Morris (FWD, $277,000) 0

HIGHEST BREAKEVENS

• Connor Rozee (MID, $771,000) 158
• Tim English (RUC, $945,000) 144
• Stephen Coniglio (MID, $761,000) 133
• Zach Merrett (MID, $915,000) 132
• Josh Dunkley (MID, $978,000) 130

STOCKS UP

Will Day (MID, $738,000): Following a delayed start to the season, the talented Hawks midfielder took the first couple of weeks to find his feet before ramping it up. He started to look his creative self again in round nine vs the Saints with a score of 85 before putting together back-to-back hundreds the last two weeks with scores of 109 and 102 against tough opponents in the Power and Lions. It leaves him with a BE of just 68 and he doesn't have his bye until round 15.

Travis Boak (FWD/MID, $678,000): Not often do I throw a 35-year-old in the mix, especially one that isn't named Zorko. However, the former Power skipper has found some great form, and with it received some timely forward status in the latest DPP rollout. He has turned back the clock the last three weeks with scores of 90, 107 and a season-high 115 which included 12 marks to give him a BE of 32. The flag is his three great scores were against the Cats, Hawks and Roos, but he has a nice bye in round 13 which may help you get through the tough-to-cover rounds 14 and 15 byes.

James Sicily (DEF, $726,000): Is it time to let the dog loose? The Sic Dawg has dropped $217K since the start of the year and is looking like a bargain with scores of 96 and 93 in his last two while taking nine and eight marks respectively. He has the round 15 bye in case an escape plan is required and he has a great match-up in round 14 against the Tigers where he should have a field day. He is carrying a BE of just 77 leading into this week's match-up with the Crows.

Alex Sexton (DEF/FWD, $622,000): Sometimes, even with three trades, it can be hard to trade a red dot rookie up to a player capable of posting decent scores. This is why the Suns' running defender still presents value for cash-starved coaches attempting to make an upgrade. He has a three-game average of 98 and although he only scored 81 in his most recent hitout against the Blues, it was still the Suns' fourth best contribution. He has a BE of just 34 with a nice run of games against the Bombers and Saints leading into his round 14 bye.

Kane McAuliffe (MID, $292,000): As far as the downgrade options go, I like what I see from the 19-year-old Tiger. Despite being yet to hit 70 per cent game time, the midfielder is working hard while on the ground with 20 and 16 possessions in his last two games which resulted in scores of 61 and 65. Not groundbreaking, but enough to give him a low BE of -5 and given where the Tigers are at, it would be safe to assume he has some job security on his side.

STOCKS DOWN

Tom Powell (MID/FWD, $661,000): After scoring three hundreds between rounds two and five which included impressive highs of 29 possessions, nine marks and a game where he laid a whopping 15 tackles, he has looked a shadow of his former self, going six weeks without reaching triple figures … In fact, he hasn't scored over 85 in that time. He has the bye this week, so it is a good time to move him on.

Connor Rozee (MID, $771,000): After an outstanding start to the season, the Power skipper has had a horrible run with injuries which has seen his price drop by a whopping $185K. His score of 43 on the weekend following an early ankle injury leaves him with a BE of 158 which will make him a prime target at some stage after his bye when he is fully recovered and bottomed out in price.

Harley Reid (MID, $551,000): I love the kid and if they gave points for epic 'don't argues' we would be putting the C on him. Unfortunately however, his time in our teams for this season is nearing an end as we look to get all the rookies off our grounds. From a Fantasy perspective, he has been good, without being outstanding with three scores in the 50s in his last four outings. It leaves him with a BE of 66 but there is certainly incentive to keep him until his round 14 bye given his upcoming match-up against the Saints and the Roos.

Jack Macrae (MID/FWD, $699,000): I would love to know the full story here. What has happened to the piglet that would stop at nothing to hit the 30-possession mark and take no prisoners in doing so. In a complete plot twist, he managed just six kicks against the Swans which is a far cry from what we all loved from one of the most damaging kicks inside 50 in the game. Is it confidence, fitness, role, or a combination? I don't know. All I know is he has reached triple figures just once this year and is coming off a score of just 58 with gives him a BE of 109.

Will Graham (DEF/MID, $490,000): It was only a few weeks ago that many of us were cheering every tackle the 18-year-old was laying, and there were plenty of them. Next minute he is managed and we have never seen him again. It's a worrying trend for the youngster who was doing a great job with an average of 72 and BE of 38 but if he can't force his way back into the team, he may need to go through the byes where every position in the team is vital.

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