THEY SAY all good things come to an end. Bad things come to an end as well. Fantasy coaches will be stoked to see the back of the bye rounds as they finish up this weekend.
For many, putting 18 players on the park has been a challenge.
Round 13 appears to be the true test for coaches who have planned for success over the trying three-week period. There are plenty of popular players, both premiums and cash cows, who will be taking their mid-season break and not scoring points for your Fantasy squad.
One thing to do is make sure your team is set for the 10 rounds that follow the byes. In an attempt to field a better side this week, don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. That is, building your team for the six home-and-away matches from round 14 and the four weeks of Fantasy finals from round 20.
Don’t send Tom Mitchell or Zach Merrett packing. Look to thank and farewell Will Hoskin-Elliott or Andy Otten for their service as it is well and truly time to send those cash cows to the abattoir.
But maybe it is time to say enough is enough to an underperformer or two.
Nat Fyfe is the most traded out player so far this week. He hasn’t cracked a Fantasy ton since round three and his owners have lost patience. Fremantle’s bye is the perfect time to say goodbye. The same goes for Rory Sloane. Ranked fifth on the table for players being moved on this round, coaches aren’t going to settle for scores in the 60s when he cops attention.
Be smart, but make sure you are looking ahead. If you’ve sideways traded throughout the byes, it can come back to bite you when your opponent in round 14 has upgraded their rookies during the last three weeks.
2017 bye rounds
| ROUND 11 | ROUND 12 | ROUND 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Lions | Geelong | Adelaide |
| Carlton | North Melbourne | Collingwood |
| Melbourne | Richmond | Essendon |
| St Kilda | West Coast | Fremantle |
| Sydney | Greater Western Sydney | |
| Western Bulldogs | Hawthorn |
Note: Gold Coast and Port Adelaide had their bye in round nine
The Eagles and Cats play on Thursday at Domain Stadium and when the ball bounces at 6:10pm AWST (8:10pm AEST), all players from the two clubs will be locked. Full lockout will come into effect at 7:50pm AEST on Friday night.
The Traders will be chatting all things Fantasy from 6pm AEST. Roy, Calvin and Warnie discuss the ins and outs ahead of tonight’s lockout.
