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THE NAB AFL Fantasy season is well underway. Our series of Fantasy Face-offs continues, pitting two similar players against each other to see which one should force their way into your squad.
Today, it’s two experienced midfielders – one with a tempting price tag after an injury-hit year and the other with valuable dual-position status. Who can offer the most bang for their buck at under $400,000?
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| DANIEL WELLS (NORTH MELBOURNE) | SHANE EDWARDS (RICHMOND) | |
| Fantasy position | Midfielder | Forward/midfielder |
| 2015 starting price | $356,000 | $397,000 |
| Price change from start of 2014 | -$94,000 | +25,000 |
| 2014 average | 69.1 | 70.1 |
| 2014 high score | 113 | 95 |
| Currently owned by (% of coaches) | 4.86% | 1.09% |
| Age | 30 | 26 |
| Key Fantasy stat | Wells played less than 11 games last season for just the second time in his 12-year career. His class was on show late in the season when he returned, and he torched the Bombers for 28 disposals in the Elimination Final. | Edwards is rated as one of four Tigers in the Champion Data "elite" bracket along with Brett Deledio, Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance – ahead of the "above average" rated Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin. He was prolific around goals last year and ranked third at the Tigers for scoreboard impact, with 37 per cent of his 22 goals coming from the opportunistic positioning within 15m of the big sticks. |
| Value for money | Wells' injury-affected 2014 means the 222-game player is priced nicely. His average Fantasy points per game were down last year but this is a player who in the four years before that averaged 82, 93, 87 and 83 respectively. | Not bad. Dual-position status adds to his value, as does his finish to last season where he played a key role rotating between the forward line and midfield. At 26, he's entering what should be his prime years and has proven to be a reliable scorer around the 70-point mark on average over the last five years. |
| Job security | When fit, he's easily in North's best 22. But after last season, you'd be forgiven for not being entirely confident with Wells' week-to-week availability. | No reason to think he'd be out of the Richmond team unless injured, after his fourth place finish in last year's best and fairest. |
| Where he'll play | Through the midfield, where he'll be looking to reignite the classy run-and-carry style that was affected before his long-term foot problem reached a crescendo last season. | While he kicked more goals last year than in 2013, Edwards is slated for more time in the midfield this season after improving his contested ball output in 2014. However, he should still find a way to sneak forward for the occasional goal, with the Tigers liking their midfielders to contribute on the scoreboard as well as up the ground. |
| Injury concerns | Diagnosed with a right foot injury after round five, Wells missed 14 games last year. He's been eased through the pre-season with a cautious approach but hasn't had any setbacks to date. | Edwards has been pretty durable over the years and didn't miss a game in 2014. Isn't suffering from anything glaring heading into the season. |
| The case for | When fit, Wells is a key cog in the Kangaroos' midfield. For a player of his age and skill, he's dirt cheap, with players nowhere near his experience including Mav Weller, Tomas Bugg, Mark Whiley and Elliot Yeo priced around him. He showed he can still contribute at a high level with an impressive finals series, and the fact he started his pre-season early with the Roos' Utah training camp in November shows he's more than optimistic about his chances of playing consistently this season. | Is poised to take his game to another level after turning his season around in round 15 last year. Edwards averaged career highs in Champion Data ranking points in 2014, including 27 score assists, which was the second most accumulated at the Tigers. He also contributed at the centre bounces, with the team producing a centre clearance differential of +11.3 per cent when he was at the coalface – the best rate of any of the Tigers' midfielders. You can also bounce him between your forward line and midfield, making him a versatile and somewhat underrated option. |
| The case against | Tricky foot problems have the tendency to rear their heads time and time again – just ask Jack Trengove and Sam Gilbert. And, if Wells does stay fit, he showed last season he can struggle when tagged, with Mitch Wallis and Kane Cornes shutting him down early in the year. | Can tend to go into his shell when the team isn't going well, which was demonstrated last season when the Tigers fell into their early season slump. Also may not replicate his goal-kicking feats of 2014 this season, given there's a suggestion he'll spend more time up the ground. |
| The verdict | Daniel Wells: A bargain buy at $356,000, given his proven season averages when he doesn't miss more than half a season with a foot injury. The Roos are slated for a strong season and a fit Wells should increase swiftly in price as his games accumulate, as well as picking you up a tidy score each week along the way. | |
