REMEMBER the days when Buddy Franklin was a Fantasy liability? You'd trade him in with a trembling hand on Friday afternoon and then watch as he disappeared for half a game, only to emerge for a quarter to kick 1.5 and give away a slew of free kicks.
It's still chook-lotto time when the Bud lines up for goal, but he answered most critics in his first season in red and white last year, and his Fantasy numbers climbed nicely to a peak average of 94.7.
Click here for every Swan's starting Fantasy price and position
In fact, Franklin ended 2014 as the top-ranked Fantasy forward, excluding those who held dual-position status. He'll line up in 2015 underpriced at $536,000 and should be the first Swan considered for your team.
The value of the remaining harbour-side lineup has been severely compromised this year by the removal of a position from a number of guns. Kieren Jack (MID, $561,000), Ben McGlynn (MID, $581,000), Luke Parker (MID, $585,000) and Jarrad McVeigh (MID, $550,00) have all been made pure midfielders in the switchover to 2015. You can rely on solid point production from each of them, but you can't sneak them back or forward like you could last year to plug gaps.
In fact, the Swans' list breaks up rather nicely into Fantasy guns – i.e. those who get a lot of the ball and use it well, and role-players – i.e. those classic John Longmire favourites who are accountable but don’t trouble the statisticians much.
Only a couple, like Rhyce Shaw (DEF, $422,000) and Lewis Jetta (FWD/MID, $436,000) sit in the mid-priced category. With Nick Malceski gone, there could be some extra work and extra Fantasy points for Shaw this year, despite his veteran status.
Jetta owes his teammates a breakout year to make up for a woeful 2014 Grand Final. His role and form in the NAB Challenge will be well worth tracking.
Luke Parker (MID, $585,000): Parker's lowest Fantasy score of 2014 was a 74 against the Power. He displayed stunning consistency for a 21-year-old midfielder in an elite team and there's no reason to think he can't repeat the dose this year. Loves a goal, too.
Craig Bird (FWD/MID, $472,000): Longmire finally freed the Bird from his cage of run-with roles and the midfield was clearly to his liking. Bird notched consecutive 130+ point games in mid-season and with dual-position status confirmed, is worthy of consideration for your forward line.
Zak Jones (DEF, $142,000): Jones got a four-game taste of senior footy last year and showed plenty before an Achilles injury ended his season. His NEAFL numbers and under-18s form suggest that if can grab a spot early in the Swans' backline, he can produce plenty of Fantasy gold as a cash cow.
Isaac Heeney (MID, $246,000): If he'd been available to Melbourne at the draft, Henney would be well worth a Fantasy midfield slot in your team, given his pedigree in the under-aged competitions. However you’ve got to earn your stripes as a Swan, and with Tom Mitchell challenging for a spot, it’s likely we’ll only see Heeney in fits and starts next year as he builds his game. At $246,000, there are plenty of better options out there.
