THE FLOW-on effect of these injuries is a coach killer!
Obviously injuries cause a change of plans, as we all know given we have copped plenty of them this year. Of all weeks however, I felt this one was the most painful after trading Patrick Cripps to Rory Laird Monday morning, only to reverse those plans on Thursday night with the news Lachie Whitfield was out and watching Laird lay 20 tackles and score 163.
PLAY AFL FANTASY Make your trades now
On to this week, and I don't have to wait until Thursday for an injury with the news Josh Kelly is set to miss. The beauty of knowing early, however, is we can at least explore plenty of options. Losing players that have dropped in value is far from ideal, but it does open the door to explore some under-priced options that are hitting form at the right time of year. The added bonus of looking at players in this category is that they are often also unique, which can be handy when climbing the ranks or forcing your way into your league finals.
An example is exciting Swan Chad Warner who is quietly producing premium numbers while being owned by just two per cent of coaches, or Keidean Coleman who remains a bargain despite his great form and he also sits at under 10 per cent ownership.
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MOST TRADED IN
- Jai Culley (MID/FWD, $224,000)
- Josh Carmichael (FWD/MID, $278,000)
- Callum Mills (MID, $891,000)
- Jack Sinclair (DEF/MID, $887,000)
- Bailey Smith (MID, $850,000)
MOST TRADED OUT
- Patrick Cripps (MID, $746,000)
- Jacob Wehr (DEF, $441,000)
- Josh Kelly (MID, $822,000)
- Jake Soligo (MID, $471,000)
- Patrick Parnell (DEF, $357,000)
TOP FIVE PRICE RISES
- Josh Carmichael (FWD/MID, $278,000) +$70,000
- Josh Ward (MID, $483,000) +$62,000
- Noah Cumberland (MID/FWD, $268,000) +$57,000
- Robbie Fox (DEF, $525,000) +$53,000
- Dane Rampe (DEF, $489,000) +$49,000
TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS
- Sam Menegola (MID, $597,000) -$69,000
- Jacob Hopper (MID, $671,000) -$53,000
- Tom Green (MID, $647,000) -$48,000
- Brad Hill (DEF/FWD, $631,000) -$46,000
- Jarryd Lyons (MID, $696,000) -$42,000
LOWEST BREAKEVENS
- Josh Carmichael (MID/DEF, $278,000) -35
- Noah Cumberland (MID/FWD, $268,000) -23
- Jai Culley (FWD/MID, $224,000) -10
- Ash Johnson (FWD, $212,000) 2
- Ben Miller (DEF, $240,000) 4
HIGHEST BREAKEVENS
- Tim English (RUC/FWD, $837,000) 145
- Lachie Neale (MID, $854,000) 141
- Sam Menegola (MID, $597,000) 137
- Josh Kelly (MID, $822,000) 136
- Max Gawn (RUC, $778,000) 135
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BUY
Chad Warner
SYDNEY
MID, $726,000
If you are cash-starved and chasing points, the young Swan is well worth a look. He is in ripping form, coming off his third triple-figure score in a row with a season-high 127 from 35 possessions, six marks, three tackles and a goal. He has a nice match-up this week with the Crows and his BE of just 55 is a reflection of the value he offers.
Rowan Marshall
ST KILDA
RUC/FWD, $737,000
Any time Paddy Ryder goes down with injury, Marshall instantly becomes a great option as the No.1 ruck. The last game he held that mantle was round 15 against the Swans where he tallied 42 hitouts to go with 16 possessions and six marks for a season-high 131. He is in good form with three hundreds in his last four games.
Josh Carmichael
COLLINGWOOD
FWD/MID, $278,000
If you are after a downgrade target that is going to make some quick cash to spend during the Fantasy finals series, the 22-year-old Pie is the man. In just his second game, he dominated despite playing just 61 per cent time on ground with 24 kicks, eight tackles and a goal for 111. He has an amazing BE of -35 following this weeks $68k price rise and there are plenty more to come.
Also consider: Jai Culley, Callum Mills, Keidean Coleman
HOLD
Tim English
WESTERN BULLDOGS
RUC/FWD, $837,000
After starting the season as one of the form players of the competition, the Dogs big man has looked anything but since returning from concussion. It was a season-low 58 points against the Saints that have coaches looking at trade options given his lacklustre performance that consisted of just three kicks among his eight possessions, three marks and one tackle.
Jordan Dawson
ADELAIDE
DEF/MID, $849,000
After being one of the form players of the competition, the talented Crow recruit has been off the boil the past two weeks with scores of 76 and 85. In that time he has been tagged, followed by unfavourable weather conditions for the high-volume marker, taking just two in the wet conditions against the Pies. He has a match-up against his former teammates this week. Revenge game?
Nick Daicos
COLLINGWOOD
DEF/MID, $757,000
It's stating the obvious here, but if you are one of the coaches that hasn't offloaded the Pies rookie, he is there for the season now. His season average is up to 89, but it's his recent form that has confirmed his keeper status. In his last three games he is averaging 117 and 106 in his last five while his ceiling of 147 is as good as any defender in the competition.
Also consider: Ben Keays, Jarrod Witts, Sean Darcy.
SELL
Josh Kelly
GWS GIANTS
MID, $822,000
The hard-running Giant had his issues throughout the match, but he still managed to play 73 per cent of the game for a shocking score of 57 from just 14 possessions, four marks, one tackle and a goal. His scoring is so far short of the top-line midfielders that he needs to be upgraded, especially with the news he is set to miss this week with concussion protocols. The return of Jacob Hopper also pushed him out of the middle.
Angus Brayshaw
MELBOURNE
DEF/MID, $775,000
For a player who sits in the mix of Roy's Rollin’ 22, a score of 69 doesn’t cut it at this time of year, especially when rookies are pumping out 140s back there. He had 19 possessions and seven marks but it's the second week in a row he hasn't laid a tackle. That’s zero tackles (20 less than Laird) and he is a defender. Not good enough and there are a number of more reliable options.
Patrick Cripps
CARLTON
MID, $746,000
The Blues skipper can't get out of the 80s and as a result his season average has dropped below 99. His score of 84 against the Cats was his fourth score in the 80s on the trot, despite being on track to reach triple figures at three-quarter time. Unfortunately, he only collected one possession in the last quarter as he continued to receive close attention from Mark Blicavs.
Also consider: Jacob Wehr, Jake Soligo, Patrick Parnell.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Tough to split, but I would back Brayshaw.
Hard to go wrong here, but it's Steele for me.
Duncan's role is elite at the moment, a bargain at that price.
It's Mills v the Crows for me, he will dominate the remainder of the year.
I guess it's Darcy, which I hate to say. But given there is some uncertainty with Grundy returning in the near future, it's him.
If you have the cash there, I would grab him.
I will never go on record recommending Preuss again, He basically derailed my season and I've never recovered. Marshall on the other hand is a lock.
I have more faith in Petracca than ROB, so ROB goes.
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