THERE is no better feeling as a Fantasy coach than reaching the end of the bye rounds and flicking all your premium players back onto the field. Hopefully with four testing best-of-18 rounds behind us, your squad is in a better position than it was a month ago as we gear up for the final portion of the season.
Now that every AFL team is returning to action in round 16, we welcome back some of Fantasy's biggest names from their week off. There are value options across the board, but players like Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $994,000) and Sam Docherty (DEF, $909,000) are the early frontrunners among the most traded in players. To close the year, I could see both 'Bont' and 'Doc' leading all midfielders and defenders respectively in total points as coaches in luxury trade mode chase the top-tier talent. Jordan Dawson (DEF/MID, $1.01M) can't be left out of this conversation after his eye-popping 172 points against Collingwood and Errol Gulden (MID/FWD, $946,000) continues his breakout campaign, registering a third score of at least 145 points this season in Sydney's cruisy victory over West Coast.
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If you can't afford the top shelf Fantasy players, fear not. There are a large number of value picks that can be found across the competition with Darcy Cameron (RUC/FWD, $725,000) and/or Ben Keays (MID/FWD, $717,000), both of whom could become convenient stepping stones to an elite Fantasy talent.
Chasing the best players in the game to close the season will be a constant focus for Fantasy coaches, although the priority is still to ditch the underperforming rookies from our field. A stinker from Bailey Humphrey (MID/FWD, $545,000) will see the Gold Coast prodigy axed from a lot of teams and he's not the only cash cow in the firing line. Four consecutive scores of 80 or under have led to Will Ashcroft (MID, $686,000) becoming a popular trade-out option this week as he starts to decrease in total value. It's tempting to chase the premium stars of the game and worry about these rookies later, but you'll sleep much better at night once you trade the disappointing cash cows out of your squad.
MOST TRADED IN
- Elijah Hewett (MID, $238,000)
- Josh Fahey (MID/DEF, $200,000)
- Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $994,000)
- Brad Crouch (MID, $880,000)
- Sam Docherty (DEF, $909,000)
MOST TRADED OUT
- Bailey Humphrey (MID/FWD, $545,000)
- Will Ashcroft (MID, 686,000)
- George Wardlaw (MID, $469,000)
- Rory Atkins (DEF/MID, $518,000)
- Matt Rowell (MID, $800,000)
TOP FIVE PRICE RISES
- Angus Sheldrick (MID/FWD, $370,000) +$95,000
- Taylor Walker (FWD, $677,000) +$59,000
- Jarman Impey (DEF, $755,000) +$58,000
- Liam Henry (MID/FWD, $510,000) +$52,000
- James Rowbottom (MID, $732,000) +$48,000
TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS
- Jeremy Cameron (FWD, $627,000) -$83,000
- Cooper Sharman (DEF/FWD, $376,000) -$61,000
- Callum Mills (MID, $683,000) -$56,000
- Jack Bowes (DEF, $469,000) -$45,000
- Lloyd Meek (RUC/FWD, $501,000) -$44,000
LOWEST BREAKEVENS
- Angus Sheldrick (MID/FWD, $370,000) -39
- Harvey Harrison (FWD, $291,0000) 7
- Joel Smith (DEF, $334,000) 14
- Kai Lohmann (FWD, $249,000) 16
- Ryan Maric (FWD, $233,000) 16
HIGHEST BREAKEVENS
- Jeremy Cameron (FWD, $627,000) 149
- Callum Mills (MID, $683,000) 132
- Matt Rowell (MID, $800,000) 131
- Zach Merrett (MID, $998,000) 129
- Sean Darcy (RUC, $751,000) 124
STOCKS UP
Mitch Duncan (DEF, $733,000): There's a high likelihood the Cat won't play every remaining game for coaches, but that doesn't mean he should be ignored. Fresh off his second score in the 120s this season, there is merit in targeting the Geelong veteran who is still capable of some impressive Fantasy scores.
Matthew Johnson (MID, $481,000): Entering round 16 under a bit of an injury cloud, nearly 30 per cent of the competition have their fingers crossed hoping Johnson gets up to face the Western Bulldogs. Scoring 90 in two of his last three games has reignited Johnson's cash generation and I'm backing the Dockers prospect in to keep trending in the right direction.
Angus Sheldrick (MID/FWD, $370,000): I hate to sound like a broken record, but Sheldrick needs to be praised once again for his efforts in the bye rounds. A career-best 111 against the Eagles helped 'Rick' take his three-round average to 90.7 as he continues to soar in value. Starting him on your field moving forward could be a move fraught with danger, although the Sydney cash cow seems to have clearly found a role in John Longmire's outfit.
Jack Sinclair (DEF, $872,000): One of the form players of the competition, a lot of coaches have already pounced on Jack Sinclair during the bye rounds. With four scores of at least 100 points in his last five games, St Kilda's star defender remains a quality trade target as he continues to work his way up the pecking order in the Rollin' 22.
Nic Martin (MID/FWD, $840,000): There are less than 8,000 coaches benefitting from Martin's stellar form at the moment as the line-breaking Don recorded yet another score north of 110 points on the weekend. Scoring five consecutive Fantasy centuries has seen Martin increase his price tag by almost $200K in the past five weeks and there's no reason to suggest he'll slow down over the final nine rounds.
STOCKS DOWN
Jeremy Cameron (FWD, $627,000): With a combined 29 points in his last two games, Jeremy Cameron is obviously trending in the wrong direction. Geelong's superstar scored 80-plus points in 11 of his first 12 games this season and owning a colossal breakeven of 149 will only see Cameron continue to slide. Keeping a glass half full view, he'll be a nice, cheap target in a few rounds.
Bailey Humphrey (MID/FWD, $545,000): Volatile scoring during his first AFL season has led to a lot of coaches giving Humphrey the flick, even before he faltered against Hawthorn. Amassing just 36 points last time out saw the Gold Coast rookie dip in price and with a daunting match-up against Collingwood on the horizon, it's hard to trust Humphrey moving forward.
Callum Mills (MID, $683,000): I know I'm not the only one who has had an eye on Mills, waiting for the Sydney co-captain to show some signs of life from a Fantasy perspective. Instead, Mills managed 64 points from 55 per cent time on ground in the blowout win against West Coast which saw him once again lose value. Now priced under $700k, Mills will become a popular play when he does re-find his mojo, but until then it's wise to stay away.
Hayden Young (DEF, $743,000): We debated heavily over which Fremantle defender to target following its week off and it's clear now that Hayden Young was NOT the right pick. Scores of 79, 79 and 61 in his past three outings aren't going to cut it and in a perfect world you can offload the rebounding Docker for one of the premier defensive options.
Rory Atkins (DEF/MID, $518,000: Left out of Gold Coast's best 22 this weekend, Atkins was able to take to the field as the sub against Hawthorn. As a result, Atkins only managed a score of 31 and with Lachie Weller now back in the line-up I can't see the Suns defender turning things around. It was fun while it lasted, but it's time to ditch him.
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