18 games of football is a relatively small sample size to just players by, especially when each dude can play a maximum of two games. That being said, this JLT series we have seen some players’ ownership skyrocket off the back of their impressive games, while others have struggled and as a result, found themselves axed.

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STOCK UP

Angus Brayshaw – Demons, MID, $763K
THE captain of the Stock Up team, no one boosted their AFL fantasy pedigree more than Angus Brayshaw over two performances. 150 points from 69% TOG (time on ground), against Richmond, followed up with 139 from 74% TOG against Brisbane, I mean come on Gus. I scoffed when Matthew Richardson claimed Brayshaw was his pick to win the Brownlow. Not only might I be forced to eat humble pie, but in true hypocrite fashion, Angus is now slotted firmly into my midfield.

Xavier Duursma – Power, DEF/MID, $236K
WITH a handful of top dollar rookies putting their hand up for selection in our backlines, Xavier Duursma showed why he could be the pick of the bunch. A 24 touch, 11 mark performance against the Crows helped the 18th overall pick total 92 points against Adelaide. Working his way into 12% of teams as of right now, that number only likely to go up.

Tom Rockliff – Power, MID, $600K
AFTER a 2018 from hell Tom Rockliff is showing glimpses of the illustrious form that made him a Fantasy god in seasons past. With 41 disposals to his name, Rocky finished last weekend’s game with the best score in the JLT at 178 points, causing a lot of owners to frantically try and find a way to squeeze the Power jet into their sides. It’s a high-risk, high-reward play after he had just 60 points the week before, but Tom Rockliff seems to have refound his mojo.

Image from mandurahmail.com.au

Jamie Elliott – Magpies, FWD, $385K
AFTER spending less than 60% TOG Jamie Elliott is still somewhat being eased into games. However, the Pies small forward looks fully healthy after missing all of the 2016 and 2018 seasons and a lot of coaches are pouncing on him as a result. Priced at a criminally low 53, I’m not brave enough to take the chance, but Elliott has kicked four goals and set up another two this preseason from his limited game-time, which is a good sign.

Dom Sheed – Eagles, MID, $539K
PRICED under 75, there are 79 reasons to consider Dom Sheed right now. Riding the swagger of his 2018 spectacle on the games biggest stage, Sheed has put up 39 and 40 disposals in two JLT games, going at an average of 129.5 points. Currently residing in 8.45% of teams, Sheed looms as very interesting unique to start 2019. Consider.

Shannon Hurn – Eagles, DEF, $645K
ANOTHER Eagle with low ownership is skipper Shannon Hurn. For the first decade of his career, Hurn wasn’t of huge fantasy relevance, however, a breakout season averaging 88.9 over 22 games has him forcing our hand. His JLT form only enhanced the claim he belongs in your team with a 90 and 104 in two impressive contests. Hurn’s output is only going to trend upwards with the new rules as the Eagles’ kick-out king looks to push his average to 95+. Yeah, I said it.

 

Bailey Scott – Kangaroos, MID, $174K
TAKEN with the 49th overall pick via the father-son rule in last year’s Draft, we weren’t expecting to hear Bailey Scott’s name so soon. Weighing at just 74 kilo’s, Scott wasn’t intimidated over the preseason with a stellar showing against Port Adelaide recording 84 points in 58% TOG. He’s certainly pushing his case for a Round 1 debut and could be worth taking a chance on if he’s named.

STOCK DOWN

Tim English – Bulldogs, RUC, $446K
I’LL admit it I was wrong. Kind of. I was captaining the Tim English bandwagon this preseason, excited about what playing him in the R2 slot meant for the rest of my side from a financial perspective. Unfortunately, there’s a reason that English is still a mid-priced player, with his JLT games causing more doubts rather than confirmation that he’ll be the Bulldogs sole ruckman. It’s too risky.

Izak Rankine – Suns, FWD, $266K*
AFTER what I’ve seen so far I think I’ll be on the right side of history with this one. Izak Rankine was definitely worth the third overall pick that the Gold Coast used to snare the talented SA product, but his game reminds me of Cyril Rioli’s. Rioli was never a high possession winner and for that reason, his fantasy output was always inconsistent and unreliable. Don’t get me wrong Rankine could be a star of the game, but I doubt he’ll be a star of the fantasy game after gathering just 10 touches over two matches this preseason, albeit in limited game time.

*UPDATE – Izak Rankine has been ruled out for up to eight weeks with a hamstring injury

Nat Fyfe – Dockers, MID, $741K
Josh Kelly – Giants, MID, $787K
Lance Franklin – Swans, FWD, $666K
YOU can’t really justify picking players who haven’t played over the preseason, which is why the three players mentioned above have seen their ownership tumble. Fyfe, Kelly and Franklin didn’t see any JLT action with their respective clubs keen to keep them healthy for the long season ahead and rest their niggles/injury concerns. Still, it’s frustrating for coaches who had these players in their Fantasy plans all summer.

Image from muswellbrookchronicle.com.au

Luke Ryan – Dockers, DEF, $558K
THE kick-in rule change was meant to be a blessing for Luke Ryan, so much so that he found his way into my team at times. Following his two JLT games though you can’t pull the trigger. Not only did Ryan have to share kick-in responsibilities with Nathan Wilson, but he was also forced to play a more traditional defender role and actually, funnily enough, defend rather than deploy his trademark drive off the half-back line. It’s worth noting that Freo did play the two reigning Grand Final teams, but 112 combined points this JLT series won’t get it done.

Zach Merrett – Bombers, MID, $736K
WHILE I don’t think we need to worry about Zach Merrett’s injury, we do need to worry about his production this JLT. A 17 (from 36% TOG) in the first game against Carlton backed up by 70 (from 59% TOG) in the match vs. Geelong could be deemed as understandable after his injury-interrupted offseason. Going off what we’ve seen it’s likely that Merrett will score around 100-105 in the Bombers now stacked midfield. That’s not enough for me to pick him given all the value available in the mid’s this season.

Nic Newman – Blues, DEF, $552K
THINGS were travelling well for Newman owners after his move to the Blues, right up until Monday afternoon. Against Collingwood, the former Swan totalled just 10 disposals and 29 points while spending nearly three-quarters of the game on the ground. Yuck. If he was in your calculations before this effort then I’d keep my ear glued to Carlton press conferences and Twitter for more news around Newman’s role, but I can’t blame you if you want to drop him and avoid the potential headache.

Peace ✌