SEVEN down, 16 to go.
OUCH. Thank god that round is over. From Thursday night team announcements right up until the end of the Freo/Crows game, fantasy fans around the globe were trying to spread duct tape over the holes in their teams. Some coaches were more successful than others. There are certainly going to be high’s and low’s over a 23-week endeavour, but that doesn’t make last round any easier to cope with. FFS. Let’s do this.
IF you like what you read be sure to check out more SportsbyFry articles by hitting this link. Make sure you keep up to date with the latest AFL and AFL Fantasy articles and follow my fan pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to never miss a minute of the action!
Click here to subscribe on iTunes
(Feel free to leave a rating and review to help me move up the charts 👍)
MY TEAM
1923 – The year Collingwood legend Lou Richards was born and the number of injuries Patrick Dangerfield copped on Sunday
NATURALLY, the lowest score on my ground belonged to my skipper Patrick Dangerfield. His 38 was just one blemish from an awful Round 7, however, I still (somehow) moved up a few hundred places in rank. That shows how well I’ve done in the first six weeks of the competition. It was the price I had to pay for holding Charlie Constable and Jack Scrimshaw and a big upgrade this week should hopefully vault me inside the top 10k.
FRY’S FAVOURITE FIVE
Honourable Mentions: Caleb Daniel (125), Nat Fyfe (124), Steele Sidebottom (128)
+5. Elliot Yeo, Eagles (MID, $663K – 146)
THE rollercoaster that is Elliot Yeo came to play in Round 7, posting a huge, well-rounded fantasy score. With the help of 12 tackles and seven marks, no-one outscored Yeoy last weekend and these are the type of numbers that have made him fantasy relevant in the past. Let’s see if he can stay hot against the Saints.
+4. Josh Dunkley, Dogs (MID/FWD, $605K – 145)
THIS is the Josh Dunkley we were expecting to see after his hot streak to end 2019. With four scores over 115 in his last five games a year ago, a lot of us took a pre-season punt on Dunkley and moved him on after his miserable numbers. If he’s back playing a full-time midfield role, he’s definitely worth bringing back into our sides. Potential bargain.
+3. Andrew Gaff, Eagles (MID, $749K – 144)
SCORES like this will keep Andrew Gaff in the mix for the highest fantasy average in the entire comp. Missing the first two contests makes it hard for Gaff to chalk up the most total points, but right now only Travis Boak owns a higher average. No. 1 trade target IMO.
Image from canberratimes.com.au
+2. Dayne Zorko, Lions (MID, $656K – 136)
A season-best from Dayne Zorko against the Swans only benefitted 2% of the competition with the majority of coaches choosing to avoid the fluctuation that comes with owning Zorko. He only has one in triple figures this season, so I wouldn’t go overreacting to this match, but it could be the start of something huge.
+1. Reilly O’Brien, Crows (RUC, $452K – 120)
I considered snagging O’Brien on the bench back in Round 3 and for the coaches that did his production has been unreal. I advised against rolling the dice and fielding him, but his mammoth 120 might force me to rethink my analysis. Either way, he’s providing coaches with a great cash cow, who can get you a nice upgrade when he’s finished making the rest of us feel sick.
FRY’S FRUSTRATING FIVE
Dishonourable Mentions: Jack Billings (72), Dayne Beams (64), James Sicily (65),
-5. Patrick Dangerfield, Cats (MID/FWD, $724K – 38)
CAPTAIN choices are going to be crucial now that there’s no loophole fallback and 14% of coaches were severely let down this weekend. An ankle complaint and knee issue in the first half forced Danger to sit forward and barely have an impact on the contest. Spewing.
-4. Tom Liberatore, Bulldogs (MID, $550K – 39)
IF you were forced to hold onto Libba during all the team carnage from Round 7, then don’t make the same mistake this week. A miserable sub-40 gives him three stinkers in three successive games. Time to go.
Image from thewest.com.au
-3. Tom Rockliff, Power (MID, $680K – 69)
TOM Rockliff is starting to look a lot like the Rocky who struggled last season and spent big chunks of time in the forward line. A favourable fixture coming up for Port Adelaide will hopefully right the ship, but he needs to stand up and restore the faith. ASAP.
-2. Angus Brayshaw, Demons (MID, $708K – 65)
IT’S going to be awfully hard for Angus Brayshaw owners out there to avoid trading the Demons ‘gun’. A glaring lack of marks and tackles against Hawthorn saw Brayshaw put up his lowest score of the season and he had better find some form against Gold Coast next round.
-1. Isaac Heeney, Swans (MID/FWD, $632K – 67)
WHAT exactly is Isaac Heeney? Is he a reliable option, or destined to end up on our ‘never again’ lists with a wide degree of fluctuation between his good and bad days. He does average 105 against the Dons, who he faces on the weekend so we could see him rebound strongly, but things aren’t exactly following suit right now.
TRADE TACTICS
IN – I’M a huge fan of landing Zach Merrett (MID, $747K – 104) and/or Andrew Gaff (MID, $788K – 144) as a mega upgrade, with the premium midfielders in ripper form. With different bye weeks, it’s worth looking at your structure to determine which one is the best option to land, but both are shaping up as top-8 mids. Travis Boak (FWD, $758K – 108) is still the highest averaging player in 2019 and someone that I’ll look to trade in this week. His DPP flexibility and fantasy friendly draw makes him one of the must-haves for non-owners.
IT’S tough to find reliable, affordable cash cows right now, with a lot of them either rising too high in price or not offering a lot of promise. Noah Answerth (DEF/MID, $237K – 60) and Josh Corbett (FWD, $196K – 59) are the cheapest and likely, best options for cash generation, but neither instil a ton of confidence. Here’s hoping we get some fresh meat in Round 8.
Image from foxsports.com.au
OUT – WE have to start with the Tom Liberatore (MID, $550K – 39) saga, who looks like a shell of the player we saw to start the season. There has been little consistency in the Bulldogs midfield rotation and if you’re one of the 33% of coaches who still own Liberatore getting rid of him is a must. An injury to Taylor Adams (MID, $627K – 49) should see him miss multiple games as well, so moving him on will be a priority for owners.
I managed to axe Matthew Parker (FWD, $326K – 59) last week and with his breakeven creeping higher his money making days are nearly over. Another rookie in Callum Wilkie (DEF, $332K – 31) finds himself in a similar boat and if you’re upgrading cash cows and moving them off your field, there’s nothing wrong with saying goodbye to popular picks like Jack Petrucelle (FWD, $380K – 55), Jordan Ridley (DEF, $431K – 61)and Zak Butters (MID/FWD, $360K – 34).
WAIVER WIRE MOVES
THIS week’s hot Draft league add is Hugh McCluggage (MID, 51% – 115) who still finds himself available in half of the leagues around the globe. A three-round average over 100 is a good sign for those who need a MID boost and if he’s not around a healthy Anthony Miles (MID, 38% – 115) might be the solution. Darcy Parish (FWD, 49% – 90) has pieced together a few good outings and could be worth giving a chance, failing that Geelong small Gryan Miers (FWD, 11% – 93) is someone worth keeping an eye on.
THE rucks continue to offer very little, but Reilly O’Brien (RUC, 47% – 120) and Tim English (RUC, 65% – 91) could be sitting on your wires unowned. I’d back in English for the long-term, but O’Brien is in serious form right now. Finally, down back Hayden Crozier (DEF, 30% – 116) had his best game of the year against Richmond, but it might be wise to wait another week and see how his numbers against Brisbane pan out. Failing that, Nathan Wilson (DEF, 17% – 72) could be appealing after two solid scores in a row and the Tigers coming to town this weekend.
MY MOVES
IT’S time. Finally, after seven rounds I’m able to bring in Travis Boak, helping take another rookie off my field. If Charlie Constable comes back this week, I’ll most likely hold him and be forced to do a downgrade elsewhere. I’ve brought Brett Bewley in optimistically, but there’s a high chance he won’t be named for Round 7 and I’ll have to look at a different downgrade.
My Trades
J.Petrucelle → T.Boak
C.Constable → B.Bewley?
Peace ✌