AFL Fantasy 2019 – Round 17 Wrap Up

17 down, 6 to go.

THUMPING scores around the country saw Round 17 equate to one of the most interesting fantasy weekends this season. Sunday saw point totals swing a few hundred points depending on your captain and if you owned Stephen Coniglio, Josh Dunkley, or even both. The majority of teams chasing something noteworthy have removed all their rookies and are now in ‘premium shuffle mode’ with an injury here or there potentially season-defining.

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DPP ADDITIONS 3.0

DPP's

THE final batch of dual position-player (DPP’s) have been added to the AFL Fantasy database with not a lot of relevant names to report on. Popular bench choices Oskar Baker (+FWD), Mabior Chol (+RUC), Brett Bewley (+FWD) and Nick Hind (+FWD) all gained an extra position that could give coaches some flexibility for their trades to close out the season. Some draft relevant characters like Matt Suckling (+FWD), Jordan Lewis (+MID) and Brett Delido (+FWD) rounded out the shorter list.

MY TEAM

2254 – The number of times Tom Browne reported that Alan Richardson was leaving St Kilda.
In hindsight, another captain dice roll, this time on Luke Shuey, kept me from posting a similar score to most of the top tier coaches, with the Large Fry’s and Coke pretty solid around the grounds. I maintained my season-long tradition of being 50-100 points off where I would have liked, but at least (for now) I’ve avoided injury carnage.

My Team

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF CARNAGE

Players listed below are in doubt for Round 18 and perhaps longer due to injury/suspension issues.

Gary Ablett – A hip complaint could see Gaz given the week off in an effort to keep him cherry ripe for the finals.
Taylor Adams – Played in the VFL last weekend and is ready to return to the senior side.
Ryan Burton – Catching Charlie Cameron is a mighty task as Burton found out, tearing his hamstring while chasing the speedy Lion. He’ll be out for around a month.
Stephen Coniglio – Glass half full, Cogs avoided an ACL injury, but his 2019 season is still over thanks to a cartilage tear in his left knee. Trade/drop.
Jordan Dawson – A high bump on Paddy Dow will see Dawson miss the Freo clash through suspension.
Brad Ebert – A torn PCL with no timetable for his return means Brad Ebert won’t be back for a while.
Matthew Flynn – Any chance we had of Flynn stealing a late-season debut has evaporated after the big Giant tore his ACL in the NEAFL.
Nat Fyfe – Another week, another Nat Fyfe injury issue. He played out the contest after going down the race in the second quarter with a shoulder worry and should line up against Sydney.
Hugh Goddard – A fractured cheekbone wasn’t what Goddard had planned in his Blues debut. My gut says he’ll miss the next few.
Jesse Hogan – Outside chance to take on the Swans this weekend.
Toby McLean – Injuring his hamstring in just his second game back will probably keep McLean out for multiple contests.
Anthony Miles – Miles has been handed a one-week ban for his high hit on Riley Knight.
Nic Naitanui – A syndesmosis strain in his ankle has Nic Nat out for an indefinite period of time. He’s now in a race to be fit by finals.
Scott Pendlebury – Despite undergoing surgery on his finger just a few days ago, Pendlebury could suit up against GWS in Round 18.

FRY’S FAVOURITE FIVE

Honourable Mentions: Nat Fyfe (128), Ben Brown (133), Nic Newman (129), Ollie Wines (131)

+5. Josh Dunkley, Bulldogs (MID/FWD, $856K – 189)
WOOF! Josh Dunkley sent a message to the fantasy community against the Dees, putting forth one of the most complete performances of the entire season. His career-high 189 points came via 39 touches, 15 tackles and a pair of goals, pushing his average in the last 10 games to 129.3 which includes a 77-point game. Hard to fathom.

+4. Lachie Hunter, Bulldogs (MID, $659K – 154)
DUNKLEY wasn’t the only Bulldog who feasted on Melbourne with Lachie Hunter getting in on the action too! His season-best 154 came on the back of an impressive 124 against Geelong, helping to push his 2019 average back into triple figures. With three of his next four games at Marvel Stadium, the same venue he played his last two contests, Hunter could keep posting heavy hitting numbers.

+3. Toby Greene, Giants (FWD, $581K – 144)
INJURIES to Josh Kelly and now Stephen Coniglio could open the door for Toby Greene to flourish over the next few weeks. A viable trade target fresh off his impressive Round 17 score, Greene has averaged over 100 in a season before and more midfield minutes could see him thrive in the GWS engine room. Only one other score over 100 in his last 10, that includes a DNP, highlights the risk involved with such a move though.

+2. Jarryd Lyons, Lions (MID, $703K – 140)
A lack of consistency is the only thing stopping Jarry Lyons from being a household fantasy name, with last weekend his third score over 130 for the year. Selected in under 1% of teams, Lyons might force some coaches into taking a flier on him to close the season. Gold Coast’s decision to let him go for nothing in the off-season only continues to baffle us.

jarryd lyonsImage from foxsports.com.au

+1. Brodie Grundy, Magpies (RUC, $845K – 129)
GRUNDY’S score wasn’t a huge talking point this weekend, but then again, we more or less expect him to walk to 120 each round now. Against a stereotypically stingy West Coast team, Collingwood’s colossus once again showed us why he’s the most selected player, the highest point scorer in 2019 and the most reliable weekly captain choice.

FRY’S FRUSTRATING FIVE

Dishonourable Mentions: Isaac Heeney (83), Christian Salem (73), Luke Shuey (78)

-5. Angus Brayshaw, Demons (MID, $577K – 44)
WHAT the actual f*#%. It took Brayshaw until the dying moments before half-time to hit double digits with his comically low score the sour point in an otherwise fruitful weekend for a large portion of fantasy coaches. He almost can’t be traded out given how low his price is, but Marc Murphy is mighty appealing if you’re fed up with Gus.

-4. Jack Ziebell, Kangaroos (MID/FWD, $689K – 65)
JACK Ziebell spending time forward has been a concern for owners ever since his recent purple patch. Posting his lowest score since Round 10 isn’t too alarming, providing he features more in the midfield against Brisbane this weekend. A few more stinker’s like this though and Ziebs could be on the block.

-3. Brayden Fiorini, Suns (MID, $709K – 57)
WHILE I’m still slightly bummed about trading in Luke Shuey, I’m counting my lucky stars I didn’t bite on Fiorini. His lowest score OF THE SEASON shows just how far the Suns’ outfit is off the pace right now. Fiorini was in the mix for top-8 contention at one stage, but now he looks like a shell of his high-scoring self.

-2. Clayton Oliver, Demons (MID, $712K – 69)
SPEAKING of top-8 contention, Clayton Oliver was a popular pick of mine to find his mojo in the back half of 2019. His recent scores have been fine, but on the weekend he all but removed himself from trade-in contention. There won’t be many other games where he’s held to zero marks and 17 touches, but a tough upcoming run means Oliver isn’t worth considering at the moment.

-1. Luke Parker, Swans (MID, $746K – 72)
HE annually flirts with fantasy success enough to tempt some coaches, but Luke Parker has taken a step backwards. His behemoth post-bye 157 against the Hawks made him tempting, but a three-round average under 90 since then has turned most of us off. Parker’s still capable of big numbers, but these yo-yo type of outings make him tough to stomach in a valuable midfield spot.

TRADE TACTICS

IN – WITH a lot of fantasy stars owning daunting price tags now, I’m all about chasing value in the run home. Two midfielders fitting this bill include Lachie Hunter (MID, $659K – 154) and Marc Murphy (MID, $598K – 119) both of whom could be in for big scores within the next fortnight. Murph’s teammate Nic Newman (DEF, $626K – 129) is another target I like, but beware, the ball could be at the other end of the ground a lot against the Suns. Speaking of those Suns and youngster Darcy MacPherson (FWD, $621K – 108) is far from a popular fantasy name, but just one score under 90 in the last nine games despite some lopsided defeats makes him worth consideration. Toby Greene (FWD, $581K – 144) could also come into calculations for those wanting to roll the dice to save some coin.

marc murphyImage from wwos.nine.com.au

OLIVER Hanrahan (FWD, $257K – 72) holds his spot atop the list of rookie targets, despite his inflated price on the back of another good game. With some new bench DPP options, there’s a way to get your hands on mid-season draftees Josh Noble (MID, $187K – 54) and/or Kyle Dunkley (MID, $196K – 36) should they hold their spots as well. Chasing the extra cash with them for your bench over the likes of Ian Hill (MID/FWD, $243K – 65) and Tyson Stengle (FWD, $232K – 68) would be my preferred avenue.

OUT –  FOR the second consecutive week an injured Giant takes priority with Stephen Coniglio (MID, $726K – 0) a must-trade. You could perhaps go after one of the above-mentioned names, but landing a big fish like Dunkley or Whitfield would be nice too. There aren’t many other premiums in the firing line, but Dustin Martin (MID/FWD, $704K – 83) would want to reward his owners sooner rather than later. If you’ve got the extra dosh, I think it’s almost worth moving Angus Brayshaw (MID, $577K – 44) purely to help you sleep better at night.

DEFENDERS lead the rookie trade out candidates with non-playing trio Xavier Duursma (DEF/MID, $528K – DNP), Marty Hore (FWD, $407K – DNP) and Griffin Logue (DEF, $340K – DNP) all fine to part ways with. It’s worth seeing if Duurs makes Port’s Round 18 team after being unceremoniously dropped last week, but if he misses again, send him packing. If you, unfortunately, took a chance on Hugh Goddard (DEF, $170K – 16), I think it’s wise to just hold unless another basement rook emerges. Other non-playing dudes like Oskar Baker (MID/FWD, $381K – DNP), Matthew Parker (FWD, $369K – DNP) and/or Brett Bewley (MID/FWD, $298K – DNP) are also fine to ditch if they aren’t named on Thursday night.

WAIVER WIRE WATCH

THERE are plenty of viable draft additions to be made this week, with some diamonds in the rough that may tempt you for the run home. One of my favourite picks right now is Hunter Clark (DEF, 7% – 119) fresh off what was probably a career game against the Cats. New DPP addition’s make Jordan Lewis (DEF/MID, 28% – 68) and Brett Delidio (MID/FWD, 31% – 62) tempting too, with both veterans able to provide some depth during a Draft finals campaign.

UP forward the likes of Shai Bolton (FWD, 5% – 115) and Lincoln McCarthy (FWD, 11% – 89) are worth considering given their recent string of success. With Nic Nat bowing out to injury and Nathan Vardy still sidelined, those in need of a ruckman could target Tom Hickey (RUC, 30% – 58) who will have free reign for West Coast for about the next month.

MY MOVES

I’M really stuck what to do with my moves this week. I’m not quite ready to part ways with Sydney Stack and I can’t turn Nick Hind/Brett Bewley/Jarrod Cameron into anything meaningful for my final midfield spot. If things change come Thursday then I may move Stack onto a Salem or Newman type, but for now, a double down gives me the money to upgrade my final midfield spot next week.

My Trades

My Trades
N.Answerth → O.Hanrahan
B.Bewley → J.Noble

Peace ✌

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