The start of the Supercoach and AFL Dream Team seasons are just days away and coaches all over the country are rapidly trying to put together their final teams. But who are the best rookies? Who are the so-called “locks”? Who makes for a good mid-priced option?
To help coaches out, The Roar has put together a selection of must-have picks for fantasy football in 2011.
Here they are:
Drew Petrie (NM, Ruck-Fwd) – $216,000 in SC, $209,700 in DT
Last year injury hit Petrie for the first time in his lengthy AFL career and as a result, his fantasy numbers dropped. Significantly. In Supercoach, after years of averaging 88-plus, last year his average was 56. In Dream Team, it went from 87 down to 51.
Considering the starting price of players is based on their average from the previous year – and discounts apply for those who missed most of the season – Petrie is ridiculously undervalued.
He’s suspended for Round 1, and the Roos have the bye in Round 3, but he’s worth the trouble.
Nick Lower (Freo, Def) – $103,600 in SC, $92,500 in DT
Every year Freo supply us with a mature-age recruit that’s ready to burst onto the scene and make fantasy coaches very happy. With former Port Adelaide player Lower, they seem to have done it again.
Last year he was the SANFL’s leading possession-winner and finished runner-up in the league’s best and fairest count. Already this year, he has backed that up with impressive fantasy scores in the pre-season. With the Dockers’ massive injury list, he will definitely get games.
Andrew Krakouer (Coll, Fwd-Mid) – $200,600 in SC, $139,500 in DT
Apparently Krakouer broke the record for most Supercoach points in a game of football in last year’s WAFL grand final. While it’s unlikely he can repeat that feat on an AFL field, Collingwood’s mature-age recruit looks like he’ll be a fine addition to any fantasy team.
He played right throughout the pre-season – including his 83-point Dream Team performance in the NAB Cup grand final – so is likely to see game time from Round 1. He’s also a dual-position player, which will be of much value this year with the byes.
Dean Cox (WCE, Ruck) – $428,200 in SC, $351,800 in DT
Cox’s numbers dropped last year, he’s now 29 and is still relatively expensive. All that suggests you should look elsewhere this year. Yet, at the same time, you can’t overlook his pre-season form.
He’s been dominating and is giving every indication he can return to being one of the league’s top two ruckmen (at least in terms of fantasy numbers). Unless injury returns, he’s certain to improve on last year.
Chris Knights (Adel, Fwd) – $237,500 in SC, $221,900 in DT
For the three seasons prior to 2010, Knights averaged 83 or more points in both forms of the fantasy game. He made only five appearances last year, which saw his average drop to 61 in Supercoach and 67 in Dream Team.
With his body right, a full season will see his numbers return to what they were before his horror season last year. Like Petrie, he also gets a discount due to lack of games, which makes him all the more tempting.
Andy Otten (Adel, Def) – $185,100 in SC, $142,400 in DT
Another Crow who is just too underpriced to ignore. Otten had a brilliant season in 2009, which saw him play 24 games and finish runner-up in the Rising Star award. Last year, he missed the entire season through injury.
The good news for fantasy coaches is he’s back and comes with a massive discount. He averaged 76 in Supercoach and 69 in Dream Team back in ’09 and similar – possibly better – numbers can be expected in what will be his his fourth season in the league.
Daniel Harris (GC, Mid) – $125,700 in SC, $114,400 in DT
The former North Melbourne player is dirt cheap and will surely be a certain starter for the Suns given their lack of players with AFL experience. No. 1 draft pick David Swallow is another you should be taking interest in, but he’ll set you back a fair bit more than Harris.
It should be noted that Harris was easily one of the strongest fantasy scorers for the Suns in the VFL last year, scoring over 100 points more often than under in both Supercoach and Dream Team.
Shaun Higgins (WB, Fwd-Mid) – $379,200 in SC, $341,000 in DT
Nine games into last season injury hit Higgins. He missed seven games but his body wasn’t right for the second half of the year. While durability is an obvious concern, there’s no doubting Higgins has the potential to become an elite player.
In 2009, at 21 years of age, he averaged 89 in both Supercoach and Dream Team. If he’s fit, expect a higher output than that this season.
Dane Swan (Coll, Mid) – $511,200 in DT
For Dream Team, Swan is an absolute must-have. All teams should have a premium-priced player to lock in as captain each week and for Dream Team, that player is Swan. Unless you can confidently predict another player will out-score him, you can’t go past.
Brendan Goddard (St K, Def-Mid) – $633,700 in SC
For Supercoach, your lock-in captain is Goddard. His monster grand final performances indicate his star will only continue to rise in 2011 and his dual position tag makes him all the more attractive. You’ve got to have him in Supercoach – and probably in Dream Team too!
Join The Roar Supercoach league – Code: 878215
Join The Roar’s Dream Team league – Code: 581776
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
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