NRL Fantasy 2024 Part 2 - We've all been waiting for Weekes

multiple.scoregasms wrote:

There is lots of value at EDG which makes it tough but I'd like to own him ASAP. Increased his base last year and still has the explosive games that can leave you chasing. Will likely be one of my first upgrade targets

I don't think I will be starting with Campbell. Yes, you can cover a R2 bye with a warm WFB body but on the other hand, if he's amazing in round one (if he even plays round one coming off a six month injury) then it should be easy to work out a way to pick him up in R3. And you've only missed one score in two weeks.

Fifita? Yeah, he's going to be the best edge isn't he, but as you say, hard to start with given the other value in that position. Kind of interested in EKatoa (underpriced on injury and bench games) in that spot as well as the usual suspects, but will be hard to get him in too if Blore is starting for the same team (as well as Papi) with an early bye.

multiple.scoregasms wrote:

Ask anyone who started with Staggs last year how much fun it was owning a gun centre. 5 scores in the 20s and 2 in the teens before round 10

I'm not sure I'd seek the opinion of anyone who when faced with the question of "who would be a good Gun centre?" - thought that Staggs was the right answer

easytiger wrote:

I'm not sure I'd seek the opinion of anyone who when faced with the question of "who would be a good Gun centre?" - thought that Staggs was the right answer

Can see the merit of starting with a gun CTR and actually had that in my notes to start the year to avoid cheap CTR roulette (like HSS last year)

Holmes (great byes and GK) or Penisini (lowered ave when Moses was out) would be my choices to start if I was going with one

multiple.scoregasms wrote:

Ask anyone who started with Staggs last year how much fun it was owning a gun centre. 5 scores in the 20s and 2 in the teens before round 10

tbf staggs is not really a gun ctr imo & I wasn't surprised at all that he did not perform

I actually prefer AKP over Campbell the Titans have a great opening draw & he's going to carve up with his speed.

White Lightning wrote:I actually prefer AKP over Campbell the Titans have a great opening draw & he's going to carve up with his speed.

As Braith Anasta once said “You’re off your head”

AKP scored 20+ tries and didn’t even average 30

A good pre-season team list should not be cookie-cutter. It should promote vociferous debate that promotes just enough cognitive dissonance to allow people to challenge their perspective and make errors before the season rather than during.

With this in mind, I present my current team list featuring 3 x < 1%ers and an additional 2 x < 3% ers.

PS I am serious about Harper. He is a super POD because of the Talakai incident, but his fantasy pedigree at CTR is actually quite consistent and good. By shifting from Moanly to the Eels and joining the lethal Brown-Lane-Sivo side, I am taking the gamble that he will score a low to mid-40s average and turbo boost my season. At 0.1% ownership, it could be the ballsy move MattNZ wishes he had made but was not smart enough to make.

If not, as Camo suggests, I can just filter down to the best-performing base price CTR on the way up.

Lussick
Yeo Mann Harris
Wong Piakura
Hynes Hutchison
Harper Strange
Papenhuyzen Ponga Campbell

B.Smith Schuster Faitala-Mariner Baker
Weekes J. Cartwright Cotric Talau

Any chance that Waddell can nab a starting spot at Manly? Or did I miss something

The Dolphin Conspiracies wrote:A good pre-season team list should not be cookie-cutter. It should promote vociferous debate that promotes just enough cognitive dissonance to allow people to challenge their perspective and make errors before the season rather than during.

With this in mind, I present my current team list featuring 3 x < 1%ers and an additional 2 x < 3% ers.

PS I am serious about Harper. He is a super POD because of the Talakai incident, but his fantasy pedigree at CTR is actually quite consistent and good. By shifting from Moanly to the Eels and joining the lethal Brown-Lane-Sivo side, I am taking the gamble that he will score a low to mid-40s average and turbo boost my season. At 0.1% ownership, it could be the ballsy move MattNZ wishes he had made but was not smart enough to make.

If not, as Camo suggests, I can just filter down to the best-performing base price CTR on the way up.

Lussick
Yeo Mann Harris
Wong Piakura
Hynes Hutchison
Harper Strange
Papenhuyzen Ponga Campbell

B.Smith Schuster Faitala-Mariner Baker
Weekes J. Cartwright Cotric Talau

Hutchison and RFM won’t be PODs if they get the spot, it’s just a case of whether they get the spot

I’m surprised if you’re trying to be different you’re picking Wong. I actually think he’s a trap.

His only 80 min games have come with injury/send offs
R23: Brown sent off on first tackle, May and Baker with 16 min and 0 mins on bench (no Crichton on bench)
R26: Manu injured after 20 mins (played game out at CTR)
FW1: Suaali’i and Manu injured (played game out at CTR)

Crichton if he starts could be a keeper EDG with historical 50+ scores

Chewie wrote:Any chance that Waddell can nab a starting spot at Manly? Or did I miss something

If Schuster isn't fit I'd say he's a good chance; two horse race with Burbo. You'd think given the 800k/year contract that Schuster will return to the starting side at some point though. I think we'll need more info on how bad the calf strain is.

Camo123 wrote:

Hutchison and RFM won’t be PODs if they get the spot, it’s just a case of whether they get the spot

I’m surprised if you’re trying to be different you’re picking Wong. I actually think he’s a trap.

His only 80 min games have come with injury/send offs
R23: Brown sent off on first tackle, May and Baker with 16 min and 0 mins on bench (no Crichton on bench)
R26: Manu injured after 20 mins (played game out at CTR)
FW1: Suaali’i and Manu injured (played game out at CTR)

Crichton if he starts could be a keeper EDG with historical 50+ scores

Good point. I had not considered Wong that closely yet, other than that he was widely tipped to start, passed the eye test, and I made a perhaps faulty assumption that he would play close to 80. I think the same criticism of Wong could equally be labelled at Crichton?

With this in mind, who else would you recommend at that price at EDG that you would expect to perform better?

Are they your only criticisms of this team? Are you a Harper convert?

The Dolphin Conspiracies wrote:

Good point. I had not considered Wong that closely yet, other than that he was widely tipped to start, passed the eye test, and I made a perhaps faulty assumption that he would play close to 80. I think the same criticism of Wong could equally be labelled at Crichton?

With this in mind, who else would you recommend at that price at EDG that you would expect to perform better?

How bout Josh Curran? Few blokes round here think he might offer a bit of value

Alfie wrote:

If Schuster isn't fit I'd say he's a good chance; two horse race with Burbo. You'd think given the 800k/year contract that Schuster will return to the starting side at some point though. I think we'll need more info on how bad the calf strain is.

I think if Schuster is very close to getting on the plane, he should be more than fine by R2 (two weeks later) and OK to hold for a week rather than waste a trade... Burbo would be a very unwise selection for any length of time.

If you think the cowboys will have a good season Holmes is a good POD. I started with him in round 1 as a POD last year and after a slow start performed really well and is fun to watch. Very active Centre who will usually try and touch the ball every set unlike someone like Staggs who will go boom when he gets good ball, but doesn't go looking for it.

Alfie wrote:

How bout Josh Curran? Few blokes round here think he might offer a bit of value

I would need to adapt as he is priced a bit higher than Wong. Besides, if Mann is playing LOCK and Curran is playing at PROP, there is still some value there but it is greatly mitigated - still interested but not as much as if he was starting at LOCK. Considering the lack of depth at MID at the Bulldogs and the oversupply of UTES, it is hard to see a permutation where Curran is not playing at PROP

B/L wrote:If you think the cowboys will have a good season Holmes is a good POD. I started with him in round 1 as a POD last year and after a slow start performed really well and is fun to watch. Very active Centre who will usually try and touch the ball every set unlike someone like Staggs who will go boom when he gets good ball, but doesn't go looking for it.

You must have loved that Post Origin spell but hated Origin I guess. Goal kicking is a plus and makes his scores consistent

He would be head and shoulders over everyone if he just made a regular amount of tackles. 8 and 2 missed per game is bizarre

Camo123 wrote:

Hutchison and RFM won’t be PODs if they get the spot, it’s just a case of whether they get the spot

I’m surprised if you’re trying to be different you’re picking Wong. I actually think he’s a trap.

His only 80 min games have come with injury/send offs
R23: Brown sent off on first tackle, May and Baker with 16 min and 0 mins on bench (no Crichton on bench)
R26: Manu injured after 20 mins (played game out at CTR)
FW1: Suaali’i and Manu injured (played game out at CTR)

Crichton if he starts could be a keeper EDG with historical 50+ scores

Just keep an eye out if Radley gets injured and he starts playing lock. In NSW Cup, he was playing 80 minutes at lock towards the end of last season, with scores of 60, 70, 58, 71 and 70 with just 2 tries total in those games.

The Dolphin Conspiracies wrote:

Good point. I had not considered Wong that closely yet, other than that he was widely tipped to start, passed the eye test, and I made a perhaps faulty assumption that he would play close to 80. I think the same criticism of Wong could equally be labelled at Crichton?

With this in mind, who else would you recommend at that price at EDG that you would expect to perform better?

Are they your only criticisms of this team? Are you a Harper convert?

Crichton is an Australian international who had a rough 2023 off field and has said he is fine mentally now. Wong has played less than 10 games. IMO if Crichton is mentally fine and starting I don’t know why they’d limit his output.

Surprised at Harper average but he doesn’t really have value outside of your gut feel. He was already on a decent attacking edge usually.

The Dolphin Conspiracies wrote:

I would need to adapt as he is priced a bit higher than Wong. Besides, if Mann is playing LOCK and Curran is playing at PROP, there is still some value there but it is greatly mitigated - still interested but not as much as if he was starting at LOCK. Considering the lack of depth at MID at the Bulldogs and the oversupply of UTES, it is hard to see a permutation where Curran is not playing at PROP

Curran was interviewed by Denan Kemp recently, he said he wanted the lock position and if he didn't get that, he would be going for an EDG. No mention of playing prop, a position that he has started the game in 0 times in his career.