Doctor’s Orders: Alternative upgrade targets for Round 8
Need a top-scoring KFC SuperCoach player to set your team apart? With teammates stealing the spotlight this elite scorer is constantly ignored by taggers — and by most SuperCoach players.
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As we conclude Round 7, all coaches are riding the rookie ramp, buying low and selling high.
In doing so, coaches generate plenty of cash to upgrade their sides. Identifying strong downgrade options is the easy part, it’s landing the right premium that is the critical part of the exchange.
There is always a touch of risk involved. Given we don’t always have the financial luxury of plucking the in-form players of the competition, we need to search for a player we consider a premium but may have had a lean couple of weeks for whatever reason.
Ponder these selections thoroughly, there is nothing worse than upgrading a player to a fallen premium, only to see it eventuate that this player was in no minor form slump, but a genuine decline, or that niggle you thought they were over is actually a season-long injury.
So with money in the bank, which players have we seen dip in price and are now ripe for the picking? Let’s take a look at players not named Bailey Smith ($409,100).
JARRYD LYONS $559,100 MID — 109 AVERAGE
In 1 per cent of teams, we find a unique option to put his hand up alongside teammate Lachie Neale. The Brisbane midfielder continuously flies under the radar as the likes of Neale and Hugh McCluggage take much of the limelight – and the tags. But Lyons is as consistent as they come. He has scored between 88 and 124 in all seven matches this season, tonning up on five occasions.
He has delivered consistent averages in the 90s in previous seasons, but finished 2019 extremely strongly with a 117 KFC SuperCoach point average after the bye until season’s end. Lyons will set you back $559,100, but he will provide you with few headaches, a consistent performer around the clearance and a unique ball magnet in fantasy land.
LUKE PARKER $541,900 MID — 109 AVERAGE
Parker has returned some big scores this season, with three 120-plus returns among six tons from seven matches, the only exception being a miserable 45 against the Tigers. Off the back of this lowly score, it gives us the opportunity to snap him up at a discounted price of $541,900 — potentially even lower next week with a 132 break-even still in play.
As far as unique choices go, Parker remains in just over 1 per cent of sides despite his exceptional form. Parker has averaged triple figures every year since 2014, only dropping below 100 on two occasions when he averaged 99. With fellow star Swan Josh Kennedy set for an extended stint on the sidelines, Parker will get plenty of opportunities to rack up contested possessions and tackles as he so often does in the engine room.
Given the scoring prowess of these types of players in 2020, Parker could be on the cusp of a KFC SuperCoach breakout season. Unfortunately the newly released fixture wasn’t kind to Parker with the Swans having a bye in Round 11 followed by a possible encounter with GWS tagger Matt de Boer.
MARCUS BONTEMPELLI $542,600 MID — 101 AVERAGE
Bontempelli has endured an up and down season so far in 2020. We have seen glimpses of his brilliant best, his 166 points against the Swans a clear example of this. However, we have also seen scores of 76 and 55 mixed in with some consistent 90s and 100s. But if you are looking for a bottomed-out Bont, the time looks to be now with a break-even of 102 points.
The Bulldogs skipper has turned in two tons since his 55, but has still seen two price drops, placing him at a bargain buy 80k less than his starting price for what we know he is capable of, having averaged 114.7 last year. The optimistic view is Bontempelli has had a sluggish start to the year at times due to the volume of tags and is now ready for some more consistent scoring now they’re out of the way.
LUKE RYAN $503,100 DEF 94 — 94.3 AVERAGE
If we stray away from the midfield for a moment, this unheralded Docker looks to be finding his best form with a 113 point three-round average. Many of you may well trip over Ryan on the street and not recognise him, but he is no stranger to the three figures in the KFC SuperCoach world. After a scratchy start to the season, Ryan has delivered three consecutive centuries, with his highest score of the year coming on the weekend — 125 against the Eagles. While we may have missed the boat on his absolute rock bottom price, at $503,100 he is still at quite a reasonable price for the intercepting defender that now finds himself with a chunk of football in Western Australia. Ryan has played at Optus Stadium a total of 23 times for a 98.6 KFC SuperCoach point average, which bodes well for the next set of fixtures. Additionally, in 2019, Ryan averaged 109 points in wins and just 85 in losses – something to consider once the fixtures are announced!
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Originally published as Doctor’s Orders: Alternative upgrade targets for Round 8