Five strategies for selecting your KFC SuperCoach midfield in 2019
How many superstar midfielders is too many in SuperCoach? The engine room will or make or break fantasy fortunes in 2020, here’s how you can piece together a winning formula.
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The midfield is the engine of any great KFC SuperCoach team.
Most of the champion SuperCoach players are midfielders, last year midfielders occupied 23 of the top 30 scorers for the season, and we try to stack our team with extra mids by picking dual-position players in defence and the forward line.
So getting your midfield right from Round 1 is very, very important.
To do that, you need a plan. What will yours be this year? Here are five selection strategies you can employ. As with our analysis of other positions, players listed here can be interchanged with others of a similar price (the structure is what’s important), and you can assume the sample teams listed below all feature three basement-priced rookies on the bench ($123,900 or cheaper).
1. GUNS AND ROOKIES
The tried and trusted method of picking a SuperCoach side in any position, based on limiting selections to A-graders priced over $600,000 and rookies priced under $200,000 — although this year we can make an exception for Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell.
Guns and rookies teams have been the most successful in the past and they limit the risk of starting with too many rookies on field or any boom or bust mid-pricers.
The biggest downside of this approach in 2020 is it limits you to four of the top 10 solid gold midfield guns on offer this season, when many coaches are trying to squeeze in at least five. This line-up looks great but would it look better with Lachie Neale, Marcus Bontempelli or Tom Mitchell?
2. FULLY LOADED MIDFIELD
Just how many of those SuperCoach superstars can we pack into the midfield? It turns out, a lot.
Some adventurous coaches have gone even further but six should be the limit to avoid being totally compromised in other parts of the ground. And if there are cheap players like Matt Rowell and Marlion Pickett who can score 100 points each week, you want them in your side.
The upside of this approach is obvious — lots of points straight out of the gate.
The downside is also pretty clear. You’ll be taking a lot more risks with cheap players on the field in other positions, especially if you’re forking out the big dollars for ruck kings Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn.
There’s also the issue of successfully predicting the top scorers each season. This time last year a similar strategy could have included players like Clayton Oliver, Josh Kelly and Dustin Martin who all finished outside the top 10 for midfield scorers.
3. ALL ROOKIE MIDFIELD
This strategy makes the most of a talented crop of rookies including the higher-priced kids who went at the top end of the draft.
History tells us that midfield rookies score better and are more reliable than cheapies in defence and the forward line, and this year there appear to be a lot of good options again. This means making cash quicker, allowing you to start upgrading your side earlier than other coaches.
It also frees up money to spend big in other positions, including both top-line rucks.
However, you also miss out on all the topscoring midfielders who will be generating big scores for your opponents every week.
And first-year players are always at risk of being rested or dropped.
If you decide to go with this high-risk approach, pick one expensive star you can entrust with the captaincy each week.
4. MID-PRICE MADNESS
Probably the most fun selection strategy which comes with huge upside and also enormous risk — and this year the risk outweighs the possible gains.
Every player in the line-up below is underpriced based on what they have scored in the past, or what experts think they are capable of producing in the future.
A mid-price midfield also gives you a spot for an extra mid-price forward with some bonus dual-position flexibility.
But the chances of all these calls paying off are very small, and picking so many means you’re missing out on the points bonanza promised by the likes of Macrae, Fyfe, Cripps and Co.
Verdict — not this year. If you’re a fan of mid-pricers, pick the one you really like.
5. COOKIE CUTTER MIDFIELD
A healthy mix of A-graders, underpriced premiums and rookies — this midfield has something for everyone.
Not throwing all your eggs in one basket spreads the risk. If your team is hit by injury or a selection who performs well below expectations, you should be able to change tack without too much pain.
MORE SUPERCOACH TIPS
Seven selection strategies you can use to build a winning KFC SuperCoach team
KFC SuperCoach winner Dwayne Delmenico reveals his tactics to go back-to-back in 2020
KFC SuperCoach: The Phantom names the Top 10 cash cows for 2020
KFC SuperCoach: Fantasy Freako’s ultimate ruck guide for 2020
Is it the best of all worlds or sitting on the fence? You are unlikely to fall far behind the pack but it will be hard to get ahead as well. Part of the fun of SuperCoach is backing yourself with selections others may not have thought of — if you go down this road try picking one left-field premium or mid-pricer to keep things interesting!
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Originally published as Five strategies for selecting your KFC SuperCoach midfield in 2019