KFC SuperCoach Plus: The Phantom answers the burning questions ahead of Round 2

Who should you trade? Does Jacks get another chance? Who is Tim David? Will Weatherald play? The Phantom answers the big KFC SuperCoach BBL questions.

HOBART, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 10: Colin Ingram of the Hurricanes bats during the Big Bash League match between the Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers at Blundstone Arena, on December 10, 2020, in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

BBL10 is underway and that means the highs and lows of KFC SuperCoach are back.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Phantom looks at the burning questions ahead of Round 2.

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Hurricanes opener D'Arcy Short was out for a duck in the BBL opener. Picture: Zak Simmonds

ULTIMATE ROUND 2 TRADE GUIDE: EVERY PLAYER TO CONSIDER

Can we start again?

Sadly not. But after popular Hurricanes pair D’Arcy Short and Will Jacks were dismissed in the first seven balls of BBL10, it was what many KFC SuperCoaches were asking on Thursday night.

Welcome back to KFC SuperCoach.

We love it, of course, but we also hate it at times.

Like when your captain Marcus Stoinis gets a second-ball duck against the Heat.

Yes, the Heat!

Short finished with three KFC SuperCoach points to his name, while Englishman Jacks took a catch in the field, taking his finally tally to 10.

Enjoy the ride, my friends.

Do we give Jacks another go?

Definitely. The all-rounder was the player of the recent Vitality Blast in England – give him time to adjust to Australian conditions and post-quarantine cricket.

The one concern, however, is Jacks, who took 13 wickets at 16.07 in the Blast, didn’t bowl against the Sixers in the BBL opener.

But given he opened the batting, even if he doesn’t bowl as much as we all would’ve hoped, there is no way you should be trading the 21-year-old out ahead of a double-game round.

Can we trade Short and Stoinis then?

Wot.

If you went for the point-of-difference play and started without Short, well played. But it’s almost KFC SuperCoach suicide leaving him out of a double.

The Stoinis scenario is slightly different, however. If he fails again on Saturday afternoon, you could consider trading him out for a Strikers star - say Rashid Khan ($192 BWL)- and then bring him back in at a discounted price following his side’s Round 3 bye.

Is Khan a must?

Is KFC a good option for dinner?

Gee, c’mon, guys.

But, seriously, given his price tag of $192k, trading out a Stars premium for the world’s best T20 bowler is something you should’ve already considered.

Doing so will allow plenty of room to maximise your other two trades.

My plan original plan was to move Zampa on.

Tim David scored 103 KFC SuperCoach points on Thursday night. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Who is Tim David?

It was another question KFC SuperCoaches were asking themselves as the 24-year-old plundered the Sixers attack to all parts of Blundstone Arena, on his way to a game-high 58 off 33 balls.

He’s the former Perth Scorcher who failed to pass 18 in six innings in BBL09. But, more interestingly, David has represented his country of birth, Singapore, in 14 T20 internationals – making 92 not and 58 – and taking two wickets - in his past two matches.

“Tim is a hard-hitting middle order player that can also give us an over or two of off spin, particularly in the power play,” Hobart coach Adam Griffith said in November.

He can bowl?

David didn’t role the arm over on Thursday but he scored 103 KFC SuperCoach points – only Englishman James Vince (113) finished with more.

Tim David v Sydney Sixers

And the best part?

His price. David started BBL10 at $62k. Of course, that figure will rise on the back of his player-of-the-match performance, but the dual-position cheapie will still present tremendous value at around $80k ahead of the Round 2 double.

Is one performance enough to jump on?

This is the big question. Given their quality, Short and Jacks are unlikely to both be back in the sheds by the second over next inning. And with Colin Ingram – who also blasted a half-century – Peter Handscomb and Mac Wright at the top of the order, David won’t always get the time to do what he did against the Sixers. But, again, the double means he gets two opportunities to replicate his performance to some degree.

Dan Christian v Hobart

What about Colin Ingram?

Well, if you started without ‘The Bulldozer’, you obviously didn’t read The Phantom’s player rankings. I had him at No. 1 for what it’s worth. At least I got something right.

There is still plenty to play out in Round 1, but I’d have him at the top of my trade targets ahead of the second lockout.

He batted at No. 7 but teammate James Faulkner (72 points) opened the bowling and is another to consider.

Sixers all-rounder Dan Christian is another who delivered, taking 3/33 and making 10 off eight balls on his way to 84 KFC SuperCoach points.

But, while his price-tag will still present plenty of value, it’s players from Adelaide and Hobart who you should still be prioritizing.

Do we know much more about the Strikers batting line-up?

Unfortunately, no. But it appears Jake Weatherald ($122k BAT) is doing well after taking so time away from the game for mental heatl reasons and is likely to take his place against the Hurricanes on Sunday. And he’s one who will definitely open the batting if he’s playing - four times over the next two rounds, too.

Jake Weatherald is going really well according to Strikers coach Jason Gillespie. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Any other Strikers to consider?

I like Englishman Danny Briggs ($138k BWL), the leading wicket in Vitality Blast history. Otherwise, Dan Worrall ($92k BWL), who took four wickets in a recent practice game, is cheap and one to watch for when the Strikers team is named at around lunchtime. Matt Renshaw ($137k BAT-BWL) is another, but just look to see where he is listed in the line-up.

Anything else I should do before trading?

Firstly, check out Tim Michell’s Round 2 trade guide - he’s done the research for you. See it here.

But if you want to dig a little deeper, take advantage of the power of SC Plus. Find out who other KFC SuperCoaches are trading in - and out - as well as price projections, breakevens and every player’s scoring history against their Round 2 opponent.

And a bonus one...

Is it true?

That I know KFC’s 11 secret herbs and spices? No.

But Harris Rauf, one KFC SuperCoach’s greatest ever cash cows will return to the Stars in January. The bad news, however, is, after taking 20 wickets in BBL09, he will be priced at $213k this summer.

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach Plus: The Phantom answers the burning questions ahead of Round 2