KFC SuperCoach BBL: The 5 players you must pick in 2022/2023

Popular KFC SuperCoach BBL picks Glenn Maxwell and David Willey are out of this summer’s tournament. So who are the players you must start? Here’s the updated list.

The KFC SuperCoach gods have given coaches a blessing with some of the best scorers in the BBL set for early doubles this summer.

Where coaches have had to decide whether to start Daniel Sams as a ‘set-and-forget’ pick in recent seasons, the top scorer from the recent summers plays four times in the opening two rounds of KFC SuperCoach for BBL12.

The opening four rounds are a loaded fixture, with the Stars, Strikers and Thunder all playing twice during a blockbuster Round 1.

But two of the pre-season’s most-popular picks will be missing.

There will be no Glenn Maxwell for the Stars after a freak injury, while the Thunder’s platinum draft pick David Willey has withdrawn from the tournament.

Adelaide Strikers star Rashid Khan is a must-have in KFC SuperCoach. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

The Stars (Round 2) and Thunder (Round 3) also have a bye in the opening three rounds of the tournament, which is what makes fixture and trade planning so important in KFC SuperCoach BBL.

The difference this summer is the addition of trade boosts for the first time, so you might get away with loading your team with a host of Thunder players to try and get off to a flying start.

Say you’ve got six Thunder players, you could trade four out in Round 3 for Brisbane Heat’s double, stash two on your bench and still field a very handy side.

These are the first five players every KFC SuperCoach team should pick this summer, whether you’re a newbie or seasoned veteran gunning for glory.

Rashid Khan (Strikers)

$194k BWL

How could you go into a Round 1 double without one of the best-performed bowlers in BBL history? Rashid is an incredibly consistent scorer, picking up points for wickets, economy rate and dot balls. The Afghan star will likely be one of the most-popular captains in Round 1 and you risk being hundreds of points behind the pack from the start without him. His lowest score last season was 25 and even that would net you a return of 50 points from the opening round of BBL12.

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Daniel Sams boasts the perfect formula for KFC SuperCoach success. Picture: Mike Owen/Getty Images

Daniel Sams (Thunder)

$179k BAT-BWL

The Thunder all-rounder scored the third-most points of any player last season and ranked in the top-20 for total points two summers ago despite only playing 10 games of a possible 15. Sams was also the No.1 points scorer in 2019-20 and his combination of wickets in the death overs and power hitting is perfect for KFC SuperCoach. Strike rate bonus plus wickets when batsmen are chasing quick runs is the perfect formula for big KFC SuperCoach scores.

Marcus Stoinis (Stars)

$83k BAT-BWL

Stoinis never got going with the bat last season and is available for a bargain price as a result. Consider this - two summers ago he started the tournament with a price tag of $259k after blazing more than 700 runs in BBL09. Stoinis is still listed as BAT-BWL despite hardly bowling in the past two seasons for the Stars which will give you flexibility as to where you pick him. He’s too dangerous and way too cheap to overlook for the Round 1 double.

Marcus Stoinis is seriously cheap in KFC SuperCoach. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

Adam Zampa (Stars)

$103,600 BWL

The Aussie white-ball spinner has more wickets than any other spinner in BBL history (albeit he’s played 24 more games than Rashid Khan). Zampa’s KFC SuperCoach worth was elevated last summer by bowling at key times such as the power surge and death overs, when wickets most often fall. He’ll carry a significant load this summer without Glenn Maxwell as a second spin option. The Stars will hope he can return to the type of form which helped him collect 19 wickets in 12 matches two summers ago. At just over $100k, he’s a no-brainer for KFC SuperCoach on a Round 1 double. If he starts well, he could almost be a straight swap to Jason Behrendorff or Jhye Richardson for Round 2.

Josh Inglis (Scorchers)

$87,000 WKP-BAT

You’re telling us to spend $87k on a player who has a bye in Round 1? Yep, because forward planning is crucial in KFC SuperCoach. You will only have three - or possibly four if you use a boost - trades to load your team with Scorchers for the Round 2 double. That’s why starting at least one will be vital. Jhye Richardson ($149k) is value for his potential output but starting with Inglis gives you an extra $62k to play with and allows you to loop Matthew Gilkes in the opening game of BBL12. Your planning will be rewarded in Round 2 when you can field Inglis on a double. He recently returned to cricket after missing the World Cup due to a freak golfing accident.

Honourable mentions: James Bazley (Heat) $146k BAT-BWL, Colin De Granhomme (Strikers) $125k BAT-BWL, Alex Hales (Thunder) $130k BAT, Luke Wood (Stars) $105k BAT-BWL, Chris Lynn (Strikers) $112k BAT

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach BBL: The 5 players you must pick in 2022/2023