Champion Data stats guru Fantasy Freako’s Round 4 best buys, warnings on Lachie Whitfield and Marlion Pickett
He’s the most popular player in KFC SuperCoach, but Marlion Pickett’s scoring has dropped — and there’s a big reason why. Get this week’s best trade and captain picks from Champion Data expert Fantasy Freako.
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Bandwagons can either make or break a KFC SuperCoach.
You can either jump on one early and get burned — or you can avoid them and then miss out entirely. It’s all about timing.
Price is also important, as the lure of a bandwagon pick diminishes as they appreciate in price, with Marc Pittonet a great case in point.
Successful bandwagons are often breakout gems, and if we look at this season, there are already a couple of players that have announced themselves.
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Jy Simpkin has made the permanent move into the midfield – playing 88 per cent of game time in that role – ranking No. 1 at the club for centre bounce attendances.
With Ben Cunnington missing on the weekend, Simpkin was the beneficiary, attending 19 centre bounces on his way to 140 points.
He ranks seventh in the AFL for total points and has a BE of just 32 points.
With several forwards underperforming – Simpkin is the clear standout trade target.
Christian Petracca has also made a permanent move into the midfield – attending 74 per cent of centre bounces – up from just 19 per cent in 2019.
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He has won more of the ball on the outside with the change in role, recording a career-low contested possession rate of 45 per cent.
But he has offset that by improving his defensive play — averaging a career-high five tackles. Petracca also has a low BE of 37 points.
With Lachie Whitfield hamstrung by a massive BE of 202 points — a move down to Simpkin or Petracca will be a popular move this week.
Even though he doesn’t appear in the table below, don’t discount Bailey Smith either, especially now that Josh Dunkley looks set to be sidelined for up to six weeks with an ankle injury.
Smith ranks third in the AFL for handball-receives.
If we look at the biggest drop offs this season, the headline KFC SuperCoach asset has been Whitfield.
As we all know, he lasted just 20 minutes against the Bulldogs before he missed the remainder of the match through concussion.
He had just eight points to his name at the time and plummeted by more than $56k.
The Giants expect him to be fit for Friday’s clash against Collingwood — but a massive price fall is on the horizon.
Whitfield’s role hasn’t been fantasy friendly in 2020 — playing 74 per cent of game time in defence. He doesn’t have the same licence to roam around the ground and pick up easy disposals, as he did last season.
His kicking, a strength in the past, has dropped away — recording a kicking efficiency of 64% — well down from 70%.
Ball use is crucial in KFC SuperCoach and if you’re missing targets by foot, your scores will suffer.
ROOKIES
If you didn’t jump on the Marc Pittonet bandwagon last week, then sadly you have missed the boat.
He scored 137 points and his price boomed by over $80k.
Fellow bubble boys, Trent Rivers and Harley Bennell, didn’t play due to their clash against the Bombers being postponed – so both are viable trade-in options ahead of Round 4.
Currently, there is a shortage of viable cash cows to consider, and those that hit the ground running early have somewhat halted.
Marlion Pickett (50), Curtis Taylor (44), Darcy Cameron (28), and Sam Sturt (11) struggled last round.
In the case of Pickett, with the exception of his opening round score of 94 — his impact has been limited in Richmond’s past two games.
Averaging the second-lowest game time of any Tiger, his kicking has eluded him in recent weeks — posting a kicking efficiency of 25 per cent and 54 per cent in that order. It may be time to bench him in SuperCoach, or even try and loophole him with another player to achieve a much higher score. Sturt on the other hand is injured and could miss up to four games.
Will Hamill debuted in Round 3 – while Tom Williamson made his long-awaited return from injury.
Williamson scored 53 points in the win over the Cats, however his BE has already crept into the positives (four) – so he may not boom in price unless he posts a decent score against the Bombers this round.
With an ownership in excess of 24,000, if you still own Dylan Roberton, then a move to Rivers should be a priority.
If you’re one of the very few that don’t own Connor Budarick — then trading in the rising Sun is also an option, even though he has increased in price.
Budarick’s job security looks assured in the short-term, ranking equal-third at the club for intercept possessions and fourth for disposals in the defensive 50.
Best of luck for the round ahead!
PLAYERS TO WATCH — ROUND 4
Swans vs Bulldogs
Dane Rampe dominated in Sydney’s only clash at the SCG this season in Round 2 with 20 disposals and 149 points. Tom Liberatore scored just 77 points from 15 disposals when he last played at the venue in Round 15, 2016.
Giants vs Magpies
Nick Haynes is averaging 17 disposals and a career-high 107 points – ranked sixth in the AFL among defenders. Brayden Maynard’s 111 points per game ranks second in the AFL in his position behind only Jeremy Howe.
Power vs Eagles
Scott Lycett enjoyed his first price rise of the season last round after collecting 156 points against the Dockers. Nic Naitanui has recorded back-to-back price increases after scoring 137 against the Lions.
Saints vs Tigers
Dan Butler has been a shining light for the Saints in his first season at the club, averaging 103 points – ranked third at the club. Jayden Short also ranks third for points per game at the Tigers with a career-high average of 97.
Bombers vs Blues
Devon Smith finished with 21 disposals, five clearances and one goal against the Blues in Round 9, 2018. Jack Martin scored 97 points when he last faced the Bombers in Round 17,2018.
Suns vs Dockers
Hugh Greenwood is averaging a career-high six clearances and 109 points this season – ranked third at the Suns. Michael Walters is averaging a career-high 24 disposals and 122 points – ranked second at the Dockers.
Lions vs Crows
After scoring 28 points in Round 1, Brandon Starcevich has posted 99 and 89 points respectively in the past two weeks. Rory Laird reached three figures for the first time this season last round against the Suns (107).
Demons vs Cats
Jack Viney averaged just 80 points at the MCG last season – his fewest there since 2014. Joel Selwood averaged 24 disposals, six tackles and 102 points at the venue last season.
Hawks vs Kangaroos
After a breakout season in 2019, Ricky Henderson is averaging a career-low 11 disposals and 54 points. Jy Simpkin has taken his game to another level – averaging a career-high 25 disposals and 125 points.