KFC SuperCoach trade guide: Best trade targets for Round 22
At the business end of the season it’s all about having the best of the best. Champion Data expert Fantasy Freako names the Big Five plus prelim final captaincy tips.
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History can be a great indicator of KFC SuperCoach performance — and last week we saw the perfect example.
Past scores told us Tom Mitchell was in for a big day against Collingwood – and what a day he had, finishing with 44 disposals, 33 uncontested possessions, one goal and 150 points. That’s a 300-point windfall if he was your captain.
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As important as history can be, the form line of a player is just as paramount, and if we look at the leading scorers across the past month, Jack Steele leads the way with a return of 142 points per game, slightly ahead of Mitchell (140).
Steele’s strong form goes back even further, ranking No.1 in the competition for total points scored since Round 11 with a whopping return of 143 points per game. They’re Gary Ablett-like numbers over an extended period.
If you’re fortunate enough to have one trade up your sleeve and are looking to make a move in the midfield, he’s clearly the No.1 target.
The trusty Jack Macrae ranks third for points per game since Round 18 with 139, scoring at least 124 points in each match – an unbelievable floor. Against Essendon and helped himself to 38 disposals, 17 contested possessions and 10 clearances – racking up a season-high 154 points.
Slightly cheaper than Steele, he too looms as a key player in Round 21.
MORE: KFC SUPERCOACH PRIZES JUST WENT TO ANOTHER LEVEL
Clayton Oliver is next best with an average of 137, but that figure could have been much higher if it wasn’t for a Mark Hutchings tag last week. Oliver still managed to win 28 disposals, but most of these were under pressure, as highlighted by his season-high contested possession rate of 75 per cent. Oliver hit the target by foot just 36.4 per cent of the time, which was an equal season-low return. The only other game he posted that same kicking efficiency was in Round 3, when he copped a Matt De Boer tag.
If we tap the history tab in SuperCoach Plus with Oliver, we’ll see he faces Adelaide in Round 22. His most prominent match of the season was against the Crows in Round 10, when he finished with 38 disposals, 27 contested possessions, 14 clearances, nine tackles, three goals and 204 points! He also scored 205 against them last year. He averages 32.1 disposals from seven career games against the Crows, his second-most against an AFL opponent, while his 137-point average is his best return against any team. Similar to Mitchell last round, he could be set for a huge game.
Rounding out the top-five scorers over the last month is Rowan Marshall (136). His scores have been aided by Paddy Ryder’s linger Achilles injury, allowing Marshall to play as the sole ruckman in the last two rounds – scoring 158 and 123 points respectively.
Marshall comes up against Rhys Stanley and the Cats this round, a side that has conceded just two scores over 100 points to ruckmen since Round 15 – with Sean Darcy’s 156 the biggest score.
Below are the leading scorers since Round 17:
Jack Steele (StK) — 142
Tom Mitchell (Haw) — 140
Jack Macrae (WB) — 139
Clayton Oliver (Melb) — 137
Rowan Marshall (StK) — 136
Touk Miller (GC) — 133
Callum Mills (Syd) — 130
Rory Laird (Adel) — 126
Sam Walsh (Carl) — 125
Ollie Wines (Port) — 124
Sean Darcy (Frem) — 123
ROOKIE WATCH
There wouldn’t be many SuperCoaches who are in the market for a rookie downgrade this round considering that trades are either limited, or have been completely exhausted ahead of the penultimate round of the season. But for those that are looking to cash a player in, there are several options to consider.
Nakia Cockatoo, a staple in out pre-season SuperCoach teams, finally made his Lions debut last round – playing his first match at AFL level since Round 3, 2018. He didn’t find a lot of the ball against Fremantle, having just eight disposals, but he made up for that with his defensive play, applying six effective tackles from 10 tackle attempts. He also chipped in with two goals and finished with 78 points. A DPP, he can be selected in the midfield or up forward.
Another DPP Jake Bowey heads the list of bubble boys ahead of Melbourne’s clash against Adelaide. With scores of 52 and 85 under his belt, he impressed against West Coast, having 21 disposals, 10 contested possessions and one tackle. The one area of that stood out was his intercepting, winning nine intercept possessions which is gold for SuperCoach scoring.
If you’re looking for mature bodies, then James Peatling (BE -70) and Nathan Kreuger (BE -30) are two options in defence. Peatling didn’t reach the heights of his debut match (97) last round, scoring just 34 points, while Kreuger has posted 48 and 56 points in his two outings.
With Max King under an injury cloud at St Kilda, we could see Cooper Sharman (BE -46) get more opportunity in attack. After starting as the medical sub in Round 19, he has collected 34 and 73 points since. He has booted two goals in each match and looks strong in the air, grabbing two contested marks against Sydney.
With just two rounds to come, make sure you trade wisely and best of luck for Round 22!
TEN TRADE TARGETS FOR SUPERCOACH PRELIMS
— Al Paton
Hold your trades, they said.
The carnage will come, they said.
Now, with just two rounds to play and KFC SuperCoach premiership hopes on the line, the injury chickens have come home to roost.
Patrick Dangerfield — in more than 32 per cent of teams — is under a cloud after copping an elbow to the throat from Toby Greene on Friday night.
Greene has been offered a two-match suspension for his trouble, while Andrew Brayshaw is facing a one-match ban courtesy of the match review officer.
If that wasn’t enough Sam Walsh — the fifth-ranked midfielder this season who is in even more teams than Dangerfield — is touch and go after suffering an ankle injury against Gold Coast.
And Josh Kelly owners will be sweating on his availability for Round 22 after he was a late out against the Cats with a quad injury (the Giants said “we think he will be OK” but Kelly owners have heard similar sentiments before).
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If you have a trade or more left, it could give you a massive advantage in next weekend’s preliminary finals.
Assuming one of the stars above is ruled out, and you don’t want to trust your bench cover (the likes of Lachie Bramble, Kieren Briggs, Tom Fullarton and Tom Highmore all scored 80-plus o the weekend) — or you just want to leave it all on the line this season — here’s who you should be targeting.
Note: There is still one game to play in Round 21 — the Eagles v Melbourne on Monday night! But there’s no harm in starting to make trade plans now.
Dayne Zorko $523,600 FWD/MID
After a few uncharacteristic quiet weeks, the Lions skipper roared back to form with 34 disposals, 10 tackles and 139 points against the Dockers. He went into the round with a break even of 141 and lost $1400 in value but he won’t get any cheaper — great buying for a guy who was over $600k three weeks ago. Finishes the year with a pair of Gabba home games against Collingwood and the Eagles.
Marcus Bontempelli $585,600 MID
Speaking of bottoming out, this is as cheap as you could have purchased The Bont this season. Like Zorko, he suffered a minor price drop last round (-$2600) after almost hitting his break even, but the most important thing was a strong return to form against the Bombers — all that was missing was a trademark Bont matchwinning goal at the death. Jump on now and enjoy owning the likely Brownlow medallist for two weeks at least.
Rowan Marshall $555,100 RUC/FWD
Arguably the form player of the comp, regardless of position — although unlike the two players listed above his price is heading north fast after scoring 123 against the Swans, adding $45k to his price tag. Since warming up on his return from injury with a 68 in Round 15, Marshall has scored 100, 95, 127, 157, 123, with the only hiccup an enforced week off in Covid quarantine. With Paddy Ryder out he is putting up big hitout numbers and getting all over the ground — his 25 disposals on Saturday night was a career-high.
James Harmes $406,400 DEF
Can lightning strike twice? Harmes put up some a huge 123 points in the west on Monday night, tallying 25 disposals and a goal in a game delayed for half an hour by bad weather. It wasn't a total one-off — he scored 100 the week before, although his two scores before that were a pair of 51s. But he could be a big beneficiary if the Demons opt to rest some of their star midfielders in the final two rounds with a top-four spot locked in.
Lachie Whitfield $494,900 DEF
If you need a defender, or are just looking for outstanding value, it’s hard to go past this guy. Whitfield gained $26k in value after Round 22 but is still under $500k even after posting a 107 against Geelong. He is a low-risk, potentially very high reward player — his past three scores against this week’s opponent Richmond are 116, 152 and 101.
Dion Prestia $452,400 MID
We are getting into riskier territory but not everyone has the cash to afford a top-line premium. Prestia has scored 113 and 120 in his two games back from his latest injury layoff. Dodgy hamstrings are always a risk but he is clearly the prime mover in the Richmond midfield and he only has to get through two more matches.
Brayden Fiorini $503,100 MID
The Gold Coast midfielder’s emergence is officially more than a late-season flash in the pan after posting his fourth-straight 100-plus score in the Suns’ win against Carlton. Fiorini has averaged 30 disposals, four clearances and 119.5 KFC SuperCoach points in that time. On Saturday his disposal numbers were slightly down, but he more than made up for it with 11 tackles and a goal.
Tarryn Thomas $490,900 FWD
An unfortunately concussion cost SuperCoaches that jumped on Thomas early, but it didn’t halt his late-season momentum. The classy Kangaroo scored 96 against the Tigers after posting 108 and 135 in the two matches before his one-week break. He is one of the best options in the forward line for under $500k and if you don’t pick him this year, there’s every chance you will in 2022.
Jarryd Lyons $548,100 MID
The super-reliable Lion posted just his third score under 100 for the season on Sunday – a 98 v Fremantle. Scores have cooled a little in the past month but we know what he is capable of and you can’t argue with the value — the 9th ranked midfielder for the season is currently the 20th most expensive.
Cooper Sharman $102,400 FWD
If you’ve got two trades you can use one of them on a bottom-priced rookie to free up cash to go shopping with your other trade. Sharman is a $102,400 forward and will be on the bubble after scoring 34 and 73 in his first two games for the Saints (or the first two that he took the field in, at least, he was the sub the week before but wasn’t called on). Giant James Peatling ($102,400 DEF/MID) couldn’t back up his 97 on debut, scoring 34 in game two, but is still a viable option if selected for his third game.
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