SuperCoach: Should you trade injured GWS star Josh Kelly before he misses three weeks?

With a three-round average of 128, there’s few better options than Western Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli to replace Josh Kelly in your SuperCoach team. TOP 10 TRADE OPTIONS

Josh Kelly will miss at least three weeks due to a calf injury. Picture. Phil Hillyard

To trade or not to trade?

That is the question 36,042 Josh Kelly owners are faced with this week in SuperCoach with the GWS dynamo to miss at least three weeks due to a calf injury.

Kelly has a SuperCoach average of 119.8 points, which he was on track to eclipse before being hurt against Brisbane Lions on Sunday.

As The Phantom rightfully pointed out, history tells us more injuries and carnage — such as what we experienced in Round 16 — is in store.

Unless you’re in the mix for the overall prize and trying to run down current leader Ryder2Gray, find a way to hold Kelly so you can benefit come league finals.

GWS has been notoriously cautious with its injured stars, as we saw at the weekend when Lachie Whitfield was left out despite training strongly as he pushed his case to return from a broken collarbone.

But if you’re in the hunt for SuperCoach glory, you can’t afford to sit in your trades.

You’re not going to make up ground by playing it safe, which is why many coaches chose to trade Max Gawn to Todd Goldstein in Round 16.

Consider this.

Josh Kelly will miss at least three weeks due to a calf injury. Picture. Phil Hillyard

If you were to trade Kelly to Rory Sloane and he averaged 105 in the next three weeks, you’d be 315 points better off, as well as $69,500, if Kelly returns after three weeks as predicted.

Of course, you’ll regret it if you sit in the top 500 now, only to run out of trades and plummet down the rankings.

But prizes aren’t handed out for those who finish in the top 100.

As meritorious as it is to finish that high, you need to be bold if you want to make a play for glory.

That’s why trading Kelly must be a consideration this week.

Positive injury news regarding Patrick Cripps, Max Gawn and Travis Boak makes it crucial Kelly is your trade priority for Round 17.

Marcus Bontempelli has been in red-hot form in the past month. Picture: Michael Klein.

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TRADE GUIDE: THE BEST PICKS AHEAD OF ROUND 17

HERE ARE THE TOP-10 KELLY TRADE OPTIONS:

Marcus Bontempelli $570,600, mid, Avg: 115.6, BE: 62

Bontempelli is one of the hottest players in the league after Round 16. He scored 85 points in a quarter last weekend against Port Adelaide before amassing 146 in Western Bulldogs’ upset win over Geelong. He has a three-round average of 128.3 and you’ll bank more than $40,000 if you trade Kelly to the brilliant Bulldog.

Lachie Neale $571,700, mid, Avg: 123.5, BE: 51

Hard to believe there’s still 49 per cent of teams without the No. 1 SuperCoach midfielder of 2019. If you still don’t have Neale, take the chance to jump on now and make a profit of more than $40,000 from Kelly. He’ll help replace the missing points from Kelly’s absence and that extra money will help you make another upgrade. Neale was back to his absolute best on Sunday with 151 against GWS.

Jake Lloyd $552,000, def, Avg: 113.3, BE: 143

The silver lining of Josh Kelly’s injury might be grabbing a top premium in another position such as Lloyd. With a break even of 143 he’s likely to lose value again this week, but that shouldn’t be much of a factor at this point of the season. If you still have Noah Answerth or Xavier Duursma you could use their DPP status to turn Kelly into Lloyd.

Clayton Oliver has been back to his best in the past five weeks for Melbourne. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.

Clayton Oliver $575,100, mid, Avg: 110.5, BE: 80

The star Demon has come good in the past five rounds with four scores of 114+ after he was restricted to 53 points by Matt De Boer. That streak has lifted his average to above 110 for the season and he clearly has a point to prove during the run home, much like Melbourne. He has a strong record against Western Bulldogs and St Kilda, two of Melbourne’s next three opponents.

Rory Sloane $544,500, mid, Avg: 108.4, BE: 110

If you’d prefer to bank $70,000 than look at a direct swap for Kelly, Sloane is your man. He had seven tons in his past nine games, one of which was a score of 35 when he suffered a hamstring injury against Melbourne. Five of those tons have been above 120 and Sloane is still serious value at his price.

Josh Dunkley $599,200, fwd-mid, Avg: 107.3, BE: 141

Don’t underestimate the value of DPP (dual-position) players in the latter rounds of the year when trades are running low. Dunkley has been the pick of those this year, disregarding popular Cat Patrick Dangerfield (who is likely already in your side). If you weren’t able to engineer a trade for Dunkley when Luke Beveridge threw him back into midfield, this is your chance. He’s scored six hundreds in a row and eight tons in his past nine.

Josh Dunkley has been the top SuperCoach dual-position player this year. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Patrick Cripps $584,400, mid, Avg: 119.8, BE: 75

Traded out Patrick Cripps in the past two weeks when he got injured? Take the opportunity to bring him back in as a direct replacement for Kelly. Cripps has thrown in the odd low score this year but three totals above 150 highlight his monster ceiling.

Shannon Hurn $532,800, def, Avg: 110.4, BE: 111

If you’ve been patiently waiting to add the ultra-consistent West Coast captain to your side, this could be your best chance. You’ll make more than $80,000 to bolster your team elsewhere and bring in one of the top defensive scorers of the year. He hasn’t scored above 104 in the past month, but most importantly hasn’t dropped below 85.

Lachie Whitfield $564,100, def, Avg: 110.9, BE: 155

Pending selection at GWS, why wouldn’t you consider a direct swap of Kelly to his teammate Whitfield? Had it not been for two injuries Whitfield would be rivalling Jake Lloyd as the No. 1 defensive scorer of the season. By jumping on this round, you would be a week ahead of those who wait for his price to drop due to a high break even.

Rowan Marshall $600,100, fwd, Avg: 109.8, BE: 69

Who would have thought we’d be seriously contemplating paying $600,000 for a rookie ruckman? Come the end of season SuperCoach awards, Marshall is almost certain to earn the gong of the year’s breakout performer. His past five scores are 119 or better and he has a five-round average of 133.4. If you’ve been envious of those who jumped on before his price skyrocketed, trade Kelly to Marshall and move Patrick Dangerfield or Tim Kelly into your midfield for their DPP swing.