SuperCoach BBL 2024: Six guns flying under the radar in SuperCoach

Nobody ever won SuperCoach by playing it safe. Swing for the fences with these top scorers being overlooked by most fantasy coaches.

There’s safety in following the pack in SuperCoach.

Picking popular players guarantees that whatever happens, you’re unlikely to fall far behind most other coaches.

But the best SuperCoaches are the ones who can identify a POD (point-of-difference) and jump on before others realise what they have missed out on.

And with most coaches honing in on Renegades and Stars players for their round 1 double, there are a host of great unique picks heading into BBL14.

Here are six of the best POD options for your SuperCoach team.

JACK EDWARDS $136K BAT-BWL

OWNERSHIP: 7.4 per cent

I can understand why people are gravitating towards Sean Abbott ($131k) and Jhye Richardson ($130k) at about the same price, but don’t sleep on Edwards. The 24-year-old emerged as Australia’s next great all-round hope last summer, taking 11 wickets and making 116 runs during a breakout BBL campaign. This season he’s had even more responsibility, being named as NSW captain and skipper of the Prime Minister’s XI. Daniel Hughes’ elbow injury has left the door ajar for Edwards to bat in the top four and bowl important overs in BBL14, a recipe for huge SuperCoach scores. The Sixers have a double in round 3 and you’ll need Edwards in your team by then. After starting at $62k last summer, Edwards peaked at $178k after four SuperCoach scores of 77 or higher in the opening six rounds.

Jack Edwards bowled four overs and opened the batting for the Sixers in the BBL13 final. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

TOM ROGERS $117K BWL

OWNERSHIP: 6.1 per cent

The Renegades quick has been one of the BBL’s standout bowlers in the past three seasons, snaring 51 wickets since the start of BBL11. He wasn’t as effective last campaign, taking eight wickets in nine games which included a haul of 3-18. But there are several factors that make Rogers one of the standout POD options for BBL14. The Renegades play twice in round 1, Rogers is their No.1 quick, he bowled more overs than any other Renegade in BBL13 and has bowled 87 overs in his two tournaments since crossing from Hobart – an average of 3.6 per match. That gives Rogers the opportunity to land the economy rate bonus every match as bowlers must bowl at least three overs to be eligible. Most of his SuperCoach come from wickets in the power surge and bowling at the death, though.

JOE CLARKE $117K WKP-BAT

OWNERSHIP: 6 per cent

Clarke’s ownership is rising fast after the English keeper-batter was signed by the Stars as a replacement player for the first two games of BBL14. That means he’ll feature in the round 1 double due to Ben Duckett being unavailable as he finishes England’s Test tour of New Zealand. Clarke has scored 955 runs from 35 BBL innings at an average of 28. He’s likely to partner Tom Rogers or Sam Harper at the top of the order in round 1. The issue with starting Clarke will be how you pivot in round 2, assuming Duckett arrives on time. His price tag is too high to carry as a captaincy loophole, so make sure you have an exit strategy.

Joe Clarke has signed up for a cameo with the Stars. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Ben Dwarshuis is regularly overlooked in SuperCoach. Picture: James Worsfold/Getty Images

BEN DWARSHUIS $136K BWL

OWNERSHIP: 5.9 per cent

The big left-armer is one of the most underrated players in BBL history, sitting fourth for most wickets (134) behind Sean Abbott (165), Andrew Tye (156) and Kane Richardson (135). With most coaches prioritising Abbott, Dwarshuis again looms as one of the best unique picks in SuperCoach. Dwarshuis has taken at least 15 wickets in every BBL tournament since BBL08, highlighting his incredible consistency. He bowls at the death and averages a wicket every 16 balls he bowls in the BBL.

TOM ROGERS $87K BAT

OWNERSHIP: 4.9 per cent

Yes, there are two Tom Rogers in the BBL. In fact, there are two in Melbourne. This Rogers plays for Melbourne Stars and has scored 543 runs at an average of 24.7 since making his BBL debut during BBL11. His form this summer for Victoria has been hit-and-miss but a recent score of 76 against Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield was encouraging. The Stars play five games in the first three rounds and two scores will be enough for Rogers to be one of the best early-season SuperCoach cash cows. It remains to be seen whether he stays at the top of the order or slots in at No.4 or No.5 for the Stars after spending most of this season batting in the middle for Victoria.

Tom Rogers sends one flying. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

HAMISH MCKENZIE $69K BWL

OWNERSHIP: 4.2 per cent

Pakistan spinner Usama Mir has only been cleared to join Melbourne Stars from December 26 (SuperCoach BBL round 3). That news has given McKenzie the opportunity to stamp himself as the Stars’ No.1 tweaker, at least for the early rounds of BBL14. McKenzie scored 77 and 17 SuperCoach points in the two BBL13 rounds he featured in, impressing with 2-12 on debut. The West Australian looks set for a lead role in the opening two rounds, especially if Glenn Maxwell is unable to prove his fitness after suffering a hamstring injury during the T20 series against Pakistan.

Originally published as SuperCoach BBL 2024: Six guns flying under the radar in SuperCoach