SuperCoach NBL No Go Zone: Is Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton really a must-have?

Reverse trades now! A host of popular SuperCoach players are either out or have question marks hanging over them for the start of the season.

SuperCoach NBL is not just about the players to target but also the popular players to avoid.

And the most controversial man on that list this season is the MVP himself Bryce Cotton.

Meanwhile, a host of popular players should be traded out of SuperCoach sides due to injuries, suspensions and poor schedules.

*UPDATED* Bryce Cotton PER ($448,500 GRD) - 32%

Only played two of three games in the NBL Blitz, sitting out the final game with a thumb injury. While he’s expected to play the opening round, the news is more than enough to reconsider the most expensive player in SuperCoach NBL.

Yes, Cotton is a four-time NBL MVP and a superstar of the competition. His accomplishments in actual NBL also equate to SuperCoach with Cotton scoring the most points of any player last season.

The Wildcats hardly have the best schedule with only one double in the first six rounds, so other cheaper players will take the field a lot more than Cotton. Can Cotton outscore those players in less games? And by extension, is the massive $448,500 better spent elsewhere? Potentially, possibly, probably, depending on variables. Big opportunity for the old anti-POD.

Bryce Cotton is the best player in the NBL but is he worth the cash in SuperCoach? Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

*NEW ADDITION* Taran Armstrong CNS ($199,200 GRD) - 10.5%

Armstrong will miss the first two games of the regular season due to a calf tear. Currently in the top 10 most popular guards in SuperCoach NBL, it’s time to move him on. But the Taipans have three doubles in four weeks upon his return so plan for a buy in round 3.

*NEW ADDITION* Xavier Cooks SYD ($365,500 FWD) - 32.7%

Currently the sixth most popular player in SuperCoach, but should he be that high in the ownership stakes? The short answer is no. $365,500 is a hefty price for a guy who we barely saw during the pre-season and, like many Kings players, may be forced to fight for minutes in a stacked roster.

*UPDATED* Parker Jackson-Cartwright NZL ($421,200 GRD) - 6%

Picked up a nasty dislocated finger in the Blitz and while he’ll likely play the opening round it’s a definite setback for the second most expensive player in the game. PJC was last year’s second-top SuperCoach pointscorer behind only Cotton. But a quick look at the schedule shows he is a bust to start the year.

The New Zealand Breakers have the worst schedule in the NBL as they have byes in rounds 4 and 5 when they fly to the US to take part in NBA pre-season games against the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder. But load up from round five when the Breakers have seven doubles in nine rounds, the best run of any team this season.

Keep this handy all season!

Jackson Makoi CRNS ($58,500 GRD) - 10%

Starts dirt cheap in a tough season for cheapies and is therefore very popular. But Makoi is suspended for the first two games due to a DUI. But he should be a primary back up to Taran Armstrong on his return, which coincides with two doubles in a row, so keep him up your sleeve.

Casey Prather BRIS ($139,200 FWD/GRD) – 23.9%

Like the Breakers, the Brisbane Bullets are another team to treat with caution – they don’t have a double-game round until round 9. That doesn’t mean avoid them at all costs with Rocco Zikarsky in particular set to be an important cash cow (he’s currently the most-owned player in the game at 47 per cent). But it’s another story with Prather given minutes, injuries and age are all big worries.

Jarell Martin ADL ($277,000 CTR/FWD) - 7.4%

The new Adelaide 36ers import won’t be ready for round one as initially hoped. He is set to miss 4-6 weeks. On the plus side, this injury could help Isaac Humphries, who scored the eighth most SuperCoach points of any player last year.

Jaylen Adams SYD ($392,900 GRD) - 9.7%

Tough call here. First the positives. Adams scored the third most points of any player last year and the Kings have four doubles in the first seven rounds. Now the negatives. Adams starts very expensive after said strong season and the Kings have arguably the most stacked roster in the NBL. Will he handle the ball as much as last year?

Tyler Robertson SYD ($69,000 GRD/FWD) - 12%

Popular, mainly due to a budget price tag. But as with Adams above, the Sydney roster is loaded and game time could prove difficult. It’s also important to note that all bench players count 50 per cent to your total scoring each round, so the popular tactic from SuperCoach NRL and AFL of carrying non-players is not an option for NBL.

Originally published as SuperCoach NBL No Go Zone: Is Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton really a must-have?