Fry’s Forgotten Few – Rd. 7

Long before I was scouring the internet for relevant cash cow/rookie information, DT Talk readers will remember my coverage of players of difference – commonly referred to as POD’s. While player ownership in AFL Fantasy is a statistic that I don’t spend a lot of time hashing over, having a unique in your side can help to vault you above the coaches snapping at your heels in the rankings. The following 13 players all have an ownership percentage below 10% with some looming as riskier trade targets than others.

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DEFENSE

Jayden Short (Tigers, $605K, 5.5% ownership)
Bachar Houli has been a picture of consistency for the Tigers and fantasy backlines over the last few seasons. While all of us will want the Richmond gun in our sides by year’s end, his absence for the next month paves the way for Jayden Short to excel. The 24-year old scored an impressive 100 last time out against Sydney, with all his other scores falling in the 60-70 range this season. Don’t be surprised if Short comes close to an average of 80+ before Houli returns to the side.

Adam Cerra (Dockers, $512K, 3.0% ownership)
The young Docker had arguably his best game in purple against Adelaide in Round 5 – helping himself to 17 touches, 6 marks, 5 tackles and 88 points. It’s no coincidence that Fyfe was missing in that contest, allowing Cerra to feature in 90% of the game and a hamstring complaint for the dual Brownlow winner means he is no certainty to take on West Coast this weekend. Fyfe spent a large chunk of Round 6 playing as a forward and if he stays inside-50, or worse, misses this weekend entirely, Cerra should excel once again.

Nick Haynes (Giants, $708K, 8.6% ownership)
I had some doubts over Haynes’ ability to maintain his stay as a top-6 fantasy defender. Those doubts are no longer present. GWS’ intercept king has emerged as a legitimate upgrade target with over 10,000 coaches investing in him following some healthy points totals. Just two rounds ago, Haynes posted the 3rd highest score of the week with 115 points, fuelled by 21 disposals and 11 marks – a stat line he is more than capable of replicating as the season progresses. Sign me up.

MIDFIELD

Jarrod Berry (Lions, $683K, 1.4% ownership)
If we ignore Berry’s Round 1 performance where he scored just 35 points the Lions up and comer is going at an average of 85.2 – making him a very intriguing unique option. Not many players have been able to boost their per-game numbers in these shortened quarters, and yet, Berry has managed to post career-highs in multiple categories, including tackles (5.3) and goal-assists (0.8) just to name a few. What’s most encouraging is Berry’s consistent presence in the midfield with the Brisbane cub attending 25/42 CBA’s in the past fortnight – trailing only Jarryd Lyons and Lachie Neale.

Adam Treloar (Magpies, $847K, 5.1% ownership)
If you’re considering a move for Adam Treloar, stop reading this article and pull the trigger. Now! The gun Magpie will take to the field for his third game of the season tonight, with his first two performances a sight to behold. Scores of 105 and 91 are enough for me to trust Treloar to maintain a top-8 calibre average, even if he isn’t chalking up as many marks and tackles as we would like. The Collingwood ball magnet will have to shoulder his fair share of the midfield responsibility with Steele Sidebottom suspended and by the time he does return, Treloar may be too expensive to reach for most fantasy coaches.

Harry Perryman (Giants, $648K, 1.5% ownership)
Injury creates opportunity and with Tim Taranto going down, Harry Perryman has stepped up. From a fantasy perspective, the former first-round pick has yo-yoed between eye-popping point totals and shocking scores. However, throughout it all, Perryman has been gathering touches at will, averaging a personal-best 20 disposals a game and producing six scores of 86, 42, 105, 41, 112 & 64. A move for Perryman isn’t for the faint-hearted, but while Taranto remains on ice, there are worse targets. Besides, if his rollercoaster is anything to go by, this weekend should be a fruitful one!

Elliot Yeo (Eagles, $677K, 3.8% ownership)
It’s hard to peg which Eagles midfielder you should own, but tackling machine Elliot Yeo is always a safe bet. Only Hugh Greenwood has laid more tackles this year than the West Coast hard nut and with a string of games at Optus Stadium coming up, coaches are understandably tempted by Yeo. The star utility averages 103.2 points at his home ground and if Luke Shuey fails to return, there’s no reason why Yeo can’t come close to that triple-figure total against Freo, even in shortened quarters.

Jack Steele (Saints, $788K, 2.9% ownership)
There might not be a more underrated player in fantasy right now than Jack Steele. St Kilda’s prime midfielder is leading from the front with the 7th most points scored in 2020 and no sign of slowing down. After three straight seasons posting an average in the 90’s, Steele is going at 89.0 points this year (a scaled average of 111.3) and while he is being ably supported by Jack Billings, there’s no denying Steele is the cog that makes St Kilda’s midfield go.

RUCK

Reilly O’Brien (Crows, $762K, 5.9% ownership)
Outside of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy, Reilly O’Brien is my favourite ruck trade target – so much so that I might take my own advice and bring him in this round. If you need more convincing look no further than his game against Nic Nat on the weekend. He announced his game plan to the world pre-contest and running around the ground to take advantage of a “lazy and unfit” Naitanui saw ROB finish with 19 touches, 9 marks, 7 tackles and a whopping 115 fantasy points. He only managed 12 hitouts in the game, but if O’Brien continues his around the ground work in the same fashion he did against the Eagles, he’ll be HUGE from here on out.

Rory Lobb (Dockers, $569K, 2.4% ownership)
Nearly a quarter of the competition currently own Marc “Mr Worldwide” Pittonet and the Blues ruckman will be a popular trade out candidate this week after topping out in value. Those strapped for cash chasing a reliable plug-and-play ruckman may want to consider Rory Lobb who scored 52 points in the second half once Sean Darcy went down. If Lobb is given the chance to be Fremantle’s primary ruckman, a healthy hitout total mixed in with decent disposal numbers could see him be the perfect building block to help you land a top-tier ruck later in the season.

FORWARD

Toby Greene (Giants, $656K, 9.2% ownership)
Midfield minutes haven’t come Greene’s way in 2020, but the mercurial Giant is still getting it done. His ugly 39-point outing against North drags his average down, but consistent 70’s over the last three have him firming as a trade target. A lot of coaches are waiting for another big score from Greene before pulling the trigger, but acquiring him means he’ll be nestled in your forward line when he does go bang.

James Rowbottom (Swans, $498K, 1.3% ownership)
This might be a stretch with James Rowbottom still likely a year or two off from fantasy relevance. Still, with Josh Keneedy and Isaac Heeney now on ice, someone will have to step up in Sydney’s engine room and Rowbottom is suspect No. 1. Four straight scores in the 60’s don’t scream “get me”, but those looking to upgrade Curtis Taylor and/or Connor Budarick could jump to Rowbottom without too much hassle.

Kane Lambert (Tigers, $596K, 6.3% ownership)
Another beneficiary of Richmond’s extensive injury list is Kane Lambert, who has gone 105 and 100 in back-to-back outings. The dual premiership player is thriving with added responsibility, leading the team for CBA’s against Sydney and cementing himself as a regular midfielder – for now. A continual rise in value coupled with the fact Cotchin, Prestia and Edwards are all sidelined for at least the next few weeks means those considering a Lambert move should jump on the talented Tiger this week.

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If there’s a player that I missed or you want more info on, feel free to comment below or drop me a line throughout the season! You can find me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for all things AFL Fantasy (and more)! ✌️