Tim Taranto – Deck of DT 2025

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Why should I pick him?

Tim Taranto went to Richmond in 2023 with hopes of playing in front of big crowds and competing for premierships. I’d hazard a guess that neither will be on his radar in 2025. He can use that newly freed up mental capacity to focus on finding pill! You know what they say … “When your team is s**t, say ‘f**k the team’ and rack up heaps of fantasy points” (Ancient Chinese Proverb).

He’s driving the car …

Yes, the Tiges picked up some top-end draft talent, but in 2025 Timmy still has the keys to the midfield. Admittedly, it’s like having the keys to a Daewoo Lanos (Google it), but he still has them! I’ll give you the hot tip, the metaphorical Richmond midfield car is in serious need of a service. Have a look at the 2024 Richmond CBA mix below.

(DFS Australia)

The only household names on that list are either perpetually injured or have moved to Western Australia. It’s a Timmy-Time monopoly in the guts for 2025! You might then say, “Luke, but won’t he cop opposition attention?”. Not a chance! It’s widely accepted that although Tim has many fantastic footballing attributes … his disposal efficiency isn’t one of them. There’s no danger of a tag, because Richmond will suck anyway.

A clean bill of health for 2025?

2024 was one to forget for Taranto – both from a team and individual perspective. A training injury saw him miss a significant portion of the season and even after returning, he had injury affected games against Collingwood and GWS. Removing these games gives him an average of just over 100 for the season, which represents a potential 5 points of upside. Hopefully a clean run in 2025 will coincide with him returning to the heights of early 2023.

At his best … he’s a fantasy gun

Speaking of 2023, Taranto’s start to his first year at the Tigers was extra succulent! In the first 14 games of that year, the man averaged 124, including going 120+ nine times. He’s currently priced at 95 … If those numbers don’t actively excite you then you need to check your pulse! Over the last 2 years, when he’s played >80% TOG he’s averaged a more than respectable 108.

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

The market share debate

Last year Taranto amassed, on average, 6.7% of Richmond’s total points per game (1395). This market share is similar to other big dog midfielders around the league, and second only to Nank at the Tigers. Given we don’t expect the Tigers as a team to drastically improve their fantasy output, how can we expect Taranto to improve his when he already has a significant market share?

Back in 2023 Taranto was operating at 7.5%, which in 2024 would have translated to an average of 105. Maybe 7.5% is ambitious for 2025. However, could a case be made that the Tigers average more than 1395 ppg if they play a slower possession-heavy game style to stem the bleeding during some games? To give perspective on how poor <1400 ppg is – aside from WC and the Tigers last year, you have to go back to 2013 to find another team drop below 1400 (2020 excluded). Surely Richmond couldn’t be that historically bad in 2 consecutive years! (Probably mozzed it now)

The last 20

In his last 20 games, dating back to round 19 2023, Taranto has unfortunately gone at an average of 93.5 with a TOG of 81%. During this time, his PPM has only exceeded 1 on six occasions. These numbers just aren’t going to get it done for us. If it’s more of this in 2025, Timmy will be a stinky starting pick. In stark contrast, the 18 games before round 19 2023, he averaged 119 on 84% TOG and only went below a PPM of 1 four times. Which Tim Taranto will we get in 2025?

Deck of DT Rating.

A Fantasy King in a Dunce Team

In 2024 we only saw 1 midfielder average 110+, and as a result you could argue that there’s some value to uncover in the midfield for 2025. Timmy T could represent that value! With proven scoring in the past and no competition for points from his 18-year -old teammates, could Taranto reach the heights of years gone by? The market share question still lingers, but with a more points-friendly and conservative Tiger game style, I think we might see a little Timmy-Time bump. Watching my beloved Tiges will be tough in 2025, but I’m hoping Tim Taranto can make it slightly more bearable.

If you want to hear more about premium midfielders, check out the Ball Boys AFL Fantasy Podcast!

Luke

One half of the Ball Boys AFL fantasy podcast.