16 down, eight to go!

The end of the bye rounds gave coaches an opportunity to field our best possible team for the first time in a month. There were a lot of the big dogs who came to the party with stellar scores in Round 16, but there were also some underperformers amongst our best 22 on-field. Removing those crappy scorers from our field is still a priority and to do that, we’re going to need money. Luckily, there are a lot of downgrade choices this week for the fantasy faithful to pick from.

Rookie/cash cows are typically defined as players who started the season priced at $300,000 or lower

Mooooving On

Part of our weekly trade focus is to remove the rookie-priced players who are no longer making money. When a cash cow sees their average fall in line with their breakeven or they find themselves on the outside looking in for multiple weeks at a time, that’s a good time to give them the axe.

Fattened cash cows

1. Kai Lohmann, Lions ($556K, 58 AVG, 89 BE)
2. Darcy Wilson, Saints ($543K, 66 AVG, 106 BE)
3. Kane McAuliffe, Tigers ($316K, 38 AVG, 61 BE)
4. Jeremy Sharp, Dockers ($611K, 75 AVG, 92 BE)
5. Sam Clohesy, Suns ($531K, 69 AVG, 81 BE)

Injured/non-playing rookies

1. Blake Howes, Demons ($428K, 54 AVG, 69 BE)
2. Hugo Garcia, Saints ($374K, 54 AVG, 27 BE)
3. Charlie Dean, Magpies ($376K, 50 AVG, 27 BE)
4. Zane Duursma, Kangaroos ($309K, 40 AVG, 63 BE)
5. Shaun Mannagh, Cats ($217K, 34 AVG, 12 BE)

Cash Cow King – Round 16

I was one of the coaches who opted to trade Oliver Dempsey (107) when his bye arrived… It made sense at the time, but since that week we’ve seen the budding Cat score back-to-back 100’s and reignite his cash generation. He obviously finished the round as the highest-scoring rookie, with Jeremy Sharp (98) coming close – looking much more like his usual self against the Swans. Four snags from Orazio Fantasia (78) saw him earn a nomination alongside Bruce Reville (77) and Josh Sinn (74), but I can’t go past Dempsey (again) for my vote this week.

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Making Moves

Money makers

All of a sudden, we’re spoilt for choice with cheap green dots and most coaches will be looking to make at least one rookie shuffle prior to Round 17. We’ve been clamouring for reliable DEF rooks all season and there are viable choices this week in the form of Logan Evans ($287K, 59, BE -11), Arie Schoenmaker ($281K, 52, BE -6) and Lawson Humphries ($233K, 69, BE -5). I still view Evans and Schoenmaker as 1A and 1B, although there’s nothing wrong with targeting Humphries after he gathered 15 disposals against the Bombers – as long as Chris Scott leaves him out of the vest.

A fair portion of the fantasy community would’ve been chuffed with Bruce Reville’s ($488K, 77, BE 35) performance for Brisbane and there’s every reason to believe he’ll start next round priced over $500K. There’s no urgency to move on Bruce, but owners shouldn’t be afraid to swap him for a cheaper FWD if you need the extra $$$ for an upgrade. Perhaps you could make a play for Billy Dowling ($357K, 64, BE -2) if you missed the boat – or you could even target a Demon youngster such as Koltyn Tholstrup ($325K, 50, BE 12) or Andy Moniz-Wakefield ($224K, 57, BE 2). Team selection on Thursday will give us more clarity, however, there are a lot of ways coaches can execute a cash cow shuffle.

Keep the faith

It’s hard to advise coaches to move Oliver Dempsey ($640K, 107, BE 35) on right now, with Geelong’s Rising Star threat scoring better than 95% of forwards! Those who still own Dempsey may as well ride his price rise with the likes of Joel Freijah ($435K, 70, BE 36) and Nathan Kreuger ($361K, 58, BE 17) poised to keep their cash gen ticking along as well. I’m tempted to give Bodhi Uwland ($601K, 71, BE 56) another life this weekend against North Melbourne, although I’d be making an exit strategy if I were an owner now that he’s ticked over the $600K mark.

I’m aware that there are some coaches out there who still find themselves fielding multiple cash cows – some of whom may have held onto popular starting picks like Ryley Sanders ($512K, 66, BE 59), Jeremy Sharp ($611K, 98, BE 92) and Harley Reid ($567K, 67, BE 61). Having made most of their money, it’s still ideal to chop them out for one of the cheaper rookies scoring at a decent clip in an effort to save some cash. That goes for anyone still holding onto Will Graham ($489K, 73, BE 51) following his Rising Star nomination against Collingwood too. These rooks have served their purpose for coaches and swapping them for a cheaper alternative provides you with the coin to move them off the field in the near future.

Cut them loose

There are a lot of middling cash cows being axed this week. Players who served as on-field options throughout the byes are no longer required and as they stall in value I’m all for pulling the trigger with both of your trades this round. That goes for anyone holding onto Logan Morris ($372K, 6, BE 64), Lachie Sullivan ($396K, 25, BE 63), Kane McAuliffe ($316K, 26, BE 61), Harvey Thomas ($407K, 37, BE 45), Toby McMullin ($282K, 16, BE 47) or Jhye Clark ($406K, 31, BE 45). Their varying price tags might dictate who you target at the selection table, but it’s evident that your team will be better in the long run by culling these rookies.

At the more expensive end, Darcy Wilson ($543K, 22, BE 106) is a must-trade for anyone still clinging onto the St Kilda talent. I’d rank him as the most pressing trade-out candidate, with Sam Clohesy ($531K, 46, BE 81) a close second. Most will have moved on from these types already, but if not it’s still crucial to swing the axe before they bleed any more cash. The same could be said for FWD-eligible youngsters, Kai Lohman ($556K, 62, BE 89), Caleb Windsor ($469K, 52, BE 58) and Harvey Gallagher ($473K, 45, BE 76).

Thin Ice

As a Fremantle fan, I was thrilled to see how Josh Draper ($319K, 73, BE 5) performed late against the Swans. From a fantasy standpoint though, this score was a bit of an anomolly. There are still over 13,500 teams that own the Dockers DEF and with Richmond on the horizon he could have another uptick in price this round. After though, I’d strongly suggest moving him on. Taj Woewodin ($313K, 47, BE 36) and Joe Richards ($412K, 27, BE 26) are also on the block as they’ve both seemingly stalled in price.

Woewodin could find himself demoted if Christan Salem returns and the few thousand coaches who opted to trade Richards back into their team weren’t happy to see him start as Collingwood’s sub. There’s nothing wrong with giving him the flick this week, however a breakeven in the 20’s is still attainable against the Bombers. Toby Pink ($290K, 23, BE 44) isn’t going to help fantasy coaches for much longer and while trading him for an Evans/Schoenmaker/Humphries type won’t net you a lot of cash, it’ll still improve your team in the long run.

Wait and see

An average 44-point performance leaves Harvey Harrison ($391K, 44, BE 43) floating in no man’s land for a lot of coaches. He could be axed to net the cash you need for another move, but the fantasy ceiling he has displayed at times means you could wait and address other crappy rookies with your trades this week. Low-owned players such as Will Hamill ($392K, 46, BE 27) and Josh Sinn ($355K, 74, BE 12) are too expensive to invest in now and as a result, non-owners should steer clear. Richmond debutant Jacob Blight ($213K, 42, BE 11) should be able to string some games together now with Dylan Grimes sidelined for the rest of the season – just don’t expect epic fantasy numbers from the mature-aged Tiger.

Sub status

Subbed On – Kynan Brown, Caiden Cleary, Joe Richards, Zac Taylor, Toby McMullin, Will Lorenz

Subbed Off – Logan Morris, Hugh Davies, Max Gruzewski, Calsher Dear

With all 18 teams returning to action, there were a lot of cash cows affected by the sub vest last round. The trend of rookies having their cash generation killed by the vest continued as well – with a pair of debutants (Zac Taylor and Will Lorenz) and a pair of second-gamers (Kynan Brown and Caiden Cleary) combining to score 53 points. Gross.

State League Stats

Dante Visentini, Power (142) – 20 disposals, 44 hitouts, 7 marks, 7 tackles, 1 goal
Shaun Manngah, Cats (131) – 21 disposals, 10 tackles, 6.1 in front of goal
Ted Clohesy, Cats (127) – 22 disposals, 12 tackles, 1.1 in front of goal
Charlie Lazzaro, Kangaroos (126) – 25 disposals, 11 tackles
Luke Beecken, Lions (125) – 29 disposals, 13 marks, 1 behind
Bailey Laurie, Demons (122) – 27 disposals, 13 tackles
Max Ramsden, Hawks (122) – 14 disposals, 48 hitouts, 6 tackles, 1 goal
Aaron Cadman, Giants (116) – 16 disposals, 9 marks, 5.1 in front of goal
Hugo Garcia, Saints (111) – 18 disposals, 13 tackles, 1 goal
James Tunstill, Lions (110) – 27 disposals, 7 marks, 2.1 in front of goal
James Tsitas, Suns (110) – 25 disposals, 8 tackles, 1 goal
Mitch Hardie, Cats (110) – 33 disposals, 7 tackles
Jack Carroll, Blues (109) – 28 disposals, 7 tackles
James Leake, Giants (108) – 23 disposals, 7 marks, 6 tackles, 1 behind
Max Heath, Saints (106) – 16 disposals, 28 hitouts, 5 marks, 5 tackles, 1.1 in front of goal
Jaxon Binns, Blues (103) – 28 disposals, 5 marks
Finlay Macrae, Magpies (100) – 26 disposals, 7 tackles, 1.1 in front of goal
Zane Trew, Eagles (98) – 33 disposals, 6 marks, 1 behind
Jack Bytel, Magpies (96) – 31 disposals
Jedd Busslinger, Bulldogs (96) – 24 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal
Kynan Brown, Demons (96) – 19 disposals, 5 marks, 7 tackles
Karl Worner, Dockers (94) – 29 disposals, 5 marks,
Phoenix Gothard, Giants (91) – 19 disposals, 5 marks, 2.1 in front of goal
Hugh Jackson, Power (89) – 16 disposals, 10 tackles, 1 goal
Chris Burgess, Crows (88) – 17 disposals, 9 marks, 3.2 in front of goal
Blake Howes, Demons (87) – 23 disposals, 6 marks
Colby McKercher, Kangaroos (87) – 26 disposals, 2 goals
Oisin Mullin, Cats (86) – 19 disposals, 7 tackles
Henry Smith, Lions (85) – 16 disposals, 15 hitouts, 5 marks, 1 goal
Oscar Ryan, Crows (85) – 20 disposals, 6 marks
Matt Roberts, Swans (84) – 21 disposals, 5 tackles
Ethan Phillips, Hawks (84) – 19 disposals, 6 marks
Campbell Gray, Tigers (82) – 14 disposals, 4.1 in front of goal
Liam Reidy, Dockers (82) – 6 disposals, 44 hitouts, 5 tackles
Lachlan McNeil, Bulldogs (81) – 19 disposals, 2.2 in front of goal
Nick Coffield, Bulldogs (80) – 18 disposals, 9 marks
Archie Roberts, Bombers (79) – 24 points, 1.1 in front of goal
Clay Hall, Eagles (72) – 23 disposals
Daniel Curtin, Crows (72) – 14 disposals, 7 marks
Harry DeMattia, Magpies (70) – 19 disposals
Tew Jiath, Magpies (63) – 16 disposals
Darcy Jones, Giants (61) – 16 disposals, 2.1 in front of goal
Jake Rogers, Suns (57) – 11 disposals, 7 tackles
Ethan Read, Suns (36) – 9 disposals, 2 goals

Remember the Name

In no particular order, here are some of the other rookie-priced players to consider throughout the season.

DEFENDERS

James Leake (Giants, $252K)
Jakob Ryan (Magpies, $200K)
Billy Wilson (Blues, $201K)
Archie Roberts (Bombers, $200K)
Jedd Busslinger (Bulldogs, $200K)
Charlie Edwards (Crows, $240K)
Saad El-Hawli (Bombers, $200K)
Jacob Blight (Tigers, $200K)

MIDFIELDERS

Clay Hall (Eagles, $200K)
Hugh Jackson (Power, $200K)
Harry Rowston (Giants, $241K)
Harry DeMattia (Magpies, $228K)
Mitch Hardie (Cats, $200K)
George Stevens (Cats, $200K)

RUCKMEN

Henry Smith (Lions, $200K)
Coen Livingstone (Eagles, $200K)
Max Heath (Saints, $200K)
Archer Reid (Eagles, $213K)
Will Verrall (Demons, $200K)
Taylor Goad (Kangaroos, $243K)
Mitch Edwards (Cats, $207K)

FORWARDS

James Tsitas (Suns, $200K)
Ashton Moir (Blues, $216K)
Tom Anastasopoulos (Power, $200K)
Brayden George (Kangaroos, $200K)
Max Hall (Saints, $200K)
Campbell Gray (Tigers, $200K)
Toby Murray (Crows, $200K)

Fry

An Australian coffee/burrito enthusiast who is the frustrated owner of 16 fantasy teams. Writer for SportsbyFry and DT Talk ?