Amateurs Fantasy Sports

Buys

Tom Jenkins WFB $297’000 Projected average: 41 BE: -1

Any doubts over job security can be wiped away with Brian To’o out for the next four weeks. He looked great in a poor losing effort from the Panthers with multiple last tackle offloads. He looks the best sub-300k option this week with WFB proving tough to fill at times and playing in a likely top four side (despite the bad start) with a returning Nathan Cleary. The bar is low at this price and break even where even a worst case scenario (besides injury) would see him average low 30s and net approx 90k in 4 weeks.

Kitione Kautoga CTR/EDG $320’000 Projected average: 37 BE: 2

Not the most inspiring with his average run metres looking somewhat similar to Tigers/Manly era Kelma Tuilagi and the team he’s playing for being down right awful. However, it seems like he is the 80-minute edge in this side and even at 65 minutes he presents ten points of value. The centre dual is a big plus and he looks good defensively.

Dylan Egan EDG $260’000 Projected average: 31 BE: 2

A 30 minute middle stint combined with 20 minutes on an edge to end the game has vaulted Egan into buy contention from the clouds. The role could change at any time but the bar is low given his price and break even.

Holds

Sandon Smith HLF $380’000 BE: 24

Not a lot of strong holds with question marks this week so it falls on Sandon for hold consideration. Not going to make a strong argument against selling if you’re set on trading him but with a break even in the mid 20s he’s not urgent by any means. If you have other fires he can be held for another week.

Sells

Tom Gilbert MID/EDG $565’000 BE: 46

The 1-week suspension is probably all the excuse coaches need to move off Gilbert this week. The move to an edge over the past two rounds has not worked out at all and while the tough opposition in combination with the awful weather played a part in his poor score last week, he’s not a keeper on the edge and his price rises have now stalled. He at least made 65k so not a disaster.

Isaiah Iongi WFB $344’000 BE: 24

Iongi has looked good at times but it’s not translating into good scores with Parramatta failing to win a game thus far. While I still think he’ll come good at some stage, we can’t afford to wait around forever when so many other good options are presenting themselves this week.

Spicy Buys

Ryley Smith HOK $283’000 Projected average: 32 BE: 13

It seems the arrival of Dylan Walker has made Ryley Smith the main beneficiary with the young rake moving into a starting role for the first time this year, seeing Hands and Lussick out of the side completely. I think there’s still a pretty good chance Walker plays a chunk of hooker minutes but even a 50-60 minute role would yield enough value with a lot of coaches potentially only running one hooker after a mass exodus from Watson last week. He’s in the spicy buys section because I’d prefer to wait a week and see what the role is like given how bad Parramatta are, but if the minutes are good he’ll be in the buys section next week.

Toby Couchman MID/EDG $606’000 Projected average: 53 BE: 33

After 58- and 60-point performances in the opening two rounds of the year, Toby Couchman saw his minutes drop in round 4 despite a stellar PPM. I think this was in large part due to Cook’s HIA messing with the rotation a bit and with Guler suspended for 3 weeks, I’d expect him to return to normal programming. If he starts this week I’d have no problems buying but the shuffling to the bench in the final hour does make this spicier than I’d like.

No more spicy buys too many good options. Straight bat week.