Some more big scores last week however we also got some big injuries. Injuries are obviously an unfortunate part of the game but also give us a chance to see some young guys have a chance to step up and take their opportunity.
Titans vs Sharks
Phillip Sami is out for a few weeks with Dale Copley the man to come back in. Tyrone Roberts is out again and replaced by AJ Brimson, with young gun Jesse Arthars taking the utility spot on the bench. Bryce Cartwright is still making money but is very hit and miss, while Jai Arrow is still a great option in the forwards.
Sosaia Feki is back on the wing with Sione Katoa moving back to the extended bench. Andrew Fifita is still a genuine captaincy option and once again you don’t have to worry about him playing Origin. Bronson Xerri is still making money however we haven’t seen him get a big score yet, although he’s been unlucky in some attacking raids. Feels like it could just be a matter of time before he lights it up and rewards those of us who bought him into our teams.
Tigers vs Panthers
Benji Marshall named to return at five-eighth although he was a late withdrawal last week. Robbie Farah started the season very strong but is a very risky buy now with Jacob Liddle in the 14 jersey. Keep in mind Robbie started the season on an uncommon try scoring run which inflated his score.
Isaah Yeo is out and Kikau has been named on the extended bench. Both appeared to suffer serious injuries last game but apparently it wasn’t as bad as first thought. Kikau is a chance of coming back this week and Yeo could be back in a few weeks. Before full time of the Panthers game last week I was already planning my trades to bring James Fisher-Harris in thinking about all the extra work he’d get with Yeo and Kikau out long term, but those plans have changed with JFH being named on an edge instead of lock and both the other back rowers possibly back very soon. Josh Mansour continues to punish those of us who snapped him up at the start of the season thinking he’d be a great buy. Reagan Campbell-Gillard moves back into the starting side although his scores didn’t change too much when he was on the bench. James Maloney will play after being cleared by the judiciary.
Sea Eagles vs Broncos
Lachlan Croker is injured, forcing Api Koroisau into the halves and Manase Fainu into starting hooker. Fainu is tempting if he can do the unlikely and play hooker for 80 minutes although that looks unlikely with how much he was struggling with inflated minutes last week. Taupau is still a fantasy monster despite never playing big minutes. Keep an eye on Toafofua now that he is starting.
James Roberts and Jamayne Isaako are both back to reserve grade while Andrew McCullough is out indefinitely with a suspected MCL injury. Jake Turpin is another good cash out option and as a starting hooker is pretty much guaranteed to make some good money. I traded him in this week so hopefully he turns into a good cash cow at this stage of the season. Payne Haas has been incredible so far and if he can keep it up could be a keeper. Matt Gillett is another ex gun who started the season cheap but hasn’t lived up to hopes so far. I’ve had him all season but refuse to trade him out because I know when I do he will go back to his 2015 form.
Bulldogs vs Knights
Ofahiki Ogden is back to the extended bench with Sauaso Sue in the 17 and Dylan Napa back in the starting lineup. Aiden Tolman has been great in Napas absence but it remains to be seen how big his workload will be now he will be sharing some work. His break even is about his average so now might be the time to cash him out if you were thinking about it. Keiran Foran is on the extended bench so keep an eye on final team lists.
Knights are unchanged from last week. Mitch Pearce scored a try and had some other attacking stats for a big score last week. He’s still quite cheap and has a lot of upside if you were looking for upgrade a half. Kalyn Ponga is a must have at fullback.
Warriors vs Dragons
Kodi Nikorima is named to start at halfback which forced cash cow Chanel Harris-Tavita back to the reserves, although might be worth holding onto if you have more pressing issues as Blake Green is still not 100% after some injury woes. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck should be in your fullback plans (along with Ponga and Tedesco), while Issac Luke has been dropped to the reserves.
Corey Norman is out with a face injury. Jai Field gets the starting spot and worth keeping an eye on, but Ben Hunt will no doubt get some added responsibility as the main playmaker. Jacob Host has peaked and should be sold, but Blake Lawrie is still putting up big numbers so can be held for at least another week or two.
Storm vs Eels
I’d hate to be the Eels after a bad loss for the Storm had Craig Bellamy publicly calling his team out. I expect them to come out firing to prove a point to the rest of the competition. Brandon Smith is back on the bench and Curtis Scott is on the extended bench. Cameron Smith had a quiet game last week but remains a safe captaincy option.
Tim Mannah replaces Kane Evans in the 17. Reed Mahoney is still exceeding expectations and is even being mentioned as a possible bolter to make the Queensland Origin team. Clint Gutherson is a good point of difference at fullback or in the halves with good base stats to support his play-making skills and ability to find the try line.
Roosters vs Raiders
Latrell Mitchell has to be up there with the best players in the world right now. His game last week was mind blowing so we’ll see if he can back it up. James Tedesco is capable of anything and you definitely want him in your team ASAP, although if you don’t have him now it might not be a terrible idea to wait until after Origin.
The John Bateman ride is over for now after an eye socket fracture has him out for 5+ weeks. He’s way too expensive to hold but can be sold for pretty much anyone. Hudson Young gets the starting spot in the back row so is another great cash out option. Elliot Whitehead might get some bigger scores with Bateman gone, and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is still impressing at the back. Josh Hodgson is still a good POD, especially if he can get some more attacking stats.
Rabbitohs vs Cowboys
Adam Reynolds is a great target to cover Round 12, and Cameron Murray is super consistent and almost must have, although is quite expensive if you don’t have him yet. Damien Cook is another option at hooker and ideally you’ll have him and Cameron Smith, but worth waiting until after Origin if you don’t have him.
Kyle Feldt returns but is a winger so not really fantasy relevant, although it might provide some spark for the Cowboys attack to get going. Michael Morgan is consistent, but consistently below what we expected from him. Morgan and Feldt always had a good combination so we may see a spike in Morgans scores. Jason Taumalolo is another you definitely want at some stage but you can hold off another week with his big break even, but he is pretty much the Hulk so it wouldn’t be surprising if he hits that break even. Coen Hess starts in place of the injured Josh McGuire, but there are much better options out there as cash cows and as PODs.
Good luck this weekend!
