Have Sydney already unearthed the heir to their throne? What is going to happen with the Greater Western Sydney Giants over the off-season? Will the real Patrick Cripps please stand up? There are so many questions coming out of round 18. But let's turn our attention back to fantasy footy for a second and identify some risers in form and others who should be falling out of favour with all fantasy coaches. Let us know your thoughts on who we have down below on all of our socials - twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
RISERS
Chad Warner (Sydney Swans - MID)
There’s a lot of noise around the Sydney Swans and in particular Chad Warner right now and for a good reason. At the age of 21, Warner is doing it all! From impacting the scoreboard, racking up massive amounts of the footy and doing it in style while doing so. With all this opportunity that Warner is getting around the footy right now, his fantasy scores are benefitting. Scores of 127, 125 and 156 GDS fantasy points are just further insinuating that Chad Warner should now be viewed as one of the best dynasty player cards in the game.
Nick Vlastuin (Richmond Tigers - DEF)
While Nick Vlastuin isn’t the sexiest player to own in fantasy, he has proven to be more than serviceable for both Richmond and fantasy owners. After his one-round suspension in round 17, Vlastuin returned in round 18 to put up a score of 125 GDS fantasy points, numbers that we have been getting used to in season 2022. His ton in this week makes it his eighth of the year, with his worst performance being a score of 83 in round 8. I see Nick Vlastuin is a great player of difference to play if you have him, he could even be a league winner.
Dylan Moore (Hawthorn Hawks - FWD)
I thought we lost him for a little period there, but Dylan Moore has firmly resurrected his fantasy scores these last few weeks, much to the delight of owners who stuck by him. Moore started the season on fire however, petered off through the middle period before his bye round in round 14. Moore’s last three-game average before the bye was 85 GDS fantasy points through that period but since the bye? A massive average of 124 GDS fantasy points. Moore is a player who even at silver level, should be started in most teams!
FALLERS
Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans - FWD)
While we spoke earlier in the blog about the new budding star in Sydney already claiming the throne, Lance Franklin is quietly struggling. There’s a copious amount of media noise about his contract negotiations right now off-field, it’s hard to ignore as a fantasy platform the idea that he may not be in a Sydney Swans jumper come season 2023. To add to that, his score of 44 GDS fantasy points in round 18 highlights just how boom or bust Franklin can be and how a new team could affect that. With a lot up in the air, I’ll be sitting him.
Tom Green (GWS Giants - MID)
I think adding Tom Green to the fallers section of this list is more about the list management down at the Giants headquarters right now than the actual talent of Tom Green. There are not many midfields Tom Green doesn’t walk into though, with Jacob Hopper coming back into the fray, Stephen Coniglio and Tim Taranto playing midfield time again and the likes of Josh Kelly and Lachie Ash playing some inside footy, it makes it hard for Tom Green to get any continuity inside. This may only be a temporary issue though, as Tom Browne reports on the Triple M Footy show that ‘he understands that GWS are currently $1-1.1 million over current projections”, which means changes will have to be made to some of the bigger names at the club. Green is definitely a name to watch and hold onto going into next season
Patrick Cripps (Carlton Blues - MID)
What is going on with Patty Cripps? We still see glimpses of how great he is, we saw how dominant he can be as he returned to Brownlow-level form at the start of the season, Carlton are playing the best footy they have played in seasons, but Cripps as of late hasn’t been who we wanted in fantasy footy. Over his last 4 games, Cripps has only managed to average 99 GDS fantasy points, a long way from where he was at, at the beginning of the season. Hopefully, he can rekindle his form going forward, because not only is Cripps at his best fun to watch, Cripps at his best is one of the best fantasy assets in the game!
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