Will Jake Trbojevic be an elite fantasy asset again? Can Tago continue his great form? What do we do with Turpin now Brandon Smith has returned from injury? These are some of the questions that will be answered in the round 20 preview of buy, sell and hold. It’s essential to keep in mind that GameDay Squad is a dynasty fantasy football platform and that will be heavily taken into consideration in this article. Let us know your thoughts on who we have included below on all of our socials - twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
BUY!
Izack Tago
Penrith Panthers - Centre (CTR)
Tago is the inform centre of the NRL at the moment and has a three-game average of 69 points. What has really impressed in his recent performances is the number of times he has gone looking for the ball. Tago has shown in his recent outings that he is able to score 55+ points in multiple ways and not many centres are able to do this. It will be interesting to see if he can keep up this form when Cleary returns to the side. I don’t see any reason why he can’t. With the Panthers being one of the better teams in the NRL, Tago is now on a lot of coaches' radars as we like to play centres that are in good teams. At 21 years old, this is his 3rd season in the NRL, and he should make his 50th appearance this season. We seem to have an abundance of young talented centres in the game at the moment and I would be trying to load up on them now as they are likely only to be more sought after in seasons to come. Especially Tago as the Panthers may favour going down his edge in the future with Crichton leaving for the Bulldogs at the end of the season
Bradman Best
Cronulla Sharks - Edge-Forward (EDG)
Best has been a solid option at centre but he has really broken onto the scene over the last couple of weeks. His recent form even earned him a Blues jersey for Game 3, in which he crossed over for two tries. He only averages 38 points and is the 18th ranked centre. These numbers don’t seem all that impressive but with Ponga now back at fullback and the Knights favoring their left edge attack, Best might be a great option over the next few weeks. At only 21 years old, Best is in his 5th season of the NRL and has played over 60 games for the Knights. He has had to deal with a number of injuries over the past few years, and this has really hampered his development in first grade. So far this season, he has managed to stay injury free and has played every game for the Knights. Hopefully he stays injury free as he’s on track to have his best year in fantasy. He would be a fantastic dynasty asset to have, especially if he can be reselected for Origin next year.
SELL
Lachlan Fitzgibbon
Newcastle Knights - Edge-Forward (EDG)
Fitzgibbon is coming off one of his best performances in fantasy terms for several years after scoring 91 points against the Bulldogs in round 19. Over the last week it has been confirmed that the Warrington Wolves have signed Fitzgibbon on a three-year deal from next season. Due to this news, Fitzgibbon’s value in GDS will likely start to plummet and before this news becomes more widely known, it might pay to sell Fitzgibbon off the back of his 91 point performance. This news doesn’t mean Fitzgibbon doesn’t hold any value for the remainder of the season and with him averaging 43 points he isn’t the worst option on the edge. However, from the end of the season any Fitzgibbon cards will likely be collecting dust for the foreseeable future.
Jake Trbojevic
Manly Sea Eagles - Middle-Forward (MID)
Jurbo is now in his 10th season at the Sea Eagles and is one of the key members of their squad. He was one of the top MIDs a few years ago but over the last couple of years his fantasy output has been decreasing slowly. This season he is averaging 43 points and is the 20th ranked MID in GDS. With only two scores of 50+, Jurbo doesn’t have the ceiling that he used to and there are at least ten MIDs that should out score him each week. His regression in fantasy isn’t down to reduced minutes as he has been on the field for 80+ minutes for eight of his ten games. With the pace of the game increasing and his job role within the Sea Eagles pack changing over the last couple of years, his fantasy output has been affected. He is still a fantastic player and would be an asset to any NRL side but his best days as a fantasy asset might just be behind him.
HOLD...
Jake Turpin
Sydney Roosters - Hooker (HOK)
With Brandon Smith out injured, Turpin has been a great option at hooker for coaches. It looks like Smith will be returning from injury via the interchange this week and I’m expecting the Roosters hooker role to be a job share moving forward. This will now make Turpin a very risky play if coaches decided to start him. However, Smith has been dealing with injuries most of the season and if he was to spend more time on the sidelines, Turpin would then become a very good option for coaches. Excluding the round 18 game when Turpin was ruled out early due to an HIA, he has averaged 51 points when Smith wasn’t in the team. From round 13 onwards, this is the best average by any hooker in GDS. Turpin is a hold for me as he isn’t really relevant with Smith in the team but he can be one of the top hookers when he’s given the opportunity. You might even be able to pick him up for a steal on the TM at the moment if you are looking at adding to your hooker depth.
Jayden Campbell
Gold Coast Titans - Winger/Fullback (WFB)
Campbell is a very talented footballer and a great asset for the Titans, but he might be frustrated with his situation at the club. He’s currently being used off the interchange and provides cover in the halves and at fullback. It looks like his only chance at starting is when either Boyd, Foran or Brimson is unavailable. In round 19 he was the third best WFB in GDS and he looked dangerous every time he touched the ball. I believe the Titans would be a better team if he was to start but where can they put him. If Ben Hunt was to move to the Titans for 2024 and beyond, this would be a terrible situation for Campbell. Campbell is too talented to be sitting on the interchange getting 10-20 minutes a game. We may see other clubs start to sniff around and he may be on the move if his situation doesn’t improve. I think he has great fantasy potential, but his situation will need to change for him to become relevant in GDS. He is still very young at 23 years old, and he is a hold for me due to the talent he possesses.