Can we rely on Teddy after his roller coaster season? Are we willing to start Staggs over more consistent options at centre? Can we start Bird again this season? There were so many questions coming out of round 20 and some of them were answered in round 21. 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 favor with all fantasy coaches. Let us know your thoughts on who we have down below on all of our social channels: twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
RISERS
James Tedesco – WFB, Sydney Roosters (85 points)
Teddy was back to his best as the Roosters dismantled the Titans in the first half. For those who may have thought Teddy’s best days in fantasy were behind him, they were proven wrong. In this performance he came away with 1 try, 2 try assists, 1 line break, 2 line break assists, 4 tackle breaks and 2 offloads on attack, this came to 48 points. He also produced 34 points in base making 9 tackles and running for 247 metres. Teddy has only played 6 games for the Roosters since round 12 but has averaged 67 points, this includes a score of 8 in round 17. This makes him one of the inform WFBs in GDS. With the Roosters having to win most of their remaining games if they have any chance of making the finals, I believe it will be off the back of Teddy’s leadership and performances. With the inform Broncos up next in Brisbane, the Roosters might have their work cut out for them. However, since round 12 the Broncos have allowed an average of 60 points to fullbacks. They are currently one of the better match ups for fullbacks and this may come as a surprise to a lot of GDS coaches. Teddy will likely be considered by a lot of coaches each week for the remainder of the season.
Kotoni Staggs – CTR, Brisbane Broncos (84 points)
Staggs had a night out against the Bunnies as the Broncos moved one step closer to securing a finals berth. If anyone played him, well done on taking that risk as it certainly paid off. In this performance he came away with 2 tries,1 try assist, 3 line breaks, 9 tackle breaks and 1 offload on attack, this came to 67 points. He also provided 34 points in base through 18 tackles and 159 running metres, this was a season high in base. In typical Staggs fashion, he did lose 17 points through missed tackles and errors. I won’t lie, I have played Staggs a couple of times this season, but it has burnt me badly and he is no longer my cup of tea, I just find him to hit a miss. If you want the roller coaster experience of having Staggs in your side, he may reward you but looking at his scores over the entire season, he is likely to be a frustrating watch. Leading into this week, his 4-game average was 22 points.
Daly Cherry-Evans – HLF, Manly Sea Eagles (73 points)
DCE had a great game as the Sea Eagles got up against the Sharks down in the Shire. In this performance he came away with 2 try assists, 1 line break, 2 line break assists, 5 tackle breaks and 3 offloads on attack, this came to 43 points. He also provided 44 points in base through 22 tackles, 107 running metres and 368 kicking metres but did manage to lose 15 points in demerits. With Turbo gone for the season, DCE will need to put a number of these sort of performances together if the Sea Eagles are to have any chance of making the finals. Most GDS coaches are likely to be running with a combination of Hynes, Cleary, SJ or Moses in the halves but if you don’t have two of these halves, DCE is a great option. Some weeks coaches may even prefer him over these halves.
FALLERS
Jack Bird – EDG, St George Illawarra Dragons (19 points)
Bird is a quality footballer that has been hampered by knee injuries in the past and his knees have been holding him back over the past month. However, he did suit up for the NSW Cup side in round 19 and 20 and on both occasions he played 80 minutes averaging 50 points. With him having knee problems, it was very surprising to see this and was expecting him to start in first grade this week going by these hit outs. He started from the bench and only played 23 minutes for his 19 points. Maybe he still isn’t quite 100% and might just need to be eased back into first grade. There wasn’t anything wrong with his performance while he was on the field, he just isn’t getting the minutes we want to see as coaches. If Bird doesn’t start putting a few 80-minute performances in, he’s unlikely to see the starting side of any team in GDS for the remainder of the season.
Luke Metcalf – HLF, New Zealand Warriors (6 points)
Metcalf has been a great signing for the Warriors but he has still yet to show any consistency in fantasy. He has a season high of 75 points and a low of 6, which came this week. Under the tutelage of Stacey Jones and playing outside SJ, Metcalf will only get better as time goes on and may be a promising dynasty prospect for the future. In this week’s performance he only came away with a line break assist and a tackle break on attack, this came to 6 points. His base points through tackles, running metres and kick meters were around what he usually accumulates. The real disappointment was the 5 missed tackles and 3 errors he made; this came to 27 points in demerits. The conditions were rather slippery and for an inexperienced young half it showed in his fantasy output. This sort of score can be expected every now and then from inexperienced halves but I wouldn’t be selling him based on one poor performance as he may have a bright future at the Warriors.
Cody Walker – HLF, South Sydney Rabbitohs (-2 points)
The Rabbitohs were average to say the least against the Broncos up on the Sunshine Coast and Cody Walker had a night to forget. This was easily his worst performance in fantasy this season as he lost 39 points through demerits. Earlier this season he went through a stretch of four games averaging 67 points and this shows that he does have a fantasy relevant game at times. However, since round 17 he has only averaged 17 points. I believe that his recent fantasy form has a lot to do with the Bunnies missing a number of players due to Origin and injuries. The Bunnies just sit outside the top eight and if they are to make the finals this year, Walker will need to be playing some of his best footy. With Latrell likely to return from injury this week, Walker tends to play some of his best footy with Latrell at fullback. With the Wests Tigers up next, this may be the perfect opportunity to play Walker if you are after a possible home run selection. Playing Walker above other halves that are more consistent and offer a higher ceiling, is a far too risky option for me.