The Roosters thumping of the Tigers saw two forwards benefit with a combined 6 tries in Angus Crichton and Nat Butcher who got 101 and 90 points respectively to top the scoring sheets. Round 24 sees H2H finals and this guide will provide you with the key names, hopefully, you kept some trades up your sleeve.
BUY, BUY, BUY
With H2H finals on, here are some great options to give you the edge.
Jack Bird (EDG/CTR) - 6.3% Ownership - $586K
For coaches looking to replace Euan Aitken, look no further than Bird. While the start of the season was worse than expected, his transition to the Lock role has seen him thrive. In the 4 games, he has started at Lock, he averages 56.3 points with a whopping average of 7 tackle busts a game. Bird has benefitted from an increase in attacking stats, and this looks set to continue in Round 24 with a clash against the Tigers, making him a good pickup for your H2H final.
Brandon Smith (HOK) - 9% Ownership - $619K
Brandon Smith has found his home in the Lock role for the backend of the season and hasn’t he delivered? In games where he plays at least 50 minutes, he averages 62.3 points per game. With the prospect of Grant potentially even being rested in Round 25 if the Storm can secure their top 4 spot this week, Smith looks to be a steal, but a luxury trade.
Joseph Tapine (MID) - 6% Ownership - $799K
Now if you have the cash and are looking to upgrade one of your middle forwards, Tapine is the one to get. An injury-affected game against the Panthers has seen his price tumble over the last 2 weeks. Yet Tapine is one of the best forwards on the market and has markedly benefitted from the higher minute roles he has received in the second half of the season. In games where he plays at least 50 minutes, Tapine averages a whopping 63.4 points in 2022. A shrewd buy to give you the edge.
ONES TO WATCH
This segment is a little different this week as coaches need to be aware of big guns that are set to be rested next week. A team like the Eels will secure their finals berth with a win this week, and has a history of stars being rested, with a host being forced to sit out in Round 25 2021. Similarly, the Souths last year also rested a large number of stars in Round 25 including Damien Cook and Cameron Murray, highly owned Fantasy prospects that continue to take up large sections of the cap for coaches. So, if you’re playing overall, save the trades this week if you can and prep for the onslaught of resting’s that will occur next week.
SELL!
Euan Aitken (EDG/CTR) - 12.3% Ownership - $569K
Aitken is set to miss Round 24 for personal reasons with no guarantee of returning in Round 25. With H2H finals on, if you’re in the hunt, you must sell.
Adam Elliott (EDG/MID) - 9.5% Ownership - $613K
A 5-round average of 43 mean that he is a sell, but more of a luxury sell than Aitken as he still has the chance to score big points on his day.