COMING as no surprise to any Fantasy coach, Rowan Marshall (RUC/FWD, $916,000) had the snout out, getting the nod as Pig of the Week, taking full advantage of his dream match-up against Geelong.
Continuing as the Saints' sole ruck in the absence of TDK, the veteran dominated with 33 disposals, four marks, two goals and 30 hitouts on his way to 139. It followed scores of 134 and 118 in his previous two games, with his price soaring for the coaches who jumped aboard once his ruck partner went down.
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Jarman Impey (DEF, $787,000) also cashed in on a favourable fixture, posting a season-high 137 against Richmond thanks to 34 disposals and 11 marks. Defenders continue to feast against the Tigers, and Impey now heads into another juicy clash with Essendon carrying a breakeven of just 69.
Joe Richards (FWD, $782,000) answered the call for the injury-hit Power, snapping a four-week run without a triple-figure score with a season-best 137. His impressive performance featured 31 disposals and eight tackles, leaving him with a breakeven of 58 ahead of this week's meeting with Brisbane, and rewarded faithful coaches who held onto him.
Meanwhile, proven stars Patrick Cripps (MID, $913,000) and Josh Dunkley (MID, $934,000) continued to do what they do best, leading by example to produce scores of 133 and 130 respectively with the latter becoming a genuine target with three big scores in his last four outings.
Unfortunately, it feels like Groundhog Day… we couldn't even get through Thursday night without another premium dropping after popular star Max Holmes (DEF/MID, $964,000) went down with an ankle injury, causing yet another forced trade. Teams that were sluggish removing their rookies off the ground have been forced to get comfortable with having them for the long haul as forced trades are occurring more often than not! Last week we saw the risks associated with that after Joel 'Pig Blood' Fitzgerald (MID, $526,000) went from 70 per cent TOG, 22 CBAs and 106, to just 55 per cent TOG, nine CBAs and a score of 42.
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MOST TRADED IN
- Wayne Milera (DEF, $897,000)
- Jay Polkinghorne (FWD, $265,000)
- Izak Rankine (FWD, $869,000)
- Bailey Smith (MID, $1,113,000)
- Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $903,000)
MOST TRADED OUT
- Max Holmes (DEF/MID, $964,000)
- Joel Fitzgerald (MID, $526,000)
- Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $740,000)
- Sam Banks (DEF/MID, $579,000)
- Jack Ison (MID, $422,000)
TOP FIVE PRICE RISES
- Rowan Marshall (RUC/FWD, $916,000) +78,000
- Oliver Francou (MID, $422,000) +$78,000
- Noah Mraz (DEF, $400,000) +$71,000
- Marcus Herbert (MID, $504,000) +$62,000
- Kai Lohmann (FWD, $653,000) +$61,000
TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS
- Harry McKay (FWD, $626,000) -$78,000
- Elliot Yeo (MID/FWD, $563,000) -$53,000
- Jack Hutchinson (MID, $441,000) -$52,000
- Dayne Zorko (DEF, $879,000) -$50,000
- Hugh McCluggage (MID, $657,000) -$50,000
LOWEST BREAKEVENS
- Oliver Greeves (MID, $304,000) -12
- Oliver Francou (MID, $422,000) -11
- Noah Mraz (DEF, $400,000) -9
- Jay Polkinghorne (FWD, $265,000) -4
- Jack Ough (MID, $309,000) 1
HIGHEST BREAKEVENS
- Noah Anderson (MID, $1,018,000) 146
- Nick Daicos (MID, $1,144,000) 146
- Luke Jackson (RUC, $942,000) 142
- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (DEF/MID, $1,125,000) 139
- Issac Heeney (MID, $1,029,000) 137
STOCKS UP
Wayne Milera (DEF, $897,000)
WAYNE! Took full advantage of being the main distributor down back in the absence of Rory Laird, completely dominating against the Swans and putting his hand up as a bargain selection. He had 26 disposals and 12 marks which gives him a BE of just 76 leading into a dream run for defenders against the Pies, Bombers and Tigers in the next three.
Izak Rankine (FWD/MID, $869,000)
The 26-year-old is playing as a full-time midfielder and is racking up possessions at will, averaging an impressive 107 in his last three games that leaves him with a BE of 78. He should be the No.1 target in the 'Fraud' line with a dream run of games against the Pies, Bombers and Tigers sure to produce some huge returns.
Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $903,000)
The Giants running machine is an absolute bargain at this price and it's OK to go early despite a BE of 122. His price plummeted due to injury and he is great value to bring in for the run home with some nice match-ups on the horizon including games against the Power, Suns and Eagles between now and round 24.
Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $973,000)
The Dogs skipper has put together back-to-back hundreds leading into a great match-up with the Tigers who he historically dominates. He has a BE of 108 which he will have no problem surpassing and any time the Bont is available for under a million dollars, he is a bargain.
Caleb Serong (MID, $844,000)
If you are cash starved and looking for a premium upgrade, you may need to shop in the areas of the hard-nosed Docker. He is a bargain, averaging 105 in his last three outings and has a BE of just 68 leading into a match-up with the Eagles where he has a platform to keep the ton run rolling.
STOCKS DOWN
Max Holmes (DEF/MID, $964,000)
The hard-running Cat was a popular target in recent weeks on the back on an incredibly consistent season. He finishes the Fantasy season early thanks to injury with an average of 102 and unfortunately needs to be traded.
Christian Petracca (FWD/MID, $740,000)
The Suns recruit continues to frustrate his coaches, scratching together a score of 81 on the weekend to give him a five-game average of just 73. He has a BE of 90 heading into a match-up with the Blues, a score he hasn't reached since round 11. To the eye he looks out of sorts, so can be moved on.
Sam Durham (MID/FWD, $793,000)
The 25-year-old has dropped off after an eye-catching return to the midfield a few weeks ago. He is now averaging just 75 in his last three games and has a BE of 97 going into a tough fixture with games against the Hawks, Crows, Cats and Swans sure to make the going tough over the next four weeks.
Sam Banks (DEF/MID, $579,000)
The 23-year-old doesn't look himself at the moment and is a far cry from the elite defensive accumulator we saw at the end of last season. His score of just 37 on the weekend gives him a three-game average of 53, so he needs to be traded despite a favourable match-up with the Dogs at Marvel.
Murphy Reid (MID/FWD, $795,000)
The young Docker has had an outstanding season, averaging an impressive 82 but a score of 45 on the weekend might signal a good time to upgrade him to the likes of Rankine. He has increased an impressive $214k for the year.
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