DANGERFIELD gone, Rowell gone. Speaking of Gawn … maybe big Max is as well?
The biggest news to come out of the weekend is the suspension of superstar Cat Patrick Dangerfield (FWD/MID, $776,000) who has been rubbed out for three weeks following his ill-timed bump on Jake Kelly.
It's a trade that will hurt coaches who got the DPP - not only for his scoring prowess, but his ability to front up week in and week out.
GET THE FANTASY APP Download from the Apple Store or Google Play now
Not far behind on the big news front was, of course, the injury to the young piglet Matthew Rowell (MID, $536,000) who went down with a knee injury in the first quarter against West Coast after a promising start following his extended layoff last year.
Fifty-one per cent of the competition will need to find a replacement and given he was a bargain pick, coaches will need to be savvy finding someone to fill the void.
As for Max Gawn (RUC, $912,000) and basically the rest of the premium ruck brigade … the theme from the AAMI Community Series where the relevance of the ruckman seemingly vanished, continued. Is it justifiable to keep that much money in Gawn with the game being played the way it is and his shared role with Luke Jackson?
On the flipside, it's still Max and every team will want to finish the year with the best big man in the game. It poses the question, how much monetary value do you place on a trade? He wasn't alone scoring below what we expect from the big boys on the weekend, with Brodie Grundy (RUC, $849,000) and Reilly O'Brien (RUC, $791,000) scoring well below their breakevens with 85 and 51, respectively.
TOP FIVE PRICE RISES
- Errol Gulden (MID, $259,000) +$51,000
- Matt Flynn (RUC, $219,000) +$49,000
- Jaidyn Stephenson (FWD, $512,000) +$42,000
- Oleg Markov (DEF, $408,000) +$38,000
- James Jordon (MID, $207,000) +$37,000
TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS
- Tom Rockliff (MID, $818,000) -$55,000
- Josh Daicos (MID, $612,000) -43,000
- Matt Rowell (MID, $536,000) -$38,000
- Reilly O'Brien (RUC, $791,000) -$37,000
- Lachie Neale (MID, $900,000) -$35,000
LOWEST BREAKEVENS
- Matt Flynn (RUC, $219,000) - 24
- Errol Gulden (MID, $259,000) - 22
- James Jordan (MID, $207,000) - 12
- James Rowe (FWD, $233,000) - 9
- Harrison Jones (FWD, $196,000) - 1
HIGHEST BREAKEVENS
- Tom Rockliff (MID, $818,000) 183
- Max Gawn (RUC, $912,000) 170
- Lachie Neale (MID, $900,000) 170
- Taylor Adams (MID, $844,000) 157
- Reilly O'Brien (RUC, $791,000) 156
BUY
Jaidyn Stephenson (North Melbourne - FWD, $512,000)
Did everything and more that his 10 per cent of owners could have asked for. He played an awesome role and his score reflected that, with 33 touches, five marks and seven tackles for 128. He is a bargain, so grab him with a 'fix up' trade.
Dustin Martin (Richmond - MID/FWD, $737,000)
No Vegas … no worries, well at least that's how Dusty owners would be feeling. He looks as fit as I've ever seen him in round one and the hunger appears there to continue his domination of the competition. Looks under-priced after yet another BOG performance with 131 from 28 touches and two goals.
Callum Mills (Sydney - DEF, $723,000)
A reminder why not to jump at shadows after the AAMI. Mills had the role we all anticipated and showed why he was such a highly regarded midfielder as a junior. He dominated with 29 possessions, eight marks and two goals for 121.
Also consider: Oleg Markov, Josh Dunkley, Jye Caldwell.
HOLD
Max Gawn (Melbourne - RUC, $912,000)
It's a massive call here because his price will plummet and he will be available much cheaper in weeks to come, not to mention Luke Jackson and the whole ruck situation. Just remember you will need to use multiple trades to get him back in.
Jordan De Goey (Collingwood - FWD, $593,000)
The mid role wasn't quite where we wanted it with just seven CBAs and on the flipside, the accuracy in front of goals wasn't there with three behinds. It was frustrating to see cheaper options outscoring him, but he should bounce back with a big one against the Blues.
Andrew Gaff (West Coast - MID, $806,000)
Had an absolute shocker before saving his score with some very busy work in junk time. In what appeared to be a game that would suit his style of play, he eventually finished well short of expectation with 70.
Also consider: Jordan Clark, Paddy Dow, Brodie Grundy.
SELL
Matthew Rowell (Gold Coast - MID, $536,000)
In devastating news for the young gun and his 50 per cent of coaches, the poor piglet injured his knee in the first quarter. Unsurprisingly he started very well before going down and becoming a trade priority.
Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong - MID/FWD, $776,000)
This one hurts. Danger was selected not only for his ability, but the fact he hits the park every week. Unfortunately, due to his three-match ban for rough conduct, he won't be fronting up this week. I don't like trading premiums, but it's a bit early to be holding while there are so many value selections available.
Josh Daicos (Collingwood - MID, $621,000)
The young Pie was earmarked as being one of the players to benefit from the off-season shuffle but it certainly didn't eventuate. He struggled to find the ball, with just nine touches and 19 points. He was a popular Draft slider after his impressive finish to 2020, so hopefully he bounces back from that performance in a hurry.
Also consider: Brayden Sier, Adam Treloar, Blake Acres.
Get expert advice from The Traders during the pre-season in the Fantasy Hub. Follow AFL Fantasy on Twitter and 'like' the Facebook page to join in the conversation.
