NRL Fantasy teams analysis: Round 7
The key team changes and NRL Fantasy form guide for all 16 clubs heading into the NRL's Anzac round.
NRL Fantasy team news
Roosters v Dragons, Thursday 4.05pm at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Roosters: Luke Keary (concussion) is out, with Latrell Mitchell shifting to five-eighth and Joseph Manu back in the centres. Jake Friend returns at hooker, Victor Radley moves to lock and Zane Tetevano is on the bench, while Siosiua Taukeiaho replaces Lindsay Collins at prop and Lachlan Lam replaces Josh Curran on the interchange. Mitchell (50 last week) is in fine form while young gun Nat Butcher showed the first signs of translating his dominant under-20s record into NRL Fantasy points with 56 points in 57 minutes against Melbourne. Taukeiaho has strung together a three-game average of 61 after starting the year with a 28 against Souths. James Tedesco's price has just about bottomed out.
Dragons: Unchanged. Ben Hunt is in great form, and has scored 51, 98 and 65 since the Dragons lost Gareth Widdop (Hunt averaged 252 kick metres in three games with Widdop in the side and 437 kick metres a game in the last three weeks). Blake Lawrie still has money to make with an average score of 45 and a break even of 20, while Cameron McInnes is averaging a tick under 64 points a game from his last five.
Top 5 Fantasy cash cows: Round 6
Storm v Warriors, Thursday 7.50pm at AAMI Park
Storm: Marion Seve replaces Ryan Papenhuyzen on the bench in Melbourne's only change. Cameron Smith didn't kick against the Roosters and still scored a superb 77 last week. His $821k price tag is probably as cheap as it'll get this year. Kenny Bromwich has gone under the radar this year but has jumped $193,000 in value with 53 points per game.
Warriors: Blake Green (hamstring) is back but David Fusitu'a (rib) is out, with Gerard Beale switching to the wing and Peta Hiku to centre. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is on fire, scoring 66 points a game in his last three and 57.5 a game for the season, but is reportedly in doubt to play this week with a hamstring injury. Lachlan Burr has proved the doubters wrong (yours truly included) by becoming a super cash cow this year, earning $286,000 in price rises with more on the way after back-to-back 60+ scores.
Bulldogs v Cowboys, Friday 6pm at ANZ Stadium
Bulldogs: Rhyse Martin is named to start at lock with Adam Elliott moving back to the bench. Aiden Tolman bounced back from last week's 36 with 59 points in 70 minutes against Souths – his second 70-minute performance in three weeks. After a great start to the year Lachlan Lewis's scores have declined in each of the past four weeks (61, 43, 38, 36). Jayden Okunbor's run of price rises may be over already with a break even of 23 after he scored just 11 last round.
Cowboys: No changes to the top 17, although Jason Taumalolo has been given some chance of a surprise early return from a knee injury – weeks ahead of schedule – after being included in the reserves. Michael Morgan keeps ticking over solid scores between 40 and 50 but his price rises are slowing down.
Panthers v Rabbitohs, Friday 7.55pm at Panthers Stadium
Panthers: Caleb Aekins starts in a rejigged backline with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak shifting to centre in place of Dean Whare (hamstring). Nathan Cleary's price is on the way back up after last week's season-high 78, which brought his average above 50 for the first time in 2019. James Fisher-Harris is in just 3.5% of teams (fewer than Tyrell Fuimaono or Liam Martin) but has been an elite scorer so far with 55.5 points a game.
Rabbitohs: George Burgess is named to start after shifting to the bench before kick-off last week, with Junior Tatoa moving back to the interchange. Cameron Murray has been scoring great all year and looks more like a genuine keeper after last week's 63 – his first 50+ score that didn't include a try or a line break. Damien Cook has picked up where he left off last year and is averaging 64 points a game. Cheapie Corey Allan scored 35 against the Bulldogs, including a couple of line breaks, and has a break even of 1.
Wests Tigers v Titans, Saturday 5.30pm at Scully Park
Wests Tigers: Unchanged. Robbie Farah actually passed his HIA last week but after stumbling following a head knock was ruled out of the game, on just 8 points. He remains a great captaincy option when fit. Luke Garner also left the field early with a head knock last week on 38 and is a hold. Alex Twal's 39 on Monday was his first score under 55 in a month.
Titans: Ryan James is out for the season with a ruptured ACL, with Kevin Proctor returning from injury in his place in the second row. Keegan Hipgrave replaces Jack Stockwell on the interchange. Young forward Jai Whitbread has a negative break even after scores of 30 and 44, in around 40 minutes each week. Bryce Cartwright is having his best Fantasy season since 2016, averaging 36 but more importantly earning some healthy price rises. Jai Arrow (46) and Mitch Rein (38) didn't have too much defending to do in a dominant win against the Knights.
Every try from Round 6
Broncos v Sharks, Saturday 7.35pm at Suncorp Stadium
Broncos: Payne Haas is named to start again after playing 80 minutes in the front row last week, with Tevita Pangai jnr named at lock and Matt Lodge included among the reserves. Tom Flegler goes back to the bench with Jaydn Su'A dropping out. James Roberts starts at centre and bumps Kotoni Staggs to the interchange. Haas has a break even of -24 after already jumping in value by $140k in two weeks and is pretty much must-have at this point, even if there is some doubt over his role when Lodge returns.
Sharks: Cash cow extraordinaire Briton Nikora is suspended for a week with Scott Sorensen starting in the second row and Jayson Bukuya joining the bench. Even with a wealth of centre options this season, Bronson Xerri is approaching must-have status as a cash cow after scoring 59 against Penrith last week. Andrew Fifita shook off a hamstring concern to score 71 in that game.
Get Caught Up: Round 6
Sea Eagles v Raiders, Sunday 2pm at Lottoland
Sea Eagles: Unchanged. Daly Cherry-Evans is the most valuable player in NRL Fantasy at $906,000, having scored 67 points a game including back-to-back 73s. It's sell time for Reuben Garrick with a break even of 30 after a less-than-impressive -2 from 80 minutes against the Dragons. Jake Trbojevic (-$93k) and Marty Taupau (-$103k) both have averages in the 50s but have seen their price tags nosedive this season.
Raiders: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is named despite suffering a hyper-extended knee on the weekend, with Ricky Stuart predicting he'll be right to play. Emre Guler and Jack Murchie replace Hudsgon Young and JJ Collins on the interchange. Star recruit John Bateman is coming off an 80-point effort against Brisbane and looks a safe bet as captain.
Knights v Eels, Sunday 4.05pm at McDonald Jones Stadium
Knights: Nathan Brown has made no changes to the 17 that was thumped by the Gold Coast on Sunday, although Mason Lino, Tautau Moga and Sione Mata'utia could all be late inclusions via the reserves. Despite that horror loss David Klemmer notched his sixth 50+ score in as many rounds in the red and blue, while Kalyn Ponga is coming off scores of 61, 51 and 71. Mitchell Pearce has dropped a massive $165k on his starting price.
Eels: Blake Ferguson returns to the side that smashed the Tigers and Tepai Moeroa is named to start, with Peni Terepo on the bench and Josh Hoffman in the reserves. Mitchell Moses produced 97 against the Tigers to bring his average to 56, and is in less than 4% of teams. Maika Sivo gave his price rises a welcome bump with 47 on Monday, while Reed Mahoney hit a season-best 68 and is closing in on $150k in earnings this year.
