NRL Fantasy position guide: Centres
Once more the centre position looks like the trickiest one to fill in Fantasy, so do you gamble on cheap prospects or spend big on the safe bets?
Top performers in 2020: Zac Lomax (46.8 points per game), Bradman Best (44.4 ppg), Campbell Graham (43.3 ppg), Kotoni Staggs (42.1 ppg), Euan Aitken (41.9 ppg)
Average Fantasy score for a centre in 2020: 31 points (6th highest scoring position)
Biggest improvers in 2020: Campbell Graham (+$200k), Bradman Best (+$176k), Zac Lomax (+$175k), Stephen Crichton (+$174k), Adam Pompey (+$163k)
Key scoring categories: Run Metres, Tackle Breaks, Tries, Tackles
The lowdown
The most notorious position in Fantasy, where points are hard to come by and consistent scorers are generally thin on the ground.
Centres usually can't match the tackle counts of forwards, the kick metres of halves or the run metres of wingers and fullbacks, so tend to rely heavily on attacking plays rather than "base stats".
Finding dual-position second-rowers who are also available at centre has been a successful strategy for Fantasy coaches in the past.
Otherwise, the best approach is often to save money here and spend big on other, more reliable positions.
2021 NRL Fantasy point-scoring system
Popular buys
Jake Averillo (Bulldogs, $302k) – Cheap, dual-position player who could be the starting five-eighth for Canterbury.
Jack Bird (Dragons, $374k) – Has been a keeper in the past but has also battled a string of serious injuries, hence his very affordable price tag.
James Roberts (Wests Tigers, $336k) – A big-name recruit for the Tigers who can score tries from anywhere but has struggled for consistency.
David Fusitu'a (Warriors, $268k) – Quality player with a great price tag, but has never been a notable Fantasy scorer.
Stephen Crichton (Panthers, $492k) – A try-scoring machine for the Panthers last year, although tends to rely heaving on tries for high Fantasy scores.
Zac Lomax (Dragons, $627k) – Last year's best Fantasy centre, potentially overpriced this year despite being a reliable contributor with goals, busts and tries.
Bradman Best (Knights, $595k) – Another expensive option, but one who could step up a notch if he tops last year's try count of nine.
