A positional switch for a Fantasy gun and some promising news for one of the game's most popular cash cows headline the Round 7 team announcements.
Injuries suffered last week have also opened the door for a couple of new players and offered existing ones a shot at an elevated role, which could make them Fantasy relevant in coming weeks.
NRL Fantasy teams analysis: Round 7
Dolphins v Rabbitohs, Thursday at Suncorp Stadium
Dolphins: MID Ray Stone ($283k) stands to make a bit more cash this week after being named to start at prop, while Edrick Lee's NRL return lasted just one game, with the winger replaced by Robert Jennings. Kodi Nikorima remains in the No.6 jersey, but managed just 16 points last week, with most of the kick metres going to Isaiya Katoa ($304k), who continues to make some nice cash for owners.
Rabbitohs: Latrell Mitchell ($679k) could be a popular trade in this week after scoring 82 in Round 6, while MID/EDG Jai Arrow returns from the hamstring injury he suffered in Round 1 and will start at prop in place of Tevita Tatola (knee). Jacob Host ($348k) retains a starting back-row spot and comes off a last-up score of 47.
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Sharks v Roosters, Friday at PointsBet Stadium
Sharks: Nicho Hynes, the only million dollar man in Fantasy right now, will likely go up in price again this week, with a break even of 63 which is well below his season average of 83.5. Teig Wilton (EDG, $620k) has been very consistent but isn't quite hitting keeper scores right now and has almost finished making money.
Roosters: James Tedesco ($616k) is back from a week off due to a head knock, which shifts Joey Manu back to his regular spot in the centres. An injury-impacted score of 19 in Round 5 means Tedesco has a break even of 70 and is set to dip below $600k in price in the next week or so. MID Matt Lodge ($502k) has been included on the interchange after recovering from the injury he suffered in Round 1.
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Sea Eagles v Storm, Friday at 4 Pines Park
Sea Eagles: Tom Trbojevic is named after battling through a back injury and scoring just 16 Fantasy points last week, even with a late try. EDG/HLF Josh Schuster is back in the frame after overcoming a quad injury, but for now at least appears to have fallen down the pecking order and is listed in the extended reserves, with Cooper Johns ($333k) the five-eighth. Powerful winger Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega gets a run in place of Reuben Garrick (head knock), having scored 44 in his Pre-season Challenge outing earlier this year.
Storm: Cameron Munster went off last week on his way to a score of 100 and has now been named to play fullback (in place of Nick Meaney who has delayed concussion symptoms). Munster tends to score brilliantly at fullback and enjoyed a purple patch there last season, and at $832k remains still pretty good value for money. Jonah Pezet gets another run in the halves after averaging 36.3 across his first three NRL games this year. Cash cow Will Warbrick had just 12 last week and could be a sell given he needs 25 points to avoid losing any of the $145k he made over the opening rounds.
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Warriors v Cowboys, Saturday at Mt Smart Stadium
Warriors: After averaging 36.5 off the bench to start the year, Dylan Walker ($497k) has been named to replace Te Maire Martin, who suffered what is believed to be a serious lower leg injury last week, at five-eighth. MID Tohu Harris is named, but that should be taken with a grain of salt for now given he was included in the mid-week team for the past two games before withdrawing due to the knee injury he suffered in Round 4. With Wayde Egan out again with a head knock, Freddy Lussick ($353k) is the starting hooker and scored 42 in his last game.
Cowboys: WFB Murray Taulagi is back from injury and had a 37.6 per game average over the opening three weeks of the season. EDG Jeremiah Nanai ($575k), who is owned by eight percent of teams, is back from suspension. Tom Chester has made all the money he's going to now, and despite retaining a bench spot is a sell, with a break even of 23 and a score of just four last week.
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Knights v Panthers, Saturday at McDonald Jones Stadium
Knights: The return of Tyson Gamble in the halves allows Phoenix Crossland to take up the hooker spot left vacant by Jaydon Brailey's season-ending knee injury. When playing over 60 minutes this year Crossland (HLF, $368k) has been a 40+ point player, but it remains to be seen how long he will spend on the park with Kurt Mann likely to spend some time at hooker. Mat Croker ($445k) is named to start at lock again after being injured last week.
Panthers: Huge news for the 16 percent of players who have Zac Hosking, with the back-rower set to retain his starting spot in the Premiers' pack, with representative forward Liam Martin in the reserves for the time being. Luke Garner, who is another threat to Hosking's job, is also included in the reserves, so the situation will be worth keeping an eye on closer to kick off. Nathan Cleary will likely be the most popular captaincy choice again after hitting 100 last week.
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Titans v Broncos, Saturday at Cbus Super Stadium
Titans: After scoring the match-winning try last week and racking up 72 Fantasy points, HLF Toby Sexton is out due to a fractured wrist and is replaced by Kieran Foran, who returns from a calf injury. WFB Jayden Campbell had an excellent game and hit 68 points, but might only have the fullback job for another week or so before AJ Brimson returns. New recruit Kruise Leeming has kept his bench spot after playing 29 minutes last week and scoring 14 points.
Broncos: Thomas Fleger is out after failing a HIA last week, so $439k MID Corey Jensen starts at prop. Kobe Hetherington will play his first NRL game of the year off the interchange, but at $413k is awkwardly priced. This could be the last week Payne Haas is available at under $900k, with the powerhouse MID boasting a position-high average of 68.3 this year.
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Raiders v Dragons, Sunday at GIO Stadium
Raiders: Jack Wighton returns from suspension in the halves, which sees Brad Schneider drop back to the reserves. Veteran centre Jarrod Croker ($325k) has kept his spot and marked his return to the NRL arena with a 31 in Fantasy last week. After missing Round 6 for the birth of his first child, MID Joseph Tapine, who is in almost 12 percent of teams, is back in the line-up.
Dragons: HLF Ben Hunt has a last three game average of 67.7 points and has quietly emerged as a good value for money option at $688k, although he does have tries in each of his last two games with have inflated his scores. Rookie forward Toby Couchman ($315k) has kept a spot on the bench and looks set to make some money after a 48 last week, which has left him on a break even of -1. Mikaele Ravalawa is set to miss three weeks with a hamstring injury, which means Tautau Moga comes in on the wing.
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Eels v Bulldogs, Sunday at CommBank Stadium
Eels: Prop Junior Paulo, who averages 51 points per game this season, returns from suspension and bumps Wiremu Greig back to the bench. Bench hooker Brendan Hands is not turning out to be the cash cow those who grabbed him a few weeks ago had hoped, and he now has a break even of 17 with just $48k in price rises so far.
Bulldogs: Tevita Pangai Junior is named to play his first game of the year and could be Fantasy relevant in the next couple of weeks, with a history of big scores built around his powerful, offload-heavy, style of play. Raymond Faitala-Mariner ($467k) and Viliame Kikau ($541k) both return from head knocks and will start at lock and second row respectively. Braidon Burns (CTR, $533k) is the man to replace Josh Addo-Carr (ankle) on the wing, and while he could have the job for up to eight weeks he is priced awkwardly and is probably a stay away.
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