This week there is a tough choice to be made around who to captain, while many Fantasy owners face having to get rid of a suspended star or two ahead of Round 23.
Weighing up this week's captaincy options
In Round 23 there are four genuine captaincy options and a heap more on the fringe if you're in a position where you need to find a point of difference.
Nathan Cleary is coming off a huge day out last week that ended in 101 points. Aside from his whopping 781 kick metres (26 Fantasy points) all of his numbers from that performance are ones he could realistically go close to again.
At the time of writing 21 percent of teams had Cleary as captain for Round 23, so he's a safe option if you think the rest of your squad can get the job done.
Nathan Cleary is in mighty fine form
A 34 last week for Nicho Hynes really shouldn't faze owners. He's an elite player who has every chance to bounce back this week, and prior to Round 22 he had only one score under 50 for the year and nine over 70. Right now the numbers supporting him as captain suggest confidence in the Sharks' No.7 remains high.
He's playing a good Rabbitohs side on Saturday who are heavily favoured to win, but even that shouldn't be a deterrent, as their recent defensive record suggests there are points to be scored on them, with a month having passed since they last held a team to under 18 points.
Speaking of defence, on their day the Titans can put it together defensively, but the reality is there hasn't been many of those days this year, which is potentially good news for Shaun Johnson and his Fantasy score.
The veteran is easily the form HLF in Fantasy right now, with his 74.7 last three game average being almost eight points higher than the next best, Jahrome Hughes. If you think the Warriors win on the Gold Coast, then he's a fantastic bet, and a genuine point of difference at that, with less than six percent of teams currently having him as captain.
The winning moment: Johnson
If you want to go really different then there's Payne Haas. He's easily the weakest of these options right now because his minutes in the last two weeks have dropped off, and with it his scores have been in the mid-50s rather than those 70+ efforts you are after.
The key to Haas getting a good score this week is probably his 57 minutes from last week becoming at least 67 minutes, which against a rep-laden Cowboys pack could be a possibility (the last time they played North Queensland he managed 65, but that was way back when he was fresh in Round 2). The Brisbane big man is a risk, but if you need to try something different this week there is no denying the potential upside.
Best like-for-like trade ins for JDB, Holmes
If you need a replacement for Jack de Belin and/or Valentine Holmes this week – after they both copped four-game suspensions on Tuesday night – here are the best options in their respective positions that don't require any additional cash.
In terms of MIDs, the player you are likely going to get the most consistent scores from is Sharks lock Cameron McInnes. He has a big appetite for defensive work and therefore has a solid base, plus he should start and play big minutes for the rest of the year.
While he won't be breaking NRL records and hitting scores of 85 every week, McInnes should be good for something in the 60s.
*Almost all of Cameron McInnes's record breaking tackles count
With Shaun Lane likely gone for the remainder of the regular season, Ryan Matterson is back as a starting back-rower and has big upside if he can play over an hour per game, which hasn't been the case for a fair chunk of this year. At $653k he's the cheapest of these options, with the only real downside being that the Eels have a Round 27 bye, when, if you're playing head-to-head, you might have a Grand Final.
The fact that the Broncos still have a bye to come in Round 25 and that Kevin Walters has shown he considers him a cover player on the edge, is enough to put me off Patrick Carrigan, but he is someone capable of hitting big scores in a team which should win more often than not on the run home.
When it comes to CTR options, the most reliable player – which is what I look for in a position that too often serves up high ceilings and very, very low floors – is Herbie Farnworth.
He's hit scores of 40 or more in 14 of his 20 appearances this year and his lowest round is 34, which not many CTRs can claim. The Broncos do have a couple of tricky games on the run home, but they are in good form. Again, the bye in Round 25 is a concern.
If you're looking for someone with the potential to hit a couple of 80+ scores across the remainder of the year, Sea Eagles fullback Reuben Garrick looks good.
Reuben Garrick try 41st minute
He brings the bonus of covering both CTR and WFB and plays for a side that face three of the NRL's four lowest placed teams in their final five games (albeit with clashes against the ladder-leading Panthers and third-placed Warriors mixed in).
He kicks goals which is a nice bonus and it's almost always better to have a CTR in Fantasy who actually plays fullback for his side, given the potential for extra stats like run metres.