Bargain buys: The cut-price Fantasy keepers you need

So much time, and so many trades, are dedicated to cash cows who coaches hope can help them grow their Fantasy coffers, but just as important is a genuine cut-price keeper who can give you extra bang for your buck. 

Some of the players we’re discussing this week have become the beneficiary of injuries to others at their club, while others are excelling from a positional switch or simply rediscovering their mojo.

These are the cut-price keepers you should be seriously considering this week, especially as some big-money players become sells due to a recent run of poor performances.

The cut-price Fantasy keepers you need

John Bateman (EDG, $642,000)

A good Fantasy player when lining up in the second row, he’s going to be a great Fantasy player if Benji Marshall opts to keep him in the No.13 jersey long term.

Yes, the sample size is small with just one game to go off, but I’m not letting that worry me this week. Bateman hit 60 from just base stats in Round 9 and his 45 tackles and 118 metres gained are numbers he can easily replicate on a regular basis.

David Fifita is the only EDG in the game averaging 60 or above right now and he costs $180k more than Bateman, while Dolphins second-rower Euan Aitken is the only elite EDG who gets close to matching the Wests Tigers workhorse in terms of value for money, but has nowhere near the scoring potential of Bateman.

Angus Crichton (EDG, $597,000)

Plenty thought Crichton’s days as a Fantasy relevant-player were over before the 2024 season kicked off, and those who didn’t think that way prior to Round 1 probably changed their mind after he limped to scores of 15 and 13 in his first two games of the year.

But then it all changed, with the former Blues and Kangaroos enforcer moving past the likes of Siua Wong and Sitili Tupouniua in the back-row pecking order at the Roosters to become a first-choice option for Trent Robinson, who now plays 80 minutes every week. Since then he’s averaged 63 across four games and been picked up by over a quarter of all teams.

If you’re in the group that don’t own him yet, there’s still time, with his price still on the way up and Crichton still great value at just under $600k, with the potential to be the highest-ceiling EDG in the game.

Jaimin Jolliffe ($674,000)

After averaging 35 points per game across the first four seasons of his NRL career, few could have seen Jolliffe taking this type of leap in 2024 as part of a Titans side who looked well covered when it came to middle forwards.

But here he is, commanding big minutes for the Gold Coast in the absence of skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui who is out for the season and scoring well as a result. He has a season average of 50 and a last three game average of 63, with a try and a line break through that period the only dynamic attacking stats he's registered. 

He looks a really good pickup at his current price, with the only caveat being the impending return of Keenan Palasia, which could see Jolliffe’s minutes drop a bit from the 62 he’s averaged over the past month. Even if that is the case he looks destined to scores in the 50s long term.

Jayden Brailey (HOK, $490k)

A gradual return from a torrid run with injuries to start this year meant Brailey's price plummeted in recent weeks, but the signs are now there that he's well and truly back on the up.

He's regained an 80-minute role over the past fortnight, despite the continued presence of fellow hooker Phoenix Crossland on the bench, and his scores have improved accordingly. A 42 in Round 7 was followed by a 54 last week, with the beauty of them being they're coming mostly from tackles.

Brailey looks like being a high 40s to low 50s scorer going forward, which is similar to the output you get from elite HOKs like Harry Grant, Reed Mahoney and Reece Robson, who are all over $200k more expensive than he is right now. 

He won't have the high ceiling of those aforementioned options, but the money you'll save and be able to spend on other positions will make a cash-down to Brailey more than worth it.