NRL Fantasy Winners & Losers: Round 2

It was a case of more Payne, more points in Round 2, while Connor Watson powered to a round-high 90 and Jamie Humphreys confirmed himself as the early season must-have cash cow. 

Here's everything you need to know from the week that was in NRL Fantasy. 

Round 2 NRL Fantasy winners

For the second week in a row Payne Haas delivered big time for those who captained him, with an 85 (which followed a Round 1 score of 81) ensuring he remains Fantasy's top man at the end of the opening fortnight.

However, that haul wasn't quite enough to lead the round, with that honour instead belonging to the Roosters' two-try hero Connor Watson who finished on 90. Watson started the round as an underpriced keeper with HOK1 potential, and the only thing that's changed is him now being slightly less underpriced.

A dazzling display from Kalyn Ponga saw him end the victory over the Dolphins with 82 points, which was enough to put him ahead of Haas and equal with Raiders rookie EDG sensation Matty Nicholson.

After a quiet opening week Bradman Best stormed back to Fantasy form with 77, with Sharks CTR Kayal Iro (75) and Tigers workhorse Terrell May (73) and next on the list.

Jamie Humphreys has now all but locked down the South Sydney No.7 after a match-winning effort against the Dragons. It delivered 72 Fantasy points and, in the process, confirmed him as a spectacular cash cow who has already amassed almost $150k in earned value, with a heap more to come. 

HOK Wayde Egan was the top of the PODs (point of differences), with a cool 73 points coming for the touch over 10,000 coaches who owned him for Round 2. 

Round 2 NRL Fantasy losers

If you were travelling well heading into the final game on Saturday night and were one of the 19,000 who own Reece Walsh, his performances struck a telling blow to your hopes of going well in week two.

A spate of demerits, led by four errors and four missed tackles, saw the Brisbane No.1 lose 19 points on a night in which he only earned 18.

It's the second negative total registered by a Brisbane player through the opening fortnight, following on from Brendan Piakura's Round 1 total of -9.

It was a rough round for owners of popular cash cows Owen Pattie (37.5k ownership) and Jack Goskiewski (35k ownership) with Pattie seeing just 15 minutes of game time and Gosiewski having his minutes slashed from 80 in Round 1 to 48 in Round 2. They scored 12 and 11 respectively. 

For the second game in a row Ethan Strange really struggled with negative metrics (he just happened to have enough positive ones to balance it out in Round 1) with his score of 10 putting him alongside teammate Albert Hopoate and Sea Eagles rookie Clayton Faulalo (both nine points) as 80-minute strugglers this week. 

Round 2 Fantasy Team of the Week

1. Kalyn Ponga (WFB) – 82 points
2. Fletcher Sharpe (WFB) – 68 points
3. Bradman Best (CTR) – 77 points
4. Kayal Iro (CTR) – 75 points
5. Greg Marzhew (WFB) – 70 points
6. Isaiya Katoa (HLF) – 73 points
7. Jamie Humphreys (HLF) – 72 points
8. Payne Haas (MID) – 85 points
9. Connor Watson (MID, HOK) – 90 points
10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui – 75 points
11. Matty Nicholson (EDG) – 82 points
12. Jaydn Su'A (EDG) – 71 points
13. Sean Keppie (MID) – 64 points
14. Terrell May (MID) – 73 points
15. Wayde Egan (HOK) – 73 points
16. Beau Fermor (EDG, CTR) – 69 points
17. Clinton Gutherson (WFB)/Daniel Tupou (WFB) – 67 points