Fantasy Q&A: Round 13

On the back of Origin I, Fantasy coaches will be sweating on the playing status of several big guns this week.

• NRL Late Mail: Round 13
• NRL Fantasy teams analysis: Round 13

Picking a captain in Round 13 is no easy task, while there are a couple of potential cash cows to consider as well. 

NRL Fantasy Q&A: Round 13

Is it too late to get May?

It really depends on whether you are playing for overall points or are in a head-to-head league that has bye rounds turned on.

If it's the first option then Terrell May probably isn't a bye right now. The Wests Tigers have a bye again in Round 15, meaning May will play just two games before sitting out a major bye round when Origin players will be out of action and six other clubs are also on a bye. 

If however your league doesn't play games in the major bye rounds (12, 15 and 18) then it's a bit different.

If you don't have May already then you've really put yourself on the back foot and you'll now be buying May at peak price at $1.013m. But at the same time, it's never too late to buy an elite tier Fantasy player, and with a season average of 79, you are well and truly getting what you pay for.

The same bye schedule that is unfavourable for overall players is favourable for head-to-head leagues with bye rounds on, so there's no reason (other than the whopping price tag) not to move on May this week.

Who is the better cheapie, Papalii, Pasifiki Tonga or Mason?

In terms of upside, I like Heath Mason this week. 

With Lachlan Galvin seemingly out of the picture now, Mason (WFB, $292k) appears to be the new first-choice five-eighth at the Wests Tigers and has a path to a regular NRL spot. 

He hasn't exactly impressed on the Fantasy front in his eight games to date, averaging only 21.4 last year and scoring 24 in his lone game this season, which was at fullback. 

Papalii was impressive in his debut last week, scoring 38, but from as early as next week his job security starts to look very shaky. Will Penisini is due back from concussion in Round 14, while Bailey Simonsson is set to follow a couple of weeks later. 

Who is the safest captain this week?

Among the 'big three' options, Terrell May is by far the safest option to hand captaincy to this week. 

He's the only one who hasn't played Origin mid-week, but even if that wasn't the case there'd be a fair argument to say he'd be the best of them for Round 13 anyway.

With a projected round-high score of 85, May is tipped to score 13 more than Haas and 17 more than Cleary, while his 80.3 last three game average is also the best in the game. 

If not May, then Cleary would be my next tip. He's got a four-day turnaround from Origin and his team are in a position where they really, really need him on the field.