Hi,
Welcome back to my on going Fantasy Blog, previewing some of the best buys heading into the 2018 season.
Today we move into Keeper territory with the $600k-$700k bracket.
These are the guys you build your team around so you have to be prepared to pay a premium. This is a great price range to grab a couple of discounted Keepers, as some Keepers in this bracket will only be here due to an injury costing them matches in the last season or maybe they were playing under duress.
You will also find young players that have broken out but are not quite into the upper echelon just yet but could easily get there this year.
So lets go bargain shopping.
My top 12 Discount Keeper options are:
12: M Hibberd $652k Defender - Melbourne
Missed the whole 2016 season due to an ASADA suspension and by his own admission didn't keep himself in the best of shape. Left Essendon because of the scandal, went to the Demons and finished the 2017 season as an All Australian.
Wow, I knew he was good and all but that's very impressive.
18 games in 2017 for a 92 point average and 8 tons which is super for a Fantasy Defender.
Hibberd will only be improved with another preseason under his belt at the Demons and is a must have for your backline this year.
11: P Ryder $646k Ruck - Port Adelaide
Paddy Ryder was rewarded for his excellent season with his first All Australian Guernsey.
Ryder last year averaged 92 a game with 6 tons in what was his most consistent season to date.
No reason why he can't replicate that this year and he is right up there in the Fantasy Ruck conversation for 2018.
10: J Billings $666k Forward - St Kilda
The 2013 number 3 Draft pick had an exciting 2017 season and looks to be a special talent. Had an average of 95 with 11 tons and a high of 151 to show how high his ceiling is.
With his class, don't be surprised if he bobs up in the Midfield this year for the Saints and booms. As a Forward he will be hot property in Dream Team this year and is a must have for sure.
9: M Hurley $663k Defender - Essendon
All Australian Centre Half Back who had a huge year averaging 94 per round and cracked the ton 9 times with a high score of 122, which he did twice.
Hurley also had a further 5 matches in the 90's. I would not of been surprised to see him priced in the mid $700 thousand price range so I think $663k is a steal. There are not too many Defenders I would pick ahead of him.
8: L Whitfield $690k Midfielder - GWS
The former number 1 overall draft pick had a late start to the 2017 season courtesy of an ASADA suspension but he went on to play 15 games and star for the Giants.
Whitfield had an average of 98 with 7 games over 100 and a high of 130.
With a full pre season under his belt, that is not interrupted by an ASADA ban plus his natural improvement, I expect really big things from Whitfield this year.
He is a ball accumulator and runs all day. At the discounted price of $690k he is worth serious consideration as I think he has the potential to be one of the Top 5 Fantasy scorers of the year.
7: L Franklin $677k Forward - Sydney
Buddy will be 31 when the season starts but is still the best tall forward in the competition on the back of another superb 2017 season.
Franklin finished the season with 69 goals, a 96 point fantasy average, his 7th All Australian and his 4th Coleman medal.
Buddy put up 9 tons with a high of 171.
We all know he can put up some silly scores on his day and has a personal best fantasy score of 204 points from that famous game in Tassie against Nth Melbourne.
He will put up the odd quiet match but they are few and far between. Even at his age he is worth every cent of that $677k price tag.
6: E Yeo $692k Defender - West Coast
A premium scoring Defender who has been under an injury cloud after reports he has been managing a hip injury through the pre season. He has been named in West Coast's Sunday JLT game so it mustn't be too bad.
I will be having a big watch on how he is moving on Sunday and if he looks fit, I would suggest getting him in as there are not too many Defenders with a whopping 98 point average!
5: N Fyfe $686k Midfielder - Fremantle
Hell hath no fury like an angry Nat Fyfe who is now fully fit and ready to take back his mantle as the number 1 player in the comp.
We saw the power of 1 player last year when Dusty carried the Tigers to a flag and Fyfe could almost do the same thing for Freo this year.
I normally don't draft Fyfe in classic dream team as he is usually too expensive and not as prolific a Fantasy scorer as the Tom Rockliffe, Paddy Dangerfields of the world but I think this year is going to be different.
In the last 2 months of the 2017 season, Fyfe finally looked to be back to full fitness after that terrible leg injury.
He had 5 tons in those last 8 games and a lowest score of 88.
He is available at reduced price of $686k and I think he will explode this year.
4: P Cripps $692k Midfielder - Carlton
Injury finished Cripps' season early last season but he still managed 15 games for a 98 point average which grossly under sells what this guy brings to the AFL Fantasy table.
He has a high of 143 to his name and is entering his prime now.
I am going to enjoy watching him put up some monster scores this year now he is fully fit.
I don’t imagine he will drop under 100 points a week too often this year, if ever and at $692k, he will be one of the first picked in my side this year.
3: L Parker $693k Midfielder - Sydney
A champion midfielder in his prime who has such a terrific all round game and a great mark for his size.
Usually has a very high Fantasy average but it did drop a bit last season to 98 per game.
He may have an excuse, as he looked to be carrying an injury at times but he was still consistent enough and had 9 tons.
In 2016 he had a 110 average and went 100 plus 15 times.
I expect to see Parker back to that level this year and he is a serious steal at $693k.
2: M Gawn $605k Ruck - Melbourne
Gawn will be first choice Ruck in a lot of teams this year with his price down to only $605k.
The discount is owed largely to the injury Max had last year which cost him a large chunk of time and affected his form when he got back.
Gawn did play 13 games for a respectable 86 point average. Just the 3 tons but a 140 game in there as a reminder of his high ceiling.
He will do a lot more in 2018 and if you look back to his 2016 season you will see "the beard" as he is affectionately known was a weapon of mass destruction in the Ruck.
He boasted a 107 point average in 2016 and that is about the average you should expect in 2018 from him.
1: I Heeney $649k Midfielder/Forward - Sydney
Should be almost the first choice Forward in every Dream Team this year at that price. Was affected by Glandular Fever early last season and had a delayed start to the year.
Given the after effects of that illness can be felt for months and months, Heeney still had a very strong season with 7 tons from 20 games (including finals).
Had an average of 92 for the season but would be short odds to push that up over 100 this year.
I expect him to play a lot more on the ball so the dual position Forward is a real bonus and he is a steal at $649k.
I hope you enjoyed my list and got a couple of ideas for some cheaper keepers.
I will be back soon with the final price bracket of $700k + Keepers.
Thanks for reading
- Dahmsy