Left Field Captains
Picking a captain in keeper leagues can be a challenge, especially if injuries or lack of depth leave you without a standout option. That’s where we come in. Instead of the obvious choices, we’re looking at some under-the-radar captaincy options who are averaging under 100 who could deliver big scores this week.
Bradley Hill comes up against North Melbourne this week. His season average sits at 94.7, keeping him under the sub-100 captain target, but his recent form has been outstanding. He’s averaging 112.6 across his last five and 127.0 across his last three, while he also scored 134 the last time he played at Marvel Stadium.
Rowan Marshall also faces North Melbourne this week. His season average sits at 83.7, which keeps him well under the captain threshold, and his recent form is hard to ignore. He’s averaging 105.8 across his last five and 130.3 across his last three, while he also scored 142 the last time he played North Melbourne.
Tim Taranto comes up against the Western Bulldogs this week. His season average sits at 91.7, and he has been building nicely, averaging 96.6 across his last five and 101.7 across his last three. He also scored 102 the last time he played the Dogs, giving him a solid captaincy profile.
Sam Walsh faces Gold Coast this week. His season average sits at 97.9, so he just fits the under-100 brief, and he has a useful history in this matchup. He scored 114 the last time he played the Suns and averages 97.0 across his last three against them.
Ed Richards takes on Richmond this week. His season average sits at 99.7, so he only just sneaks under the line, but he has been consistent enough to consider. He averages 102.7 across his last three against Richmond and scored 105 the last time he played at Marvel Stadium.
Vice-Captain Options
For vice-captains, we focus on players featuring in the Thursday and Friday night games. This week that means Adelaide v Collingwood, Melbourne v Geelong, and Fremantle v West Coast, giving us a few early loophole options to consider.
Lachlan McAndrew comes up against Collingwood this week. His season average sits at 85.3, keeping him well under the VC target, and the matchup is the main attraction. Collingwood have been one of the easiest teams for rucks to score against, conceding +20.0 points above average over their last five games.
Izak Rankine faces Collingwood this week. His season average sits at 86.6, but his recent scoring gives him plenty of appeal. He’s averaging 107.0 across his last three, scored 138 the last time he played at Adelaide Oval, and Collingwood have been a favourable matchup for mid-forward types.
Wayne Milera also takes on Collingwood this week. His season average sits at 94.2, and he’s averaging 103.7 across his last three. He scored 111 the last time he played the Pies, while Collingwood have been a favourable matchup for medium defenders over the last five games.
Sam Berry comes up against Collingwood this week. His season average sits at 93.3, and he has some strong venue form behind him. He scored 126 the last time he played at Adelaide Oval and averages 106.3 across his last three at the ground, while Collingwood have also been a favourable matchup for inside mids.
Jake Bowey faces Geelong this week. His season average sits at 91.8, and his form has been strong, averaging 97.2 across his last five and 104.0 across his last three. He also scored 129 the last time he played at the MCG, giving him a handy Friday night VC case.
Streamers
Here we highlight players with strong scoring histories against their upcoming opponents, or other factors suggesting they could be worth a punt. Whether you’re scraping the waiver wire or looking for a sneaky bench loophole, these are the names to consider.
Harry Morrison faces Essendon and is projected for 81.8. He’s started in just 43.1% of leagues and gets a strong role-based matchup. Essendon have been one of the easiest teams for wingers to score against, conceding +13.1 points above average over their last five games.
Dion Prestia comes up against the Western Bulldogs and is projected for 72.4. He’s started in just 29.4% of leagues and scored 82 the last time he played at Marvel Stadium. The Bulldogs have been one of the easiest teams for inside mids to score against over the last five games.
Josh Weddle faces Essendon and is projected for 77.1. He’s started in 47.6% of leagues and is averaging 83.3 across his last three. He also scored 94 the last time he played Essendon.
James Worpel faces Melbourne and is projected for 76.1. He’s started in just 25.3% of leagues and has been in handy form, averaging 86.3 across his last three. He scored 86 the last time he played Melbourne and averages 96.0 across his last three against them.
Angus Sheldrick faces GWS and is projected for 70.2. He’s started in just 36.1% of leagues and scored 79 the last time he played the Giants. GWS have been a favourable matchup for inside mids, giving Sheldrick some appeal in deeper leagues.
Nick Watson comes up against Essendon and is projected for 71.7. He’s started in just 42.1% of leagues and scored 111 the last time he played the Bombers. He also scored 85 the last time he played at the MCG.
Want projections? View the top 20 projected scores of the round here…
