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 could deliver big scores this week.
Tim English can be trusted again this season. He’s averaging 107 from his past five games and faces Port Adelaide this week. Opposing ruckman Jordan Sweet has given up 100+ scores two weeks in a row. English also scored 131 the last time he played Port and averages 117.3 from his last three at Ballarat.
Darcy Cameron comes up against the Rhys Stanley/Sam De Koning combo, who’ve been giving up big scores to opposition rucks. Cameron scored 147 the last time he played Geelong and averages 99 from their last three meetings.
I’m willing to give Jai Newcombe another go this weekend, despite a disappointing 91 last week. Richmond are an easy team to score against, and Newcombe posted 121 the last time he played them.
Josh Daicos is thriving in his new half-back role. Geelong has been a happy hunting ground for him, with an average of 105.7 from their last three meetings.
I think Sam Walsh can go big this weekend. He scored 145 the last time he played the Crows, averages 125 from their last three meetings, and has a 120.3 average at Adelaide Oval from his last three games at the venue.
Vice-Captain
For vice-captains, we focus on players featuring in the first two games of the round—guys who fit the same mold as our captains but aren’t the go-to selections. If you’re looking for an early VC loophole play, we’ve got you covered.
Luke Ryan shapes as a solid VC loophole. St Kilda are notorious for giving up points to defenders—he averages 118.7 from their last three meetings and scored 126 the last time they played.
While Hayden Young hasn’t been huge since returning from injury, he has a strong record against St Kilda—108 the last time they played and a 106.3 average from their last three match-ups. He also averages 93.7 from his last three at Marvel.
If Will Setterfield holds his spot in the Essendon side, he should score well. He faces North Melbourne, one of the easiest sides for midfielders to score against, and he averages 110 from his last three at Marvel.
Rowan Marshall has had a down year (just 94 average), but he scored 171 the last time he played Fremantle. Stick the VC on him and hope for another explosion.
Jack Steele has also been below his usual output but reportedly only returned to full training last week despite playing the last two. He averages 100 from his last three against Fremantle and could bounce back.
Streamers
Here we highlight players with strong scoring history against their upcoming opponents or other factors that suggest 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.
If Jarman Impey isn’t already on your field, get him there. Richmond are the easiest side for defenders to score against this year, and with Karl Amon out due to concussion, Impey should pick up plenty of ball.
If Brady Hough is sitting on your bench, this could be the week to stream him. He moved into the midfield last week, and coach Andrew McQualter was happy with his output. Tim Kelly returns, but Hough should still see midfield minutes.
Caleb Windsor had a strong showing last week against Richmond. He now faces West Coast, another easy matchup, and scored 114 the last time he played them. He averages 80 from two career games against them.
Jeremy Sharp has been out of form, but faces St Kilda this week—currently the easiest side for midfielders (including wingers) to score against. He scored 88 the last time he faced them, and hopefully he can repeat that for you this week.
As mentioned last week, St Kilda are one of the easiest teams for key defenders to score against. Brennan Cox had 141 the last time he played them. He probably won’t hit that again, but a 65+ is well within reach.
Want more projections? View the top 20 projected scores of the round here…
