Keeper Leagues

UltimateFooty: Round 3 Positional Changes
0 0
Read Time:4 Minute, 51 Second

After rounds 3, 6 & 9 the drafting format of Ultimate Footy awards additional player positions to players that have had a role change in season. As always players are required to have played a minimum of 3 games to be eligible and to be playing the new position as their primary role in the side.

In total 8 players have gained an additional position, five players have gained back status, two gaining centre, and one has picked up forward status. Let’s look at who they are and the relevance to your draft sides and leagues.

Embed from Getty Images

Jack Bowes | Add Back

This is by far the most beneficial inclusion of this round of new dual position players. Jack Bowes, the former first-round pick (I know you can say that phrase for most Gold Coast player) is averaging career-high numbers. Included in that is his five rebound 50’s a game.

An average of 75 in most seasons doesn’t sound too exciting, but in shortened quarters as a backman it is healthy. If we were to rank him against other current backs, only 12 others average higher than him, and he’d be ranked 10th for total points. An 88 last week against the Crows shows he’s also got some nice ceiling about him as well.

The allocation of back status means he transitions from potentially a coaches sixth or seventh best midfielder right up to a possible top-scoring back. This is a huge win for owners!

Ben McEvoy | Add Back

Ben McEvoy has had a drastic role change and is now a key defender. Scores of 45, 39 & 43 are weak, but he’s got the potential to be a highly significant addition. For this to happen, it would require an injury or tactic change to move out Jon Ceglar and for Big Boy to move back into the ruck role. If this happens though, coaches could get a massive reward with a likely 80+ scorer knowing being backline eligible.

Should Ceglar maintain the role, he still is a valuable pick in deeper drafts our category leagues. Given he’s even given the odd centre bounce at the Hawks.

Reece Conca | Add Back

Last year Reece Conca was a staple through the Fremantle midfield core, however, under this new regime, he’s been bumped in favour for the new generation. Before his trade several years back he played an aggressive half back at Richmond and has seemed to slide right back into this role in 2020. A poor round three score of 47 will sour some coaches from selecting him. However, a 68 and 62 in the opening two rounds is a rosterable score in our backlines this year. Like other backs on this list contrast his current averages on what our existing backs are delivering, and he starts to become someone to consider.

Become a Patron!

Brennan Cox | Add Back

The dockers are struggling with talls down back with injuries to the key defensive stocks of Joel Hamling and Alex PearceBrennan Cox has been sent down back to try and battle opposition key forwards. With just one score over 40, he’s not a waiver wire target in most leagues. However, depending on the scoring category’s you have turned on, he could be a sneaky waiver wire pick up.

Ben Long | Add Back

The crafty forward has been deployed into a new defensive focussed role for St Kilda in 2020. The correct call from UF is to award a new DPP, but he doesn’t present any relevance for coaches. Scores of 33 and 37 in the past fortnight, while might a score Lachie Whitfield owners would currently desire, are not scores coaches should be settling for on the field. Pass!

Embed from Getty Images

Brett Bewley | Add Centre

The injury to Blake Acres and Stephen Hill late in the preseason opened up a role on the Dockers wing, and Brett Bewley has made the most of his opportunities with scores of 89, 57 and 59. Like any player that gains a centre DPP, it doesn’t help increase the scoring potential of your side but instead just adds to some flexibility.

Lachie Weller | Add Centre

For years the Gold Coast Suns were mocked for parting with pick two (which was used on Andrew Brayshaw) to secure the services of Lachie Weller. However, late last year and now to start 2020 he’s starting to showcase his skill and worth to the Gold Coast. Like any player that gains a centre position, it doesn’t increase any on-field points for you. What it does do, is just add some depending versatility into your squad.

Shaun Burgoyne | Add Forward

Over the past few seasons ‘silk’ has been his teams Mr FixIt around the ground, often filling a need for his club. In 2020 Shaun Burgoyne has been deployed more forward where his damaging foot skills can be used for efficient forward 50 entries. The ability to now move him between the back and forward lines just provides you with some additional security should injuries strike your team. In this role, he’ll be prone to the odd sub 50 scores, but on the right week (like in round one) a 70 as a player who’s just purely picked up for injury insurance is substantial.

Become a Patron!
Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %
Six players that could replace the injured Tim Taranto
0 0
Read Time:4 Minute, 15 Second

Last weekend the GWS Giants were hit with horrible news. The clubs reigning best and fairest winner Tim Taranto injured his shoulder and will require surgery. This reconstruction will mean he misses the next four to five months. With a return unlikely until after the bye round, it opens up an opportunity inside the Giants midfield. But for who?

Embed from Getty Images

The season could not have had a disastrous start to the season for the Giants. Tim Taranto injured his shoulder in the within minutes of the club’s first Marsh Series match against Sydney. However, if any team has the depth to cover his loss, it’s GWS. Here are six players that could fill the void left by Tim Taranto.

Stephen Coniglio

Just weeks ago Giants coach suggested his new captain could spend more time forward as he looked to juggle the star-studded midfield. With Taranto’s injury, Stephen Coniglio could be released to play the majority of game time as a midfielder. Should this occur, the already underpriced premium midfielder presents more definite value for fantasy coaches.

His 2019 AFLFantasy average of 104 is excellent, but if we remove then injury impacted game where he scored 0, it boosts up seven points to 111. Similarly in SuperCoach his average of 101 is more than respectable, but with the injured game removed then he spikes up to 108.

That backs up his scoring from 2018 where he averaged 110 in AFLFantasy and 108 in SuperCoach.

Earlier in the preseason, I wrote about him in the 50 Most Relevant, and you can read that article here.

Tom Green

As a junior Tom Green highlighted that he was one of the best midfielders available in his draft year. Last year he averaged 24 disposals, eight clearances and four tackles per game in the Under-18 Championships. 

In the same game that Tim Taranto was injured, we got our first look at the future Giants star. He amassed 21 possessions, 15 of these were contested and kicked two goals. From a fantasy perspective, he scored 106 in SuperCoach and 76 in AFLFantasy. Should he debut round one and pick up some or all of Taranto’s midfield minutes we have a reliable midfield cash cow option to consider.

Jackson Hately

For many among the footballing community, Jackson Hately was already pencilled in for more opportunities with the departure of Adam Tomlinson. Given the similar physical and football traits, it’s understandable for the expectation. Taranto’s injury has just created an even bigger hole in the midfield. Given Hately’s physical presence and ability to win the ball on the inside and outside of the contest, I expect him to cement himself inside the sides best 22. 

Hately has had limited opportunities, but in his first two games with scores of 84 and 80 in AFLFantasy and 95 and 85 in SuperCoach, he has shown his fantasy scoring potential already.

Jye Caldwell

The explosive and damaging midfielder is one to come under substantial consideration for the Taranto role. The former #11 draft pick is a stoppage king who brings with him a healthy defensive mindset. Additionally, Caldwell has a burst of speed from the contest that will make him a fan favourite.

Toby Greene

Round 17 at the MCG, the Giants injury crisis hit its peak. Already Callan Ward, Josh Kelly and tagger Matt deBoer were all out. However, it was also the infamous match the Stephen Coniglio injured his knee and scored a giant doughnut for coaches. These injuries forced the coaches hands, and Toby was thrown into the midfield.

During the final six matches of the season, he showed his class, ball-winning and presence as a midfielder. The injury to Taranto could see the coaching staff ‘go back to the well’ and place him back into the midfield. When place there he scored: 144, 115, 126, 146 142 & 99 at an average of 128 in AFLFantasy. For SuperCoach he scored; 138, 112, 107, 134, 122 & 115 at an average of 121.

Given the lack of genuine forward premium candidates we have available this year, this move could be one of the most beneficial for fantasy coaches.

Earlier in the preseason, I wrote about him in the 50 Most Relevant, and you can read that article here.

Callan Ward

He’s still a minimum of six weeks away from getting back into AFL calculations. However, when he does, the former skipper is one of the more natural candidates to take on the additional midfield responsibility.

Back in 2018 he averaged 27 possessions, 13 of these were contested, seven score involvements and averaged 96 in AFLFantasy and 104 in SuperCoach.

Earlier in the preseason, I wrote about him in the 50 Most Relevant, and you can read that article here. 

Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %