Tag: Tom Cutler

11 players we’d love to see gain DPP in UltimateFooty

In a matter of days, UltimateFooty will open and with it, a set of new DPP’s will be added. In 2020 we will yet again be partnering with them giving you exclusive access to every new player position added. While we wait for the official positions to be revealed, here’s 111 players we’d love to see gain DPP in UltimateFooty.

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Patrick Dangerfield – ADD FORWARD

Surely he was close in the eyes of champion data to retaining his forward status. Last year Danger spent a majority of games with chunks of game time forward. His addition of forward status would give us our first significant challenger for taking the #1 forward mantle from Lachie Whitfield. 

Marcus Bontempelli – ADD FORWARD

Maybe it’s a reach, given that Dangerfield didn’t get it. But you can build a case that Bont didn’t just ‘rest’ forward but spent time as a forward. Is it enough? Possibly not, but his inclusion into a line that’s already paper-thin for premiums would add another fascinating element. Check out my take on him in the 50 Most Relevant preseason article here.

Lin Jong – ADD FORWARD

Didn’t play at all last season due to a combination of injuries and battling his mental health. For the previous few seasons he’s been a MID/FWD option and would move from irrelevance to being rosterable should this occur.

Tom Rockliff – ADD FORWARD

There might not be enough data to suggest the move, but I’d love this move. As the season went on and the Port midfield started to fill out with Dan Houston starting to get more opportunity. Yes, Rocky was still getting plenty of midfield minutes, but his forward time trajectory was heading higher. Potentially this is a proactive move, but I believe barring significant injuries to an Ollie Wines or Travis Boak; we’ll see him play more time inside forward 50.

Sam Menegola – ADD FORWARD

Was barely sighted in 2019 after having multiple injury setbacks. While we had just over a handful of games of data in the AFL last year, I’d propose that his role wasn’t drastically different from the years prior. As such, I’d be more than happy for UltimateFooty to return the forward status, as I’m sure his keeper league owners would be too.

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Mitch Duncan – ADD BACK

All last year coaches were screaming out for UltimateFooty to awarded Mitch Duncan with back status. He was undoubtedly playing behind the ball, and his presence at centre bounces was becoming increasingly more notable. It’d be a massive boost for the backline and certainly shake up coaches draft ranks. There’s enough data to hand it to him, get it done UF! 

Brandon Ellis – ADD BACK

If you’ve drafted with UltimateFooty for a long time, you’d be familiar that it has a history of allowing individual players to hold onto a position for an additional 12 months after Champion Data had previously. Players like Bryce Gibbs and Brendon Goddard both were back eligible despite being a year removed from that role.

Last year Brandon Ellis was squeezed up to the wings with the development of Sydney Stack and Jayden Short. As an outside midfielder at Gold Coast, it might not be a pretty season, but if he was a back, he could be a handy D3 selection.

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Harry Perryman – ADD BACK

Much like Ellis above, UltimateFooty could allow Perryman to hold his back status. They could argue he was ‘forced’ up to the wing with the plethora of midfield injuries for the Giants. And that his actual position in the AFL side is across the halfback.

Kade Kolodjahnij – ADD BACK

Just the two games for the former Gold Coast Sun in 2019. Despite them being both on the wing, UltimateFooty could argue it’s insufficient game data to cause him to lose back status. As back we’d at least see this once-promising youngster get drafted.

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Mitch Hibberd – ADD BACK

He spent last year playing as an inside midfielder in the VFL. However, just a few seasons earlier he was playing as a rebounding defender for North Melbourne. Should UF wish too, they could allow him through to the backs based solely off the premise of what he was last in the AFL. Read our full take on him here from the 50 most relevant.

Tom Cutler – ADD BACK

Using a similar argument for Hibberd, Cutler spent the majority of last year out of the Brisbane Lions AFL side. Historically, Tom Cutler has been used as a rebounding half-back who can play high across the wings. As a midfielder, he looms destined to sit on the waiver wire and go undrafted. As a back, he’s worth a late-round pick up. 

Who do you think will gain DPP in UltimateFooty? Have your say at our Facebook,  Twitter or Instagram. 

AFLFantasy Preseason Watchlist |Essendon Bombers

Lewy & Checkers from Lane Kicking are back with their take on some Essendon Bombers on their AFLFantasy watchlist.

BREAKOUT: Darcy Parish – $589,000 (MID/FWD)

Make or break year for the former Pick 5, has been tempting us each year with the promise of “more midfield time” but has always been underwhelming with just 6 tons in his 74 game career. Averaged 28 disposals and 7 clearances in his draft year, so fingers crossed he can get his numbers back towards that, there was a brief patch last year where he put together consecutive 30+ disposal games and had a 5 game rolling average of 95 between Round 10-15. The advantage here is his DPP because while a lack of tons won’t cut it in your midfield, some consistent high 80s and 90s could be handy up forward

TRACK: Andrew McGrath – $554,000 (MID)

Moved into a more permanent spot in the midfield last year, but it did very little for his fantasy game, only adding 3 points to his average. 4th year in the competition, 60+ games under his belt, we know how much potential he has, track the pre-season games to see if we can expect any improvement in 2020

ROOKIE: Mitchell Hibberd – $197,000 (MID)

Three words that get fantasy coaches lips watering “Mature Age Midfielder” and 23-year-old Mitch Hibberd is the juiciest of them all. Previously on North Melbourne’s list, he played just 4 games off the half-back flank for an average in the 40s. Went back to the VFL and moved back into the midfield last year, averaging 99 fantasy points. At 190cm tall he could be very handy in what is quite a small midfield, watch his pre-season and if named Round 1 you would almost have to start him

UNDERDOG: Tom Cutler – $496,000 (MID)

Sharing some similarities to Mitch Hibberd, Tom Cutler stands at 192cm and 95kg and comes to the Bombers as a very handy candidate to add some height and size to their midfield and will be used as a two-way runner on the wings. We also saw Essendon’s midfield get decimated by injuries last year with Heppell, Smith and Fantasia missing at different stages, so some very smart recruiting trading for 24-year-old Cutler and drafting 23-year-old Hibberd to add some ready-made options to their list.

Cutler was starved of opportunities at Brisbane, playing just 3 games in 2019, but if we go back to 2018 he reeks of fantasy potential, showing ceiling with a 142 and a 126, plus averaging 7 marks a game in the midfield, including 14 in Round 16 against Carlton. Keep a close eye on the ball magnet, while we are unsure if he will break into the side for Round 1, he does have some potential to be a handy cash cow