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 12 players have gained an additional position, two players have gained back status, five gaining centre, one new ruck and four have picked up forward status. Let’s look at who they are and the relevance to your draft sides and leagues.
Embed from Getty ImagesKyron Hayden | Add Back
The big-bodied midfielder has found a home more recently in the Kangaroos backline and because of this has picked up the new position. As far as relevance for UltimateFooty coaches, there is none. A seasonal average of 33 from five matches and a top score of 45 is the type of scoring you only wish on your opposition and want nowhere near your squad. Pass… Next!
Jay Lockhart | Add Back
Stay with us, there will be a DPP that helps UltimateFooty community, but Jay Lockhart isn’t it either. The forward turned pressure defender is in a similar scoring boat to Hayden above. A top score of 42 and an average of 34 isn’t worth having on your roster. There is a reason why his average draft position was over 350 and why he’s owned in just 4% of leagues. Pass!
Embed from Getty ImagesBrodie Smith | Add Centre
Even before the injury-hit Adelaide skipper Rory Sloane, the Crows have loved using Brodie Smith higher up the ground in 2020. The club loves using his elite kicking skills for inside 50 delivery, and while the Crows forwards are yet to get it done, Brodie is playing his part, and his fantasy football results are starting to show. Even though he had a slow start (35 and 45), his past four weeks have been impressive—Scoring 73, 73, 75 and last week’s 107 against West Coast. In the past three weeks, only Nick Haynes and Callum Mills have stronger averages for those back eligible players. The allocation of centre DPP just enhances your scoring potential, especially if you might be blessed with all the best backs. Using the same three-week rolling average, he’s currently ranked 26th for averages in all of UF.
Ben Keays | Add Centre
Since breaking into the Crows side, Ben Keays has found a role for himself playing as a tagger in the Adelaide midfield. His actual value is the fact that he’s forward eligible and has scored a 68, 72 and 59 in three of his last four outings. In most leagues that enough to consider placing on the field this year. Like anyone who gains a centre positional allocation it only ever enhances squad versatility, not player relevance.
Christian Petracca | Add Centre
The breakout year of Christian Petracca is well and truly on! He’s currently ranked as the top-scoring forward this year for total points. One of the primary reasons behind the scoring boost has been a significant increase in his midfield role at Melbourne. It’s no surprise he’s picked up C/F DPP.
James Aish | Add Centre
The move to Fremantle has seen the former Magpie become a crucial part of replacing Ed Langdon and Brad Hill. Playing predominantly as a winger James Aish is having a personal best season in terms of his relevance for draft coaches Currently as a back eligible player he’s ranked inside the top 20 for total points scored. As with every player that every gains centre status, it only ever adds flexibility to your squad and not adding to points on the field for owners.
Adam Cerra | Add Centre
Like teammate James Aish, 20-year-old Adam Cerra has taken his opportunities with departures in a few former teammates and started to make the midfield role his own. As a player, he’s a great user of the ball on both sides of his body, strong over the footy and clean at ground level. After being selected at pick five in the 2017 draft, Docker fans (and keeper league owners) are starting to get some glimpses of the player he’ll become. He’s ranked inside the top 50 for backs on averages and inside the top 40 based on total points. Does being awarded DPP make much of a difference to owners? Probably not, but it validates the role change he’s had in 2020.
Become a Patron! Embed from Getty ImagesDarcy Fort | Add Ruck
This new DPP might be a but a very relevant one depending on the ruck stocks in your league. In the Geelong Cats ruck roulette, he’s the current flavour of the month. As such, he should be given the status given that when he has played in 2020 (four games), he’s been the ruckmen. A three-round average of 53 isn’t incredible, but as a bench cover, it’s not the worst. His scoring is significantly higher if you have additional scoring categories turned on.
Embed from Getty ImagesTom Phillips | Add Forward
2018-2019 saw some fantastic scoring from Tom Phillips as he looked to establish himself as one of the best wingmen in the game. Averages of 95 and 90 had his coaches expecting another strong return in 2020. Except for Andrew Gaff, most wingers are seeing a scoring dip, but for Philips, it’s even more significant. For him, it’s more as he’s moved into a higher forward role. The benefit for the coaches that drafted him (Average draft position of 125) is that he moves from a midfielder you cannot field to now someone you can place in your forward line. His 101 back in round two against Richmond feels a long time away given he’s followed it up with four consecutive scores between 51-57. An average of 58.8 is far from stunning as a midfielder, but as a forward in this weird season, it’s not horrendous. He currently ranks inside the top 50 forwards and is ahead of popular picks like teammate Jordan De Goey, Luke Dahlhaus, Blake Acres and Robbie Gray. Small comfort for owners who’ve been frustrated with the return based on where there drafted him.
Jonathon Marsh | Add Forward
The Saints are stacked when it comes to tall defenders. With Callum Wilkie, Dougal Howard and Jake Carlisle taking up the three tall defensive posts the only way for the former Magpie to break into the side was through injury or a role change. For Jono Marsh, his journey back to the elite level more consistently has been through a role change. The offseason departure of Josh Bruce has opened up a tall vacancy to support young star Max King and Tim Membrey. From a fantasy football perspective scores of 39, 65, 41 and 24 are far from what we should want on our lists.
Hayden McLean | Add Forward
The Swans have been decimated for injures to key position players in 2020 and Hayden McLean while in the side as a ruck at centre bounces he has been forced to be a used up forward in general play to create a tall target to support Nick Blakey. A top score of 53 in the last four weeks isn’t huge, but could be handy in deeper leagues or those with additional scoring categories switched on. Regardless, once the talls start to return over the next few weeks I suspect he might not have the strongest job security.
Jarryn Geary | Add Forward
The Saints have had a radical change to their structures in 2020, and that was bound to happen given the plethora of players they brought into the team via the recent trade period. One of those changes was to use Jarryn Geary’s defensive skills up forward on opposition teams best playmaker. In the few times he’s done it he’s done a reasonable job. Given he’s only played four games in 2020 and one of those was an eight his average of 31 means that his fantasy relevance is as strong as the Adelaide Crows goal scoring. Non-existent!
Become a Patron! Embed from Getty ImagesClose, but not yet…
Many coaches were hopeful that Dayne Zorko had done enough to be awarded forward status. And he was mighty close to picking up DPP. What arguably hurt his cause was that he’s missed multiple games through injury (round 3 & 5) plus missed a majority of the clubs round four clash with injury concerns.
