AFL Fantasy is back for another season, and the team at Footy Prophet will again be supplying NMFC.com.au with premium fantasy analysis and tips ahead of the 2016 season.
North’s new recruit Jed Anderson has arrived at Arden Street and has begun pre-season training alongside his new teammates. The question on our minds is, what can he do for our fantasy teams?
With any potential fantasy recruit there are always two aspects we look closely at; the first, how much opportunity they will have to play, and secondly how well their game style is suited to fantasy scoring.
When it comes to Anderson it looks like he will have plenty of opportunity at AFL level in 2016 should all go well in the pre-season.
He has a number of traits that will hold him in good stead as a Kangaroo, boasting some of the pace and creativity that North’s recruiters were looking for, while also having the customary toughness and hard edge synonymous with its brand of footy.
Breaking into a side that has made two consecutive prelims is going to be a tough ask for any new recruit but with a wealth of VFL experience and those valuable attributes, Anderson appears well-placed.
Anderson’s a versatile player which should make it easier for him to find a home in North’s best side. He’s hard at the contest but also has some great forward nous, meaning he can play a variety of roles in the midfield or forward line.
He should get his opportunities in the NAB Challenge, fitness permitting, and from there it will be up to him to earn a spot in the Round 1 side.
When it comes to his ability to score fantasy points, Anderson looks like someone who could be a handy acquisition in this respect.
He didn’t post any huge fantasy scores in his time at Hawthorn, but was regularly used as the sub there which heavily affects a player’s scoring capability.
That won’t be a problem in 2016 with the sub rule removed from the books. If Anderson’s playing, he’ll be playing full games, which should seriously boost his ability to gather fantasy points.
Tackling can be one of the best ways to score fantasy points with each tackle worth four points, and Anderson is a player who loves to do that. His highlights packages make that very clear.
On top of that he is a regular goal-kicker and there’s no better way to give a fantasy score a quick boost than by kicking a goal or two.
A combination of a tackle, free for, kick and goal could net a player like Anderson 14 points in the space of a single play.
The query on his fantasy scoring at the moment would be his endurance throughout games. He has played mostly as the sub and, having struggled with injury at times in his short career to date, is still building his fitness base.
A full pre-season with North Melbourne could be just what he needs to build the endurance required to run out full games.
If he does, he has all the makings of a great fantasy pick-up, either as a money-making option in AFL Fantasy Classic, or as a late draft selection in AFL Fantasy Elite.
