North Melbourne has named a strong lineup for the team’s first match of the season against the Adelaide Crows, but it may be fantasy coaches with players of the other sides breathing a sigh of relief after the Roos left tagger Ben Jacobs as an emergency.
The first game of the year will see Jed Anderson make his club debut for North Melbourne and will also see the return of Daniel Wells to the side. Both players will have an impact on the field, and quite likely in fantasy as well.
Wells has played his way into just about every fantasy side in the country with strong NAB Challenge performances against Collingwood and Hawthorn. At a low price of $293,000, he’s the perfect mid-priced inclusion for a fantasy forward line.
Despite being flagged as a potential fantasy contributor when traded to North, Anderson has fallen out favour with fantasy coaches due to his low scores in the NAB Challenge.
He certainly made an impact in the games he played, but spending most of his time as a forward meant he didn’t see enough of the ball in his hands to be of great fantasy value.
Anderson is named in the forward pocket for Saturday night, so it's a wait and see – at least to start.
North’s lineup for the match looks to be a strong one and unfortunately bargain-priced fantasy options Aaron Mullett ($162,000) and Aaron Black ($156,000) didn’t make the cut. They’re still worth keeping an eye on when they do get their chance.
It’s good news however for Luke McDonald ($285,000), who has found a spot in the Round 1 side. Coming into his third season in the AFL, he could be primed for a breakout year.
Footy Prophet’s Fantasy Five
- Todd Goldstein ($630,000, RUC)
- Daniel Wells ($293,000, MID-FWD)
- Brent Harvey ($451,000, MID-FWD)
- Andrew Swallow ($487,000, MID)
- Jamie Macmillan ($436,000, DEF)