AFL Fantasy: Roos v Hawks
Ben Cunnington was North’s strongest fantasy performer in Friday night’s loss.
Ben Cunnington was North’s strongest fantasy performer in Friday night’s loss, throwing his name into consideration for all forms of AFL Fantasy this year.
He gathered 21 possessions including 14 kicks, recording the third highest kick-to-handball ratio for the Roos, which is always beneficial in fantasy.
However the real highlight of Cunnington’s game was a phenomenal 11 tackles. He racked up 44 fantasy points alone through tackling, reaching a total of 112 for the night.
Priced at $446,300 in AFL Fantasy Classic, Cunnington doesn’t come cheap, but the former no. 5 Draft pick is poised to join the game’s fantasy stars this year. In AFL Fantasy Elite, he’ll be a valuable player who should be drafted in every league.
The other stand out performer was Luke McDonald who had 19 possessions, 13 of them kicks, on his way to a total of 75 fantasy points.
With average of 70.5 across his two NAB Cup games, Luke has locked himself into AFL Fantasy Classic teams as a rookie defender who will see a big price rise. At $243,900 he is cheap for what he has shown himself to be capable of – don’t overthink it, just lock him in.
Daniel Wells was another consistent performer with a score of 81 coming off 23 possessions and a goal.
As a player who has had bad luck in the past with pre-season interruptions, a solid pre-season is a great sign. His best value will be as a midfield draft selection in AFL Fantasy Elite.
Ben Jacobs picked up a handy 17 disposals and took an equal-team-high six marks on his way to 75 fantasy points. If he can make the Round 1 side, he’ll be a good cash cow given he’s priced at $192,400 in AFL Fantasy Classic.
Last week we noted Jacobs has plenty of talent and is ready to show this at AFL level. Add him to the watchlist.
The same goes for Robin Nahas ($178,100). Although he failed to hit the scoreboard, he was able to get his fair share of the ball and show some decent pressure in the forward line with six tackles for a total of 70 fantasy points.
Robbie's best fantasy season at Richmond came in 2011, where he averaged 84 points across 22 games, so we know he has the talent. If he’s able to secure his spot, he could be a great pickup.
The lowlight of the evening was a hamstring injury to second-year player Taylor Garner which will see him spend some time on the sidelines.
After impressing in his two games last year, Garner’s forced hiatus will delay his goal of cracking into the best 22.
Altogether it was a quiet evening for most of the team on the fantasy front and while it’s promising to see bargain-priced Daniel Currie playing, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be part of the team’s regular-season calculations.
Currie has the potential to be a valuable fantasy contributor, but doesn't yet demand selection.
Buy now
Luke McDonald ($243,900) – 75 fantasy points
Ben Cunnington ($446,300) – 112 fantasy points
Watchlist
Ben Jacobs ($192,400) – 73 fantasy points
Robin Nahas ($178,100) – 70 fantasy points
Room for improvement
Daniel Currie ($115,200) – 42 fantasy points