The cricket bat is well and truly in the closet with Round 1 NRL in full swing! How good is it! Whilst 2015 will forever be remembered as Johnathan Thurston’s magical moment as he clinched a heart-stopping field goal, 2016 promises to be an even bigger and better season than the last!
At fantasygames.com.au, the action continues off the field. In 2016, we are your place to play daily NRL fantasy. With huge cash prizes, special promotions and innovative tournaments, make this season the year to experience the thrill of daily fantasy sports.
The biggest guaranteed tournament for round 1 is on Saturday. So we have analysed the fixtures and listed the players that can help you score and win big this weekend!
Note: All prices are courtesy of Fantasy Games and based on an $110,000 salary cap.
Best of the Best
Johnathan Thurston (HFB, $18,800)
Rd 1 Opponent: Sharks
In 2015 he was the best half in the world of fantasy scoring an average of 77 points per game. With Thurston entering round 1 alongside the same team that lined up in last season’s decider there is no sane reason why that trend cannot continue. Townsville will be rocking come kick-off and we believe Thurston will hit the ground running. He does not come cheap though!
Predicted Score: 82
Andrew Fifita (FRF, $17,900)
Rd 1 Opponent: Cowboys
The Sharks have quite a thin depth up front, with Sam Tagatese and brother Dave making up the front row rotation. With the reduced interchange also coming into effect, we are predicting that Fifita will see a dramatic increase in his minutes. He will be eager to prove himself following a lacklustre 2015 and there is no better way to start the year than against the premier props, Scott and Tamou.
Predicted Score: 78
Shaun Johnson (HFB, $17,200)
Rd 1 Opponent: Tigers
The Warriors go into this season with the greatest confidence in their existence of finally becoming a Premiership winning-side. The key off-season buys of Isaac Luke ($14,300) and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ($18,900) give the Warriors the best attacking spine in the competition. Against a weakened and injury-plagued West Tigers, they’ll start the season off with a bang. We saw how well Johnson controlled the Warriors attack in the pre-season – particularly in the NRL Nines tournament. So look for more of the same from Shaun in round 1 as he racks up Try Assists, Line Breaks and kicks goals for fun. Did we forget to mention he’s posted Supercoach scores of 123, 120 and 106 in his last 3 matches vs Tigers?
Predicted Score: 90
Value Picks
Ben Barba (FLB, $7,100)
Rd 1 Opponent: Cowboys
Having been rewarded the coveted fullback position following a great pre-season, can we see the return of the 2012 Barba? At his very best, he is a match winner and we all saw glimpses of this last year. Barba has always been a confidence player and with the support of the playing group and coach he should start the year in good form. At $7,100 he will be able to free up valuable cash to spend on others.
Predicted Score: 53
Ben Henry (2RF, $5,100)
Rd 1 Opponent: Tigers
His value is super cheap due to a season-ending ACL injury last year. When fit Henry gets involved in a high work rate and will play close to 50 minutes, making him a great pick. His inclusion in starting back row is pure icing on the cake. A must inclusion this week at his price.
Predicted Score: 44
Steer Clear
Having been named on Ricky Stuart’s interchange, it will appear as though Blake Austin (FE, $9,500) will play in an all too familiar utility role. Despite being a fantastic player last season, Canberra have good depth in their back row and Austin will get limited game time. Despite being named the Dally M hooker of the year, Michael Ennis (HOK, $12,500) is a great example of an NRL stud who is a fantasy dud. He almost never runs, gives away ill-disciplined penalties and does not contribute enough attacking statistics to warrant his selection – particularly against the Cowboys.
Follow Fantasy Games on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more tips and special offers.
https://www.facebook.com/fantasygamesau
https://twitter.com/fantasygamesau
https://www.instagram.com/fantasygames.com.au/
The above are the opinions of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of Fantasy Games. Must be 18+ to register.
Comments are closed.