NBL Fantasy: Please Cam, can I have some more?
This weekly column is produced by Dean Zardo and Steve Chalmers.
The headline is pretty much what every Cam Oliver owner had to say over the weekend. That, or some expletives that pretty much asked for anything, rather than more.
How did he end up registering a double-double in Monday night's encounter, we’ll never know!
While LaMelo Ball dazzled and continued to reward owners who held on for the ride, Oliver was a let down, especially for those who traded in and/or made him El Capitan.
That’s how the fantasy game works my friends, you win some, you lose some. Let’s take a look back on how Round 8 fared before we attempt to guide you into some winners for Round 9 and beyond!
Did it pay to hold?
Big guns on singles may have failed to fire in round eight with Shawn Long not entirely living up to expectation, while a host of others struggled.
Long put together his quietest night of the year this far polling just 14 fpoints (fantasy points) in United’s victory over the Bullets.
Brad Newley is a point of difference for many teams and his strong monty came to an end with just the 10 fpoints against the Phoenix.
Bryce Cotton notched 31 fpoints which is 10 less than his average as well.
Injury bug strikes again
Mirko Djeric’s name was rumoured around Twitter circles throughout the week on whether he was questionable to play. Sure enough, the reports out of FNQ were spot on and he was ruled out the day of the Taipans’ opening game of the round due to back spasms.
His exclusion wouldn’t have been a major blow had the Snakes not have entered the round on a double, and the fact he’s playing in a position that lacks a little bit of value for your bench option.
Owners would have been hopeful for a respectable score upon return on the second half of Cairns’ double header, however unfortunately he didn’t quite get up and owners were left with a zero. Hopefully the minor hiccup is exactly that, with Djeric still set to trap fixture rewards in round 10, 11 and 13.
Corey Webster was just starting to turn himself back into boss like FIBA Corey Webster before yet another injury hit the Breakers guard.
New Zealand have reported that Webster’s X-rays for his ankle have come back negative and ruled out a fracture, however only hopeful for a swift recovery.
The Stars
LaMelo Ball (Illawarra Hawks)
What more can you say about his triple-double game that hasn’t already been shared around the globe?
It was simply breathtaking to watch an 18-year old who will have the world at his feet in only a matter of months do what he did on our soil.
From a fantasy perspective, the triple double put him second for points scored this week behind Cairns’ Scott Machado - who played double the amount of games as Ball.
The Value
EJ Singler (Brisbane Bullets)
With every rumour circling the Brisbane Bullets - are they good enough? Will they make a run? Who’s the first import to go? Why isn’t anyone talking about Lemanis? It goes on and on.
EJ Singler came out and balled over the weekend, silencing any noise anyone may have had on the swingman.
Averaging just 22 fpoints per game, Singler raised the bar to notch 53 and 40 in his double this past week, lifting his average five points in the space of a week!!
Pressure Cooker
Casey Prather (Melbourne United)
For a player who’s team is coming into a solo double for the entire round, now was certainly not the time to be back on the sidelines from a fantasy point of view.
Prather found himself back in street clothes this past week and even if he is ready to suit up this week, it would be a massive risk to insert him straight into your side. There’s a much better option if you’re ready to read below!
Injury List
CairnsMirko DjericBack - Game Time Decision Illawarra Aaron BrooksAchilles - SeasonMelbourneAlex PledgerAnkle - 6 to 8 weeksNew ZealandCorey WebsterTest Scotty Hopson Knee - Expected to play Glenn Rice Jr.Stupidy - SuspendedRob LoeSkull - IndefinitePerthWani Swaka Lo Buluk Ankle - 6-8 weeksSouth East MelbourneTai Wesley Hamstring - 1 weeks SydneyKevin LischAnkle - 2 weeks
The Summary
So, you've come here for a reason haven't you? Who do you bring in for the next round? Let's make it simple, below are a few names (at different levels) who you can target:
Doubles in Round 9: MEL
SG/PG: Mitch McCarron $1.48m
C: Shawn Long $1.94m
PG: Melo Trimble $1.63m
C/PF: Jo Lual-Acuil $597k
For those you should be keen to oppose
I’d probably keep most of your Adelaide guys for two weeks cos they play 4 straight dubs after that.
Interesting who to get rid of. I’d say it is very dependant on team needs and wants in terms of how you’re setting your team up for this week (who do you lose to afford decent players) and how you set up long term (who you plan on keeping).