POD Hunter: Unique players to find an edge, Rd 2

We take a look at the best low-ownership options to set you apart from SuperCoach BBL rivals.

Champion PODs

With 144 of 179 of the available players currently less than 10% owned, there are plenty of point-of-difference (POD) players on offer for the early part of the season. I’d say this is largely due to the early double game weeks for the Stars, Strikers and Hurricanes players.

Over the years I’ve tended to not look too much into ownership stats in the various SuperCoach formats.

However, I’ve learnt that it can be a very helpful tool to identify players before a majority of other SuperCoaches do.

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For me this is what searching for PODs is really all about, getting ahead of the game by trading in players before they go big and attract mass ownership.

The way round 1 fixtures and personal commitments have fallen, I’ve had to write this article in the early stages of round 1.

I’ve seen the Sixers vs Hurricanes game so will touch on that. However, when reading this article please keep in mind that I haven’t seen the other round 1 matches. Players are also shown at their round 1 prices (pre-price changes).

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One team that won’t have played in round 1 due to their bye is the Adelaide Strikers. I was interested to see that every Strikers’ player, except Rashid Khan, is less than 10% owned. No doubt several Strikers’ players will see significant increases in their ownership prior to their ‘double-double’ in round 2 and 3.

One that I’m looking at closely is Peter Siddle ($163.6k, 3.7% owned). Siddle averaged a very respectable 57.1 SC points last season, thanks to 19 wickets, claiming one every 15.2 balls.

That’s a little better than his career strike rate of 18.8. He’s also been quite economical across his BBL career with an economy rate a tick under 7.

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At an even lower ownership, Phil Salt ($134.3k, 2.8% owned) is my POD pick of the Strikers’ batsman. He’s a great candidate for the S/R bonus, striking at 157.4 and averaging 26.3 with the bat in domestic T20s.

New Strikers’ recruit Danny Briggs ($138k,0.9% owned) is a super POD at the moment. However, can you pick him sight unseen in the BBL? He’s certainly an intriguing option. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he has a T20 career strike rate of 18.2 balls per wicket, going at an economy rate of 7.21. He has played for his country, last representing England in 2014.

Colin Ingram’s ($125k, 8.3%) owners will be thrilled with his start to the season. His half century netted 75 SC points. Carrying this form into the Hurricanes double game week makes him a solid trade-in option. He will need to be moved on when Dawid Malan arrives in the next few weeks though.

James Faulkner ($155.8k, 7.5% owned) picked up where he left off from last season with the ball. He was both threatening and economical on his way to 72 SC points.

He hasn’t had many scores with the bat recently, but it could just be a matter of time. His batting form in the Cricket Tasmania Premier League has been good this season, scoring 377 runs at an average of 62.8.

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Benny Howell’s ($138k, 0.4% owned) late call-up for the Renegades makes him another super POD who hasn’t played in the BBL previously.

His game looks extremely well suited to SC. He has 132 career T20 wickets in 103 innings, striking every 16.6 balls at an E/R of a tick under 7.

Howell is handy with the bat as well, averaging over 22.9 at a S/R of 125.1 in T20s.

Kane Richardson ($160k, 8.2% owned) is capable of being one of the top-scorers this season, as we saw in 2018-19 when he averaged 74.5 SC points.

If he looks on song in round 1, bringing him in for the early part of the season could be a masterstroke.

With the Heat ravaged by injury / late-outs to start the season, Dan Lawrence ($125k, 0.9% owned) could see more opportunities with bat and ball than originally expected.

Lawrence was in decent form in recent months in England’s Vitality Blast T20 comp, registering scores of 49 not out and 81.

His right arm off-breaks look handy, claiming 21 wickets at a S/R of 16.8 and an E/R of 7.4 in T20s.

In his round 1 final word column, Tim Williams called out Jason Behrendorff ($120k, 5.4% owned) as a super POD.

I completely agree and by the time you read this you’ll hopefully have had the chance to watch Behrendorff in round 1. He’s been a fantasy gun in the past, claiming a wicket every 18.1 balls in his BBL career at the excellent economy rate of 6.78.

Thunder quick Adam Milne ($125k, 2.4% owned) may well set the BBL alight in round 1.

Known for his pace, Milne’s T20 career stats look good with a bowling S/R of 17.4 and E/R of 7.65. Keep an eye on his place in the batting order as well.

As a final word, I’ll likely to be sticking to Strikers and Hurricanes players for my round 2 trades. I don’t see enough upside in single game week players at this stage of the season, unless they’re a value pick.

It could be useful to get players in before their prices go through the roof. However, I believe points is the priority over cash for SC, especially for those aiming for glory in the overall rankings.

Good luck for round 2!

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