Head-to-Head Focus: Buys and avoids

<ul><li>PLAYMAKER&#8217;S INSIGHTS: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Key 2020 questions answered (opens in a new tab)" href="http://13.210.220.211/2020/03/10/playmakers-insight-key-questions-ahead-of-season-opener/" target="_blank">Key 2020 questions answered</a></li><li>SQUAD ANALYSIS: <a href="http://13.210.220.211/squad_analysis/">Insight and buy rating of every NRL player</a></li></ul>



Welcome to the first edition of the buy or avoid segment for head-to-head players. 



Each week we will be analysing players
relevant to head-to-head SuperCoaches, rather than the usual overall
perspective. 



Whilst there may be some overlap of players
relevant to overall SuperCoaches, this segment will focus on players that can
help you climb your league ladder and take out a championship. 



The most prolific change to head-to-head strategy is that bye-planning over the Origin period is far less of a concern, giving you a greater range of elite players to recruit.



*Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a key on all SuperCoach relevant abbreviations.



<a href="http://13.210.220.211/subscribe/">Sign up to SC Playbook</a>&nbsp;for detailed pre-season analysis of every top 17 player from every club in the competition and more + over 200 additional articles once the season kicks off.



<a id="cy-l9FoVTMdRBvOaAbRFhA" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1171297258" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'cy-l9FoVTMdRBvOaAbRFhA',sig:'DHSwk_LE1VvZXlRfiDNNEsN9Fw3qPY0s_6ODTFY_96s=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1171297258',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BUY</h2>



Bradman
Best (CTW/FLB) &#8211; $240,700



Best is currently out with a fractured foot
and is due back in Round 4. Last year he played three games to end the season
with a 37PPG average. 



He had impressed the Knights coaching staff
and all but secured the left centre spot before he was injured. I am confident
he will walk back into that spot over Tuala once he is healthy. 



A non-playing reserve (NPR) is very handy for
head-to-head players because you can use them for the VC loophole. 



Overall players typically won’t use the VC
loophole early in the season because they will get an auto-emergency (AE) with
a very low score. 



As a head-to-head player, there are times
where your VC goes massive compared to your opponent and you can take their
score with an AE for a safe win. 



You could get a cheaper NPR that might get a
spot in the future such as Jake Alvero or Greg Leleisiuao, but I will be
starting the season with Best in my side to save a trade in the future.



Toby
Rudolf (FRF) &#8211; $171,900



After a strong preseason, Rudolf has secured
his spot on the bench at the Sharks. The big 24-year-old won’t be demanding big
minutes, but he is at rock bottom price and John Morris has faith in him. As a
bottom dollar cheapie with good job security, he will be a lock in my side so I
can put more money into other positions. 



Bailey
Simonsson (CTW/FLB) &#8211; $356,800



Simonsson averaged 38PPG last year with a
number of games off the bench. When he played 80-minutes he averaged 44PPG. 



In 2020, he has secured the left wing spot
outside Jarrod Croker and Jack Wighton, who the Raiders send most of their
attack through. 



The Raiders have a soft draw to start the
season and without Jordana Rapana this year, they need someone to take the
tough runs from the back in his place. 



He will improve from his average last year in
this role and with his small ownership, I believe he can get some attacking
stats on top of his decent base to get you some head-to-head wins. 



The bonus is that he will play fullback if something happens to CNK.



<a id="9TES-ejUTwJ2cmuGfgf7CA" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1209423144" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'9TES-ejUTwJ2cmuGfgf7CA',sig:'YC76HUTRnDlXe7f74E0KaAjUGVH45WDIuyYmZDRm-EQ=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1209423144',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AVOID</h2>



Valentine
Holmes (FLB) &#8211; $563 700



The fullback position has a number of elite
guns with Teddy, Turbo, Ponga and Papenhuyzen all competing for only two spots
in your team. 



In my opinion, Val is not in the same elite
tier as these players and it will take him a while to get there. 



He had some nice touches in the trials and had
a cracking finish to 2018 with an 89PPG average in the back half of the season.




However, don’t forget it took him 18 months at
fullback to get to that average, before that he was averaging 51PPG at fullback
for the Sharks. 



Now he is coming into a new team with 12
months out of the game, so it is going to take him some time before he finds
those big scores consistently.



Your head-to-head opponents are likely going
to have two of the elite fullback options. In order to compete with your
opponents you also need to have two of these elite guns. 



I know Val is a little bit cheaper, but going
up to Ponga only costs $70,600 more and doesn’t disadvantage you as much as
starting with Val would. I personally will be running a Turbo and Papenhuyzen
combo.



Jamayne
Taunoa-Brown (FRF) &#8211; $171,900 



Taunoa-Brown, or JTB, has scored himself a
bench role for the Warriors in Round 1. 



He may look like a good option at bottom
dollar, but he doesn’t have the job security that Rudolf or other cheapie options
have.



Both Curran and Paasi are out injured for the Warriors and are due back in Round 2. The Warriors have never been that forthcoming or accurate with their injury updates, but there is a real risk one of these players will take his role in Round 2. 



<a id="hyXLjnR2SIlXdA009shlEQ" class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1142221161" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'hyXLjnR2SIlXdA009shlEQ',sig:'Lel1xiTQ4jtUOVpNxf-My8S3_iQTSzJ_gJKI4ZeM-Q0=',w:'594px',h:'477px',items:'1142221161',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" async=""></script>



Enari
Tuala (CTW) &#8211; $285,400



Tuala will be lining up at left centre for
Newcastle in Round 1. After a poor season at the Cowboys last year averaging
31PPG he has moved to Newcastle for a fresh start. 



As we mentioned in the buys, Bradman Best will
presumably take Tuala’s spot in Round 4 and SuperCoaches should look elsewhere
for cheapie options.



Zane
Tetevano (FRF/2RF) &#8211; $310,700



Tetevano has moved to Penrith after averaging
33PPG and 37MPG with the Roosters last year.



He has been named to start in the front-row
for Penrith in Round 1. However, this may not be his starting spot for long. 



James Fisher-Harris had surgery over the off-season
and has had a very limited preseason. 



Ivan Cleary has named JFH on the bench in Round
1 to ease him into the year. JFH will eventually make his way into the starting
line-up for Yeo at lock or Tetevano at prop. 



I can’t recommend bringing Tetevano in before we see where JFH goes and we see consistent minutes. I also think there are safer options at this price to bring in instead of him.



SUPERCOACH TERMINOLOGY KEY



MPG = Minutes per game



PPG = Points per game



PPM= Points per minute



BPG = Base per game (point accrued in tackles + runs + missed tackles)



POD = Point of difference

Head-to-Head Focus: Buys and avoids

Discussion (0)

Related /

Draft rankings: FLB, 5/8 positional analysis

Draft rankings: CTW positional analysis

Supercoach Draft: 2023 positional ranks

Supercoach Draft strategy: Tips and tricks for the big day