Final Word: Trades, tactics, skippers

<ul><li>POSITIONAL ANALYSIS:&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://13.210.220.211/2020/12/06/positional-analysis-batting-breakdown-verdict/" target="_blank">Full batting breakdown and verdict</a></li><li>POSITIONAL ANALYSIS:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.210.220.211/2020/11/27/positional-analysis-bowler-breakdown-verdict/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full bowling breakdown and verdict</a></li></ul>



The wait is finally over, with the Big Bash season launching on Thursday night.



Hobart take on the Sydney Sixers to kick things off, with
the first set of SuperCoach players locked into our sides.



With the rolling lockout in action, we’ll still be able to
trade players and move them around in our sides throughout the round, except
for the Hurricanes and Sixers players who can’t be moved at all.



Clubs are required to submit their 14-man squads the day
before the game, but unlike previous years, they don’t have to make them public
which makes it even more difficult to pick SuperCoach sides.



While some may opt to make them public, we’ll generally have
to wait until the coin toss half hour before the games to get the sides, and
obviously the final XI.



If there’s one round all year you’ll need to watch the final
teams like a hawk, this is it, so have your eyes on the cricket!



Let’s go over a few key factors and players to consider ahead of Round 1.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WEATHER WATCH</h2>



All weather is courtesy of the Bureau of Meteorology as of
Thursday, 12pm. All times are in AEDT. Forecasts are subject to change.



THURSDAY



7.15PM: Hurricanes v Sixers, Blundstone Arena, Hobart



Forecast: Cloudy, 17 degrees, 20% chance of rain in the
morning



FRIDAY



7.15PM: Stars v Heat, Manuka Oval, Canberra



Forecast: Partly cloudy, 20 degrees, 5% chance of rain.



SATURDAY



4.05PM: Stars v Thunder, Manuka Oval, Canberra



Forecast: Partly cloudy, 20 degrees, 10% chance of rain.



7.15PM: Renegades v Scorchers, Blundstone Arena, Hobart



Forecast: Mostly sunny, 23 degrees, 0% chance of rain.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SUPER PODS</h2>



Each week one of our contributors will provide a full analysis
on the point of difference (POD) players to consider.



In the Final Word, we’ll look at the super POD options, the
players at under 5% ownership that could send you soaring (or falling) up the
overall ranks.



They come with big risk, but the reward is immense if it
comes off.



Harry Nielsen



This is very speculative, especially as he’s actually on the
bye in Round 1.



However, his last five Sheffield Shield scores are 114, 0,
43, 40 and 64.



Having the bye in Round 1 means he can be used for VC/AE
loopholes.



The Strikers have the Round 2 double, he will play the first
game, then there’s a question mark over Alex Carey returning for game two.



Carey is with Australia A in a day/night game until the 13th
in Sydney, the Strikers play their second game on the night of the 15th
in Hobart.



The latest word is that Aus A players may not be available
until the 16th.



You could pick Nielsen at $62,500 to free up coin, bench him
for that first game of the double round, and if he scores well you can AE
loophole him. 



Then there’s the chance he actually plays both games in the
round regardless.



At under 0.1% ownership he’s the ultimate super POD.



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Jason Behrendorff



He’s slightly over the definition of a super POD at 5.5%
ownership, but the left-arm quick is one of the world’s best short form bowlers
when fit.



It’s rare, but for now he is good to go. 



He’s hardly managed any BBL games in recent years due to injury,
but prior to missing last year with injury he averaged 49.6 SuperCoach points
in 11 games.



During that stint
he had a top score of 154 points.



He has enormous upside and is a serious option for those who like to play with fire.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">LOOKING AHEAD</h2>



A few quick things to consider for your final teams.



While we’re all heavy on Stars players with the early double
game, be aware they have the bye in Round 3, so we’ll have six trades available
to move the majority of them on before this time.



It doesn’t mean you can’t start with six or seven of them in
your squad, just have a plan to get rid of the brunt of them in coming weeks.



The Strikers have the bye this week, but then have the double game week in Round’s 2 AND 3.



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It looks a wise move to start with one or even two on your bench in preparation for this. They’ll also provide you with a good opportunity to <a href="http://13.210.220.211/2020/12/09/tactic-talk-utilising-the-auto-emergency-loophole/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="vice-captain loophole and auto-emergency loophole. (opens in a new tab)">vice-captain loophole and auto-emergency loophole.</a>



The Hurricanes are loaded with SuperCoach relevant players
and they have the double in Round 2, so try and get one or two of them minimum
in your side to start the season.



D’Arcy Short will be an absolute must-have next week and is
basically a lock in skipper, so why not just get him in this week and save the
inevitable trade?



After the Stars Round 3 bye there are no more byes in the
entire season, and following that week there are two straight rounds without a
double game.



This further enhances the need to load up on double round players in the Stars/Strikers/Hurricanes early on.



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



Glenn Maxwell is the obvious choice. He enters the round in
sensational form in the Australia v India series, will bat high for the Stars
who have the double game week and will bowl. He’ll be an extremely popular
choice this week.



Tread cautiously with Marcus Stoinis who won’t bowl for at
least three weeks, meaning he’s relying on scoring well with the bat.



However, he did average 64.9 SuperCoach points last season
having hardly bowled, so he looms as a sneaky option regardless, but not for
me.



Adam Zampa looks the next best option at the Stars. He had
some success against India and averaged 64.3 points last season.



I’d be avoiding anyone else outside of those three this week.



Provided you choose one of the above, your vice-captain will
have to come from the Thursday night clash between the Hurricanes and Sixers.



D’Arcy Short is the obvious choice who plays at the batsmen
friendly Blundstone Arena, and he should roll the arm over for 2-4 overs also.



In nine games last season he had four scores of 99 and
above, including a 160 and 173 which are the numbers required to utilise the
loophole.



Good luck in Round 1 SuperCoaches!

Final Word: Trades, tactics, skippers, RD 1

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