Just the one Friday Night Football contest in Round 12 of the NRL, with 7 teams on the bye and only five games over the weekend. It will be an interesting contest though, as the Eels host the Sea Eagles with both teams missing their Origin contingent. Despite this, there are plenty of terrific fantasy options, and great value to be found.
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NRL $10,000 – Sea Eagles v Eels
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NRL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round 12 Eels vs Sea Eagles
NRL Eels vs Sea Eagles: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Sean Russell ($8,680) is cheap and will be attacking the slightly weaker edge of the Sea Eagles. When picking wingers at this price, you need a little luck, so hopefully Russell can cross the line for us here. The good thing for Russell is he has a decent base for the price, with the Eels’ winger averaging nearly 34 over the past three weeks with zero tries. That floor is handy at the price, and as mentioned if he can jag a try, this is a great selection.
Dean Hawkins ($10,700) gets the seven jersey in place of Mitch Moses, in what will be his fifth start this year. With a dearth of options in the HH slot for this game, this is a great place to save some money in my opinion. Hawkins averaged 37.4 in his four starts earlier in the season, and whilst that doesn’t look great, his second highest score did come against the Sea Eagles in round 4, scoring 43.82 despite zero attacking stats. Hopefully Hawkins is used as the main kicking option, which will give him a solid base, and if he can get involved in a try or two, this could be a great score.
NRL Eels vs Sea Eagles: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Tolutau Koula (12,100) has looked dangerous lately, and this week comes up against a weakened right edge defence for the Eels, with Mitch Moses and Zac Lomax missing through Origin. I expect the Sea Eagles to go left often, and a stack with Koula and Hopoate is a great shout here. Koula’s ceiling (85) is right where you want it for a one game slate, as teams will tend to look extremely similar, you need the guys with big ceilings to differentiate from the pack. I expect at least one try here for the Sea Eagles’ flyer, and any more will see his score soaring above 65.
Siosiua Taukeiaho ($11,510) has been a metronome for the Sea Eagles over the past two months, averaging 39 points per game in that time, with a low score of 32.5. His minutes don’t fluctuate, and nor does his output. You can take his 35-45 points to the bank, and if he can somehow jag an attacking stat, you’re looking at 50+ for a lower mid-priced player in the forwards. Not much downside here.
NRL Eels vs Sea Eagles: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Haumole Olakau’atu ($17,050) is the only premium option in the forwards in this game, so you really have no other option than to pick him. Whilst he hasn’t set the world on fire the past fortnight, I believe the Origin snub could light a fire under the hulking back rower, and taking on one of the worst edge defences in the league can only help him here. Cannot be left out given his ceiling of 85, and with a solid floor given his ability to pop an offload and bust a tackle, you really cannot afford to leave him out on Friday night.
Josh Addo-Carr ($15,540) has been in tremendous try scoring form for the Eels scoring six tries in his last six games. However, it’s Addo-Carr’s ability to still score well without tries that has me on him this week. Over the past fortnight, JAC hasn’t scored a try, yet he still averages 56 points per game in that time period. He has managed this through four-line breaks, a try assist, and a mammoth 17 tackle breaks and 406 running metres. With no Moses, the Eels will be going left all night, so expect Addo-Carr to score a try here.
Suggested Draftstars Team
NRL Betting Markets Round 12: Eels vs Sea Eagles
Eels ($2.65) vs Sea Eagles ($1.48)
Line: Sea Eagles (-6.5)
Points: 45.5
Also, be sure to check out our full NRL Previews and Betting Tips for each match. Our experts break down each individual game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
