A quality double header on Friday night for Round 14, as the hot North Queensland Cowboys head to Melbourne to take on the Storm in the opener, before the Dragons take on the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, with a potential top 8 spot on the line. There are plenty of Draftstars studs involved, in what should be a tremendous night of rugby league!
Draftstars have several contests on offer for Friday night, including single-match contests, and combined matchups. These include:
NRL $6,000 – Storm v Cowboys
NRL $6,000 – Dolphins v Dragons
NRL $3,000 – Friday Night doubleheader
There are plenty of other contests that will tickle your fancy, so get involved and make the greatest game of all even more exciting. And if you're new to the Daily Fantasy scene, simply join Draftstars via this link!
NRL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round 14 Friday
NRL Round 14 Friday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Oryn Keeley ($9,100) is one of very few cheap options in this slate of games, and even he has some serious downside. Despite starting in the backrow, Keeley’s minutes are a worry, with his average minutes in his two games started this season sitting at 57. I’d be happy with around the 60 minutes and a score of 35+ here for Keeley, given the dearth of options in the value / cheap range. Last week in 48 minutes Keeley managed 36.8 points, his highest score of the season, but this did include a try assist / line break assist combination. Without this, Keeley’s score wasn’t great. Probably one of the better floors for a cheapie in this slate.
Zac Laybutt ($9,770) took over the goalkicking for the Cowboys’ last week, and if he keeps the job this week, it would be a nice little bonus, however I highly doubt it will happen. Despite this, Laybutt could be a decent selection this week if the Cowboys can score some points against this Storm defence. Laybutt has started the past two games for the Cowboys, and despite some less than stellar scores, he plays on the better left side for the Cowboys, as the Storm’s right-side defence is by far their weakest edge. The Cowboys should go to Laybutt early and often, which hopefully gives us some attacking stats.
NRL Round 14 Friday: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Kurt Donoghoe ($12,170) holds his spot as the starting hooker for the Dolphins but keep an eye on team lists for the Dolphins, as Jeremy Marshall-King looms on an extended bench. If JMK returns, Donoghoe is NOT a buy. However, if he starts, Donoghoe is looking at 70 minutes, with a decent base around the 45 mark. He also has decent upside, given his attacking stats over the past two weeks. With the Dolphins coming in as the favourites for this matchup, there is a good shot here for the Dolphins’ 9 to jag an attacking stat, which would push his score up towards 60. Nice way to save some coin for our premium fantasy picks.
Hamish Stewart ($12,910) is an easy selection in this slate for mine, with his monster base in the middle since starting at lock for the Dragons seeming too good to ignore. Stewart has started the past four games for the Dragons at lock, averaging 51.5 minutes per game and 53 points per game. Stewart has also shown his ability to create attacking stats, with a try and line break in one game, and a try assist / line break assist in another. A really solid base for the price, and decent upside here for Stewart.
NRL Round 14 Friday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Herbie Farnworth ($19,220) is an elite option here on Friday night and is definitely a player that can single-handedly win you money. Not only does Farnworth have a great ceiling, but his floor for an outside back is insane, with only two scores below 50 all season (48, 49.2). With a try in each of his past seven games, Farnworth has shown over and over again that he knows the way across the line. Another interesting point is that he has zero games with multiple tries this season, meaning if he can snag a double his score will be massive. The Dragons’ right edge defence gives up half of all their tries, and with Farnworth attacking it, look out non-owners.
Toby Couchman ($16,620) is my favourite play on Friday night football. Couchman played the entire 80 minutes last week in the middle, punching out 75.4 points without any attacking stats. Whilst I don’t think Couchman plays the 80 again, he has shown he can play it, and his upside is the Dragons’ version of Terrell May. In my opinion Couchman should be closer to $18,500 and is great value here and will finish with the number 1 score for all forwards. If he can somehow jag an attacking stat, he has number 1 overall player in this slate potential.
Here’s Our Suggested Draftstars Lineup
NRL Betting Markets: Round 14 Friday
Storm ($1.20) vs Cowboys ($4.60)
Line: Storm (-14.5)
Points: 50.5
Dolphins ($1.53) vs Dragons ($2.50)
Line: Dolphins (-4.5)
Points: 47.5
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!
