Two important games on Friday Night Football in NRL Round 17, kicked off by a clash between the Manly Sea Eagles and Wests Tigers at 4 Pines Park, in a game with two desperate teams looking for their first wins in June. To cap things off, the suddenly rejuvenated Newcastle Knights host the second placed Canberra Raiders, in what should be a quality affair.
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NRL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round 17 Friday
NRL Round 17 Friday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Heath Mason ($8,310) has been named at fullback with the loss of Jahream Bula for several weeks, and it should do wonders for his fantasy impact. Mason should get plenty more run metres as a base and will also be involved inside the redzone for the Tigers. At five eighth, Mason has averaged a decent 29 points per game, but if you take out his poor game against the Panthers two weeks ago, he averages 35.3 points per game. I he can score this for you at near bottom dollar, you would take it, however I believe his upside at the back is far better, and he could easily score you 40+ without any major attacking stats.
Latu Fainu ($9,560) looked amazing last week off the bench and has been rewarded with the Tigers’ number 7 jersey this week. Fainu is averaging 32.1 points in his four games this season, in an average of just 44.5 minutes per game. Has so much attacking upside, and with a full 80 minutes I think you can pencil in Fainu for a floor of 35, with a very good ceiling. Fainu didn’t show a great deal of general play kicking last week, and I would expect Luai to continue operating as the main kicker in general play. However, if Fainu takes over this role, he has a much higher floor in my opinion. A good, cheap stack with Mason.
NRL Round 17 Friday: Our Mid-Priced Fantasy Picks
James Schiller ($10,310) is at an attractive price here and has been remarkably consistent for the Knights from a fantasy standpoint. Schiller has averaged a very respectable 37.9 points per game on the wing of the worst attacking team in the competition, and if you take away his one-minute game against the Bulldogs, he has averaged 40.8, with only six tries. Has a tremendous floor in my opinion, and you can pencil him in for 30+ as a floor, and with a try or two could see his score into the 60’s. Get on board.
Lehi Hopoate ($11,260) is now officially the Manly Sea Eagles fullback, with Tom Trbojevic commencing his new career in the centres. Hopoate has been brilliant at fullback and is heavily underpriced here based on his season average which includes plenty of game time on the wing, and an early injury in his last game where he scored -0.7 points. The three previous games where he started at fullback, Hopoate had scores of 56.3, 60.3, and 58.4. An absolute no brainer as the Sea Eagles look to get their season back on track at home.
NRL Round 17 Friday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Terrell May ($21,740) is the number 1 gun in this slate of games, and it’s a very hard fade to leave him out of your teams. Averaging a massive 74.6 points per game, with a low score of 53.1, and a high score of 108.9, you leave him out at your own risk. May does it all, regularly making close to 50 tackles, 150+ running metres, whilst offloading at will and possessing an innate ability to bust tackles. Throw in the odd attacking stat, and a model outcome of around 75 points looks highly likely. May has six scores this season over 75, and realistically if he punches out a score like that and you don’t have him in your squad, you aren’t winning money here.
Dylan Lucas ($18,810) has been tremendous this season for the Knights, and it has translated nicely to fantasy football, with Lucas averaging an incredible 62.4 points per game. Lucas has played a couple of games in the centres, which has brought his average down a little, but he has shown in the backrow he can score with the best of them. Has five tries this season, three of which were scored in one game against the Panthers, where he scored nearly 100 points. With only three scores under 55 this year, Lucas is an extremely safe option in the forwards, who also has a nice attacking upside. My favourite play if you aren’t taking May in your team.
Here’s Our Suggested Draftstars Lineup
NRL Betting Markets: Round 17 Friday
Sea Eagles ($1.45) vs Tigers ($2.75)
Knights ($2.80) vs Raiders ($1.44)
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!
