For the third week in a row, three of the four teams on deck for Friday Night Football are well and truly in the thick of the race to the finals, with the fourth team (Dragons) also being a slight chance at sneaking into the 8. First up, the Warriors will host the Dragons in a must-win clash for both teams in Auckland, before the Roosters host the Bulldogs in a Friday night blockbuster. Two tight games expected, with plenty to look forward to.
Draftstars have several contests on offer for Friday night, including single-match contests, and combined matchups. These include:
NRL $6,000 – Warriors v Dragons
NRL $6,000 – Roosters v Bulldogs
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 24 Friday
NRL Friday Round 24: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Bailey Hayward ($8,320) has been named to start in the 9 jersey and failing any last-minute silly buggers from coach Cameron Ciraldo, is primed for a big role, with big minutes for the Bulldogs this week. Whilst he’s not an elite fantasy player in the hooking role, he has shown enough this season to warrant selection at the price in the hope he punches out decent minutes in the middle. He’s not without attacking upside, creating six line breaks this season, as well as five try assists, however these numbers have dried up of late. Looking at games where he plays 60+ minutes, and Hayward is averaging a very respectable 39.2, and if he can punch this sort of score out this week, you’d happily take it at price.
Taine Tuaupiki ($9,100) is a selection based purely on upside. Has started the majority of games this season on the wing, with only five of his starts being at fullback. In those five starts, Tuaupiki is averaging 37.7 points per game, however the ceiling is really good at this price, with his highest score at fullback being 69.3 against the Tigers in round 17. He also scored a very solid 45 points against the Broncos in his first game at fullback in round 7, and I think this is around the score you can realistically hope for this week, with a ceiling around the 65 mark.
NRL Friday Round 24: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Enari Tuala ($12,490) has looked good on the wing for the Bulldogs, and playing outside Stephen Crichton is never a bad place to be. As can be seen in our next Mid Price fantasy pick, a stack with Crichton on the right edge for the Bulldogs is a solid investment in my opinion, as even when Crichton shifts to fullback he likes to swing right, which also pushes noted offload king Jacob Kiraz out to the right. With three tries and five-line breaks in his last three games for the Doggies, Tuala is a great pick up here with decent upside, with three scores of 40+ in his six games this year, to go with his highest score of 64.4 in horrid conditions last week. A nice point of difference that a lot may forget about.
Stephen Crichton ($13,020) has looked tremendous in the attacking fullback role the past two weeks, with himself and Jacob Kiraz swapping between fullback and centre depending on whether the Bulldogs are attacking or defending. Crichton has shifted more towards the fullback role in attack, where he has flourished with more ball. But it’s not just at fullback where he has excelled lately, with his play in the centres being just as exciting from a fantasy standpoint. With Connor Tracey on the extended bench, there’s a chance Crichton plays centre, but I’m not concerned. With seven-line break assists, seven try assists, three-line breaks and a try in the past four games, Crichton is getting it done no matter where he lines up. Higher upside at fullback in my opinion, so play with slightly more confidence if Tracey is ruled out.
NRL Friday Round 24: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Sam Walker ($17,010) has got back to his best after a few quiet games on return from his ACL injury. The good thing about Walker is he is getting it done in most statistical categories, so even if he struggles with those big attacking stats against a tremendous defensive team in the Bulldogs, he still gets his points from general play kicking and kicking goals. With 12 try assists in just five games since returning, Walker has quickly shot up to 15th place in the NRL in try assists, a remarkable achievement given his lack of games. If he kept going at this historic rate of try assists per game, Walker would be on 48 try assists this season, with the next best (Scott Drinkwater) on 20. A remarkable effort from the diminutive Roosters half.
Jackson Ford ($15,490) has been really solid for the Warriors this season, and if not for a few low scoring games smattered amongst his solid scores, would have a terrific average. Ford has seven scores below 50 this year, with a low of 21, however in all other games he has averaged 60.7 points per game, which is exactly what we want here from our top priced forward purchase. Realistically, he won’t get you any attacking stats, and if he does it’s a massive bonus, but he gets through his work and is a dependable number in a slate where there really aren’t many slam dunks in my opinion. Has a terrific ceiling, with a high score of 72.9, however if he punches out 55-65 here, you’re a very happy owner.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup for NRL Friday Round 24
NRL Friday Round 24 Betting Markets
Warriors ($1.53) vs Dragons ($2.50)
Line: Warriors (-5.5)
Points: 43.5
Roosters ($2.00) vs Bulldogs ($1.81)
Line: Bulldogs (-1.5)
Points: 41.5
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!
