One of the fastest growing Daily Fantasy Sites is Draftstars and this weekend they are having a massive $10,000 guaranteed NRL tournament with a buy-in of just $15.
We have taken a look at the matches this weekend and offer our team of the week taking into account players will be backing up from Origin and may play limited minutes.
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Draftstars NRL Salary Cap: $100,000
Hooker
Peter Wallace ($10,000) Penrith Panthers
The Panthers have announced this week that they will not be resigning James Segyaro for the rest of the season and he has fallen out of favour with the club and been dropped to NSW Cup. His loss is Wallace’s gain, as he will play the full 80-minutes this week against a depleted Storm side.
Alternative option: Kodi Nikorima ($5,000) Brisbane Broncos
The hooker is at bottom dollar but with Andrew McCollough back on the sidelines his minutes will increase. The Broncos are taking on the Warriors who have been poor defensively all season and that should create a lot of opportunities for Nikorima to pick up some attacking stats.
Half
Ryan Matterson ($9,750) Sydney Roosters
Matterson will be playing in just his fourth NRL game but he has already proven he is a hard player to tackle and he should be involved in a high scoring game against the Tigers. Matterson has the capabilities of receiving a lot of attacking stats whilst his big body will be used to make a lot of tackles in defence.
Alternative option: Ben Barba ($7,100) Cronulla Sharks
Barba has been on fire this season and the Sharks are currently sitting on the top of the table. He has been in his best attacking form since he won the Dally M medal in 2012 and is at a bargain price.
Centre
Justin O’Neill ($9,000) North Queensland Cowboys
O’Neill will be backing up from Origin but will be relatively fresh considering the game was played in the middle of the park for the majority of the match. The Cowboys will be facing the bottom of the table Knights and he will have plenty of opportunities to grab a four-pointer.
Alternative option: Chris Lawrence ($9,650) Wests Tigers
Lawrence has been playing big minutes for the Tigers in the backrow this season and has recently signed a new 3-year deal. As he is closer to the middle of the field his workload will be higher than a centre’s whilst he still has the ability to find plenty of attacking stats as he is a former centre.
Wing/Fullback
Greg Inglis ($12,600) South Sydney Rabbitohs
The move of Inglis from fullback to five-eighth has breathed new life into the premiership winner. Inglis is also notorious for putting on his best performances when backing up after a Queensland victory and we are predicting him to have a huge game against the Titans.
Alternative option: James Tedesco ($15,150) Wests Tigers
In a bit of a riskier move, Tedesco was the best fantasy fullback for the season until injuries put him on the sideline. He will return this weekend against a struggling defensive team and the Tigers are a side that focuses on their attack. However, whether he can be back to his best in his first game is questionable and he comes at an expensive price.
Front Row Forward
Jesse Bromwich ($15,400) Melbourne Storm
The newly appointed New Zealand captain is arguably the best forward in the game and he has a lot of weapons in his arsenal. He always takes strong hit ups, has an offload and can brush off would be defenders. His workload should increase this weekend and he will be expected to carry the side in the absence of Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith.
Alternative option: Nathan Brown ($7,300) South Sydney Rabbitohs
Brown has moved up the pecking order in the Bunnies side after multiple impressive performances. The consistency is important for selection into a fantasy side and as George Burgess is sidelined through injury his minutes should increase and is a good cheap option.
Second Row Forward
Sam Burgess ($15,800) South Sydney Rabbitohs
The dual international will play at lock this weekend, which means he will be on the field for the full 80-minutes and his workload will be high. If you can fit his high price tag into your team he is a must have and won’t let you down.
Alternative option: Agnatius Paasi ($9,250) Gold Coast Titans
Paasi has been the impact player off the bench for the Titans this season and has been able to pick up some solid attacking stats along with his base stats this year. Paasi has five line breaks, scored four tries and picked up a try assist in his 11 matches this season, which is high attacking numbers for a forward.
ALWAYS GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY
