NRL $2,000 Sharks v Dragons Line-Up

The crucial Sharks/Dragons clash is what takes our fancy for the $2,000 Draftstars contest . With so many stars to pick, who makes your team?

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Here is a team you may consider for the NRL $2,000+ Sunday competition

Front Row Forward

Jack de Belin ($17,800)

The logic behind selecting de Belin is simple, you take the best player who will end up with the highest score. Whilst Fifita is also a good selection, de Belin comes with a little more safety given that he plays lock and gets an extra 10-15 minutes per game. After a massive 94.50 score in round one, it is clear that this tackling machine has the upside to match Fifita as well and as such, he gets the slight edge.

Matt Prior ($10,050)

Prior saw huge fluctuations in his minutes last season despite having the starting nod, seeing as little as 27 minutes in some games and as many as 73 minutes in others. The positive to take out of this, though, is that when he’s on the park, he scores well and against his former team, he will be looking to play big minutes and make his mark on the game. If Prior can play 50-60 minutes, you can guarantee that you’ll be getting great value from a guy priced at nearly $8k less than Fifita and de Belin.

Hooker

Jayden Brailey ($5,050)

Brailey is sitting on just about every salary cap bench at the moment and is one of the most popular Draftstars selections in every contest he’s in. The love for the Sharks new rake is not unfounded either, with Brailey scoring 38.50 and 36.40 in the first two rounds. Shane Flanagan loves this kid and rates his work ethic highly both on and off the field. The fact that he played 71 minutes in the win over the Raiders is extremely encouraging and if he can stay on the park, he will reward you with a great score.

Second Row Forward

Paul Gallen ($16,250)

Gallen may be old, but he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. As a stalwart of our teams in years gone by, Gal has proven time and again to be a great fantasy option and after scoring 46 and 55.30 in the first two rounds, this year won’t be much different. We know how much he loves to run the ball and his 33 tackles in week one set a solid benchmark on that side of the ball. If he can put together a vintage Gal game, you could be in for a score of 60+.

Luke Lewis ($11,750)

To round out the retirement home that is my second row, Luke Lewis gets the nod. The veteran utility has made the back row his home in the last few years and has been ultra-consistent in fantasy circles, averaging 43 and 42.5 in the last two seasons. Lewis, like Gallen, loves to tackle and always has solid offload numbers for a second rower (he averaged over one per game last season).

Centre

Josh Dugan ($12,850)

If the Dragons are going to win this game, Dugan will have to go big. Available as a centre, Dugan has played almost exclusively at fullback since his switch in Round 3 last season and has scored extremely well in the role. His propensity to break tackles is enormous (as seen in round one, when he had 11) and he’s always a try scoring threat. He’s only averaged 148.5 running metres so far this season, which should be improved upon against the kick-happy Sharkies with Dugan retrieving James Maloney and Chad Townsend’s bombs. This will prop up his score and if he can manage a try or a couple of line breaks, he could easily score over 60.

Half

James Maloney ($9,900)

Unless you think Gareth Widdop will continue his try-scoring spree, then there is not much separating the options in the halves this contest. As such, the upside of Maloney is appealing given that he has the ability to outscore the other guys at a slightly lower price. Maloney will always take conversions and put up solid tackle numbers, so if he can chip in with a try assist, tackle break or try, he will be able to score in the 40 range and match the more expensive options.

Wing/Fullback

Jack Bird ($10,200)

Whilst his scoring hasn’t shown it, Bird has eased into his new role at fullback beautifully and looked good last week, ending up with 38.30 points on the back of four tackle breaks. Bird has the ability to fill up all of the offensive categories, from try assists to line break assists whilst still being able to get solid metres. If he can lay a couple of tackles, he will score over 40 and will be the pick of the backs in this matchup.

Edrick Lee ($5,950)

As far as value options go, you could do worse than Edrick Lee. The former Raiders winger comes in at just under $6k and is definitely not the worst option if he can find the try line. So far, with scores of just 8 and 10, Lee has had little impact on games, but the big unit has shown in the past that he can score when given the opportunity. With Maloney and Townsend kicking to him, it should only be a matter of time before Lee capitalises.

The Line Up

FR-F: Jack de Belin ($17,800)

FR-F: Matt Prior ($10,050)

HOOK: Jayden Brailey ($5,050)

2R-F: Paul Gallen ($16,250)

2R-F: Luke Lewis ($11,750)

C: Josh Dugan ($12,850)

HALF: James Maloney ($9,900)

W/FB: Jack Bird ($10,200)

W/FB: Edrick Lee ($5,950)

Salary Remaining: $200