Final Word: Trades, tactics, weather, RD 4

• POD HUNTER: Unique players to find an edge on SuperCoach rivals
• GUN SHOW: Last year’s champion on the stars to target and avoid

SuperCoach Big Bash is coming into an exciting and hectic period of the season.

There’s no team on the double game week for the next two rounds, along with no byes, so it’ll give coaches an opportunity to branch out and attack some POD options.

It’ll hopefully help make sides far more unique going forward, making it even more appealing to watch our players in action.

Once Round 4 begins, we have a stack of rapid fire three day turnarounds leading into early January, so it’ll pay to be on the ball.

Here’s the Final Word ahead of Round 4, starting at 6.10PM on Saturday.

Sign up to SC Playbook for our premium SuperCoach Big Bash content for stacks of extra articles every round in the 2020/21 season.

Embed from Getty Images

WEATHER WATCH

All weather is courtesy of the Bureau of Meteorology as of Saturday, 10AM. All times are in AEDT. Forecasts are subject to change.

SATURDAY

6:10PM: Thunder v Renegades, Manuka Oval, Canberra

Forecast: Medium chance of a shower or two this afternoon and evening, 24 degrees, 60% chance of 1-3mm of rain

9:20PM: Sixers v Stars, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Forecast: Partly cloudy, 27 degrees, 30% chance of 0-0.4mm of rain

SUNDAY

7:15PM: Heat v Hurricanes, The Gabba, Brisbane

Forecast: Partly cloudy, 29 degrees, 10% chance of rain

MONDAY

7:15PM: Scorchers v Strikers, Adelaide Oval

Forecast: Partly cloudy, 22 degrees, 0% chance of rain

Embed from Getty Images

SUPER PODS

Each week one of our contributors will provide a full analysis on the point of difference (POD) players to consider.

In the Final Word, we’ll look at the super POD options, the players at under 5% ownership (or around about) that could send you soaring (or falling) up the overall ranks.

They come with big risk, but the reward is immense if it comes off.

In last round’s article, Joe Clarke got a second ball duck, savage, meanwhile Steve O’Keefe produced a solid 45 points.

Let’s take a look at this week’s picks.

Watch live international cricket, soccer and EVERY game of the NBA season through Bet365, along with over 200,000 sporting events each year and the best odds in sport and racing, including fantasy sport betting!

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb had a delayed start to the season, then has only been okay in two games since kicking off his campaign.

He’s taken one wicket and been quite economical.

However, he’s the second ranked T20 bowler in the world for good reason and is very cheap at just $117,500.

At just 3.7% ownership he is a serious option that won’t set you back too much coin.

Nicholas Pooran

The obvious concern with Pooran is that he may only play two or three games before a potential departure on international duty with West Indies.

However, he’s one of the most explosive batsmen in world cricket and is owned by just 2% of coaches!

His career strike-rate is a tick under 145 and in this year’s IPL tournament he scored 353 runs at 35.30 at the mind-blowing strike-rate of 169.71 for Kings XI, tempting…

LOOKING AHEAD

As mentioned above, we have two consecutive rounds without a team on the double game week.

This means we have nine trades to utilise before locking in Sixers and Renegades for the next double game week in Round 6.

The SC Spy has already done a quality analysis on trade management for this period, so check it out.

In brief though, it’s a great opportunity to chase high quality players at very low ownership without fear of not having players on the DGW.

If there’s a Sixers/Renegades player you like, it’s advised to get them this week as it’ll take pressure off the next two rounds of trades, but it’s not essential.

Embed from Getty Images

TRADES

Even as I write this I’m struggling with decisions as I’m awaiting news on the availability of so many key players.

I’m on the fence with Rashid Khan as a sell as the Strikers are hopefully he’ll be right for Round 4, while Chris Lynn looks a sell having tweaked his hamstring in warm up last round and is set to miss several weeks.

If I can help it, Khan won’t be going anywhere, but I’m not holding him on the bench if not playing at that price.

Peter Handscomb has survived this long in my side due to other issues, but he’ll also make way after a hugely disappointing opening to the tournament, good riddance.

Jhye Richardson is a guy I’m very keen on, although not without hesitance.

He came in at six as a pinch-hitter last round, and although he didn’t capitalise on the opportunity it shows the Scorchers faith in him with the blade.

The one game sample size of this causes obvious concern though, so I won’t be banking on batting points, rather see them as a bonus if they arrive.

He’s looked good with the ball and has been bowling overs at the death, so he’s strongly in my sights.

Embed from Getty Images

Kane Richardson is another guy I’ve spruiked all season and think he could be ready to fire.

He has an enormous ceiling and has the double game in Round 6, so it’ll ease a bit of pressure on my side in coming weeks.

This spot may also fall to Dan Christian though, he could become a must-have in Round 6 and will have risen significantly in value by that time with a breakeven of 2.

The smart option would be to recruit now, however I’m apprehensive as he didn’t bowl two games back, and the looming return of Moises Henriques is also a worry.

Olly Davies at $56k is another I’m looking to bringing in to free up cash, although he won’t be in my starting team.

The Thunder have players returning, so I’m wary of his job security, but fortunately the Thunder play in the opening game of the round so I’ll be watching final teams and not including him if he misses out.