Michael Fisher
SC expert, NRL best 9th overall, BBL 14th
POD Hunter: Low-ownership run home picks
We take a look at the best low-ownership options to set you apart from SuperCoach BBL rivals.
Champion PODs
January 18, 2021
In this article, I’ll be looking at players who are 15% or less owned.
As always, keep in mind that these ownership levels include all SuperCoaches, even those who started a team earlier in the season, then stopped playing.
Therefore, the ownership stats can be inflated or deflated by inactive SuperCoaches.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhilst I don’t have access to stats on who’s owned by higher ranked coaches (e.g. top 1000), I use the overall ownership levels as a guide to identify PODs.
I’ve ranked the players based on my opinion of value and points potential. I’m assuming that Australia’s Test Cricketers will be made available for their BBL teams (although when I’m not sure).
Whilst I’m not suggesting you completely throw caution to the wind, for many of the Test players the sooner you get them in the lower their ownership will be.
Now onto the list.
(Note: Prices are listed as at round 10, so will change for some players prior to next round)
Embed from Getty Images1. Cameron Green (13.1% owned, $62.5k)
How good is it watching this guy in the Aussie Test Team? It’s hard to imagine that he was barely utilised with bat or ball for the Scorchers last season. I highly doubt this will be the case this time around.
For SuperCoach purposes there’s a still a question over exactly how Green will be utilised. My guess is he’ll be played as a bowling all-rounder, batting in the middle order and picking up the overs that Mitch Marsh was bowling (around three per game).
In any case, I think his game looks really suited to SC and he’s hard to pass up at the price.
2. Marnus Labuschagne (5.2% owned, $64.4K)
Speaking of hard to pass up at the price, anyone for Steve Smith 2.0 for just $64k? Such has been Marnus’ rise that he’s rarely had the chance to play for the Heat whilst on his way to becoming a superstar of world Cricket.
Marnus has averaged just 12.1 in his nine opportunities in T20s. I think this will change quickly when he gets opportunities with the Heat. It certainly didn’t take long in ODI cricket, where he averages a tick under 40 while striking at over 90.
His ability to transfer between formats could still be an issue. However, I think the Heat will give Marnus a licence to express himself with the bat, much the same as they did with Joe Burns.
Marnus is another whose role is largely unknown. I think the Heat will utilise him in the top 4. He’s also a handy leg-spinner so he may get the occasional opportunity with the ball.
3. Dawid Malan (6.4% owned, $139.6k)
Aside from 95 SuperCoach points in round 6, we probably haven’t seen the best of the world’s no 1 T20 batsman.
I consider batsman to be higher risk than bowlers in SuperCoach due to the possibility of an early failure.
Malan is probably an example of this. Nonetheless, he may be better for the opportunity to adjust to Australian conditions. We know he has a huge upside so he’s high on the POD list for me.
4. Nathan Lyon (1.5% owned, $102k)
Before the GOAT was plying his trade for Australia, he was the leading wicket-taker for South Australia in the domestic T20 competition that preceded the Big Bash. He’s had limited opportunities to play in the T20 format since, but has been very effective when he has.
In BBL cricket he strikes every 16.9 balls and goes for a tick under 7 an over, very handy stats indeed.
He was a little less effective than this last BBL season, which makes him very affordable for SuperCoach.
I do have a concern about how he’ll go switching formats after a big Test series against India.
Nonetheless, he warrants consideration as a POD for your side as a top-quality spinner in a Sixers’ team who are capable of applying scoreboard pressure.
5. Mitchell Swepson (4.8% owned, $105.9k)
Swepson has been in outstanding form for Queensland this season in the Sheffield Shield competition.
He was able to translate this to the T20 format, putting in some excellent performances for Australia in the series vs India. His figures read 1-21 (2 overs), 1-25 (4 overs) and 3-23 (4 overs). That last performance earned player of the match honours.
I really like Swepson as a POD selection as soon as he’s available. It’s not ideal that he hasn’t been playing whilst in the bubble with the Australian team. Nonetheless, he’s worth the risk in my opinion.
Swepson bowled in tandem with Zampa in the T20 series vs India and had the better figures of the two. We’ve since seen how effective Zampa has been this BBL season. A similar SuperCoach output for Swepson is definitely not out of the question.
Embed from Getty Images6. Kane Richardson (12.4% owned, $122.4k)
Most SuperCoaches owned Richardson for the Renegades’ double game week. I suspect many have since moved him on, resulting in his relatively low-ownership.
A SC gun of season’s gone by, he averaged 56 last season and a massive 74.5 the season before when the Renegades won the title. His SC average has taken a hit this season, dropping below 50, in part due to the small totals the Renegades have been setting.
The Renegades poor form could well continue. However, I think a lot of their gun players will bounce back in the next few rounds, also helping Richardson’s SuperCoach output.
7. Shaun Marsh (8.5% owned, $139.8k)
I mentioned earlier that batsman can be inconsistent in SuperCoach. This guy can definitely be an exception to that. He averages an incredible 43.1 at a S/R of 129.2 in BBL. In other words, he’s a SuperCoach point-scoring machine.
He started the season slowly so he is still very affordable. Similar to Richardson, my only concern is that the Renegades current form might affect him in some way. He’s as good a POD pick as any based on the numbers though.
8. Michael Neser (4% owned, $142k)
Another who’s been in Australia’s Test Team bubble without actually playing a game. Neser has been racking up the wickets in Shield cricket and been a key part of the Strikers’ formidable bowling attack over the years.
He’s a great exponent of swing bowling, which bodes well given how the ball has been hooping in the early overs of this season’s BBL.
Neser is also a fine batsman who has a First-Class century to his name. This hasn’t quite translated to T20 cricket yet where he averages 14.4 with the bat.
However, I expect him to bat around number 7, where he’ll be a good chance of a 20-run cameo for a S/R bonus.
He can be expensive with the ball at times, going for around 8.5 runs an over. However, he’s a genuine wicket-taker who’s always a chance of a haul.
Embed from Getty Images9. Mark Steketee (8.2% owned, $171.8k)
It’s fair to say Steketee is flying under-the-radar this season, which is an excellent quality for a POD.
He’s striking with the ball at an exceptional rate of 11.2. He’s still been expensive at times, going for 8.5 an over. However, wickets are the main currency for bowlers in SuperCoach, resulting in a season average of 60.7 points for Steketee.
He’s more expensive than the likes of Kane Richardson and the returning Test bowlers.
However, what you get in return is a run-of-form in this season’s competition, which could well continue. Worth a punt if you have the cash.
10. Morne Morkel (2.2% owned, $138.8k)
The South African legend now has a game under his belt for the Heat. He returned tidy figures of 1-29 (4 overs) in the match against the Renegades.
I fancy him as a tricky proposition on Australian pitches. In T20 cricket he strikes every 19.9 balls going for 7.5 an over. The stats look good enough. It will just be a matter of how he goes this tournament, particularly returning from a long layoff.
So there you have it.
With any luck BBL SuperCoach will have a few very interesting rounds leading into the finals, particularly as Australian players return to their BBL teams.
Good luck with your trades and the run into the finals!
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