Draft Breakdown: Depth analysis in each position

• DRAFT BREAKDOWN: Strategy heading into 2021 season
• TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: SC Spy eyes fast start to year

It’s important to understand the quality of depth in each position before your Draft.

If there’s depth in a position, this means you pick up someone that isn’t too far from the top players later in the draft.

Keep in mind that each league has different settings, including number of players in each position.

The below depth analysis is based on the traditional 17 man squad.

*Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a key on all SuperCoach relevant abbreviations.

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HOK

This year looks particularly shallow for hookers compared to previous years.

It seems a lot of NRL teams are running the dual hooker which really limits the SuperCoach prospects.

However, you can still find value later in the draft in the hooker position.

If you don’t get one of the top 3 hookers, being Grant, Cook or Api then it’s worth waiting till much later in the draft.

You can usually get a hooker to do a job for you and get 40-50 points quite easily. I often fill hooker as my last pick making JMK work for me in 2020 and Mahoney in 2019 in a 14-man league.

I’d happily roll the dice with a Rein or a Liddle late in the draft this year and if they are duds, you can find something on the waiver when injuries occur.

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FRF

This position usually has the most depth of any and this year is no exception.

You could fill your FRF position as your last two spots and wouldn’t be too disappointed with the quality left.

If you see an attacking FRF like AFB or Papalii slip in the draft, grab them as it’s still a good play to have an elite FRF, but you aren’t losing too much if you miss them.

In nearly every draft you should never grab both your FRFs before Round 8.

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2RF

The 2RF position also has some depth, although there is a larger spread from the elite players to the lower tiered players.

We have the elite 2RF that offer a safe captain each week with some decent attacking upside, such as Angus Crichton and Cameron Murray.

Then you have the next tier which either offer you a solid score each week with limited attacking upside like Frizell, or the player that can really let you down in base stats but can score well on their day like Kikau.

In the third tier of players, you have a big group averaging about 48-50 points such as your Luke Thompson or Josh Jackson.

And finally you have the guys that are playing limited minutes or need an injury to be relevant.

Filling your third 2RF may get hairy this year, but as long as you get two solid choices for your first two 2RF picks, you can usually find a good 2RF during the year.

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HFB

This is the lowest of the low for depth.

If you miss out on one of the top HFBs you could really find yourself scrapping the barrel early in the draft.

There aren’t a lot of dual halves this year, which has contributed to the shallow depth.

Cleary should go 2^nd overall and DCE will go pretty early because of the depth of this position.

After Reynolds, Moses and Keary are picked up, you start to get into some risky options.

Given this depth, I may have to reach for one of these halves.

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5/8

The 5/8 position can be sketchy, but it’s not looking too bad this year.

There are a number of dual 5/8s that are bolstering this depth and if you miss out on some of the elite options there is some value in the later rounds like Lachlan Lam or Connor Watson.

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CTW

Picking the top CTWs each year is harder than picking the lottery.

Last year before the season kicked off, many people took Blake Ferguson early in their drafts only for him to dribble out a 40PPG average.

Then you have a player like Sione Katoa come from nowhere to increase his average by 18PPG from 2019.

The point I’m trying to make is that you shouldn’t be going early on this position given the depth and unpredictability.

I wouldn’t begrudge anyone for getting a Nofoaluma or To’o, but coaches will have to give up some quality options in other positions to get these players.

I’d rather try to find the Sione Katoa of 2021 in Round 13+ or rotate CTW based on match ups.

I look for CTWs that have good base stats or play for a good attacking team outside a quality half.

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FLBs

There’s a decent amount of depth at FLB this year, especially since a number of players have lost their dual CTW eligibility.

There’s three fullbacks I would target in the first round – Teddy, Ponga and Lil Papi which can win you games by themselves.

Tommy Turbo was on this list prior to his recent hamstring injury, but there’s currently a bit of uncertainty around him. With his pedigree and upside I’d still look to go early Round 3.

The next tier down is Gutho, Brimson, Latrell and RTS which you could probably get Rounds 3-6.

There’s also plenty of value in the later rounds with CNK and Isaako that could do a job for you.

Get an elite FLB if you can, but there are options later if people pop off too early.

SUPERCOACH TERMINOLOGY KEY

MPG = Minutes per game

PPG = Points per game

PPM= Points per minute

BPG = Base per game (point accrued in tackles + runs + missed tackles)

POD = Point of difference

BREAKEVEN (B/E) = The score a player must record to earn a price rise.

*Please note all our stats are taken from the geniuses at nrlsupercoachstats.com