Spy Talk: Bottomed out guns, Star recruits

G’day legends!

I’ll tell you what, it’s been a rollercoaster seven days.

I had one of the worst rounds of my career into a very good one. I have dropped from around 200th to 3,000^th then back to 1,307. It’s also been a good start to the current round so hopefully the downturn was short lived.

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Cricket – Ups and downs

That takes me onto my first point which is all about the inconsistency of cricket compared to say NRL/AFL Supercoach.

In footy you can pick a captain and barring injury generally know that you will at least get a decent enough score just through work-rate and involvement. This is not the case in cricket!

The best player in the world can easily score you sub 10 in any game due to the nature of the sport.

On the flipside if a player is class then you know a big score may well come next match, so try not to panic sell unless you have a better option of course, or a nice double game week player. It will generally average out in the long run.

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Who to trade in and out?

To be honest I’ve been taking it two rounds at a time.

No one in my team is indispensable and on the flip side everyone is an option to remain in my side.

Last week I sold Philippe and held Inglis. On the surface this seems madness due to their respective form lines, but Inglis has lost value and will surely turn it around, so I am happy to keep him even as a bench option.

Philippe on the other hand was max price and had potentially rain effected matches incoming, so I rolled the dice.

With a bit of luck he will drop $50K+ before jumping back on. It’s all about timing in cricket and trying to nail the most amount of big scores, while cashing in on the relevant price drops and rises which are the keys to success.

Speaking of price drops, there are some seriously good cricketers who are at very cheap prices right now. At the time of writing, this is who I like:

Alex Hales – $105k

I have been trying to get him in for a few rounds now, Round 7 is upon us, and it’s finally happening.

Hoping he doesn’t ton up against Perth before I lock him in for the remainder of the comp.

Marcus Stoinis – $80k

A double for Round 8 and he looks to be coming into Round 7 worth $80k. Insane! Surely he is due. I’ll grab him and if you own he is a definite hold!

Peter Siddle – $100K

Tell you what, Sidds is also at $100k and Adelaide have the Round 9 double. He’s right on my radar.

Adding a couple of these guys will free up a HEAP of cash to then upgrade to a couple of extra premium option.

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Non-players

This is interesting because I love having a non-playing batter and a non-playing bowler to allow me the loop option.

This is a little risky if the rain hits and you end up short, so maybe a full squad is the best bet and no looping. I don’t mind either option but I think I’ll stick with two non-players to keep the loop alive, or you may prefer one if you don’t want to run with two.

Actually, if you have a spare trade at any stage I love the idea of getting a non-playing keeper so you can loop your wicket-keepers each round!

That is put your auto-emergency on the keeper playing early. If they score well you then play the non-player on field and take the bench player’s score, and if they fail you can flip up a keeper from the batsmen slot and get a second crack. This will be team dependant for it to properly work, but it should be accessible to most line-ups.

Seb Gotch and Baxter Holt fit this bill in the WKP/BAT position.

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Melbourne Stars

The Stars have the double for Round 8. Most will already own Maxwell and many Stoinis.

I think you probably want four for the double, five if you like.

There are six trades available to prepare for this, so most could use three or four on Stars and the other couple on grabbing some fallen guns and returning Philippe to their line-up if you cut him like I did.

It is noted that Hobart have the bye in the same round, so it makes sense to swap Hobart Hurricanes for Melbourne Stars come Round 8. I am happy to hold two Hurricanes through their bye.

One will be Wade and the other will be either McDermott or D.Short. McDermott will likely stay, but he may also be able to be swapped for Philippe for a profit!! Madness.

I’d likely want McDermott back the round after to take me home, so it may hinge on whether or not that is achievable.

Otherwise, D’Arcy may be gone! A rare for the Spy’s squad as he has been a bookend for some time now.

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Stars ranked

1. Maxwell – Can be a little up and down but has insane upside, takes catches and bowled four overs last night!
2. Stoinis – We know how good he is. Again, surely he is due! At $80 he’s nearly a must it seems.
3. Zampa – Again we have a fallen gun here. Approximately $110K you can lock him in happily! No more byes means you can keep him if you like. Surely due for some success soon.
4. Coulter-Nile – Approx $140k! Another great option. I wish he got more chances with the bat, but he is capable if he gets a chance and he is bowling really well.
5. Clarke – Finding form, super low breakeven and only costs $100k. A serious option!

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Spy’s Trades

Round 7

In – Hales, Stoinis and TBD

I really don’t know about my third option yet, but at this stage I’ll be grabbing Hales and Stoinis as near definites. Perhaps Philippe back in pending his breakeven or Joe Clarke before his price sours.

Round 8

In – Zampa, Coulter Nile and TBD

Zampa and Coulter-Nile are hard to pass up and then the third is to be determined.

I am aware that I want Philippe back, so he will be one of those six trades. On the trade out front I’m not quite sure yet because it’s ever evolving and depends on value + breakevens.

I’ll need to get rid of three Hurricanes for their bye and probably cash in Duckett in Round 8. Everything else is up in the air. My captain will be Maxwell!

Remember to stick at it and know that a couple of good rounds will see you soaring!

Good luck,

Spy.