Cheapie analysis: Supercoach BBL15 bargain buys

When it comes to building your round 1 Big Bash Supercoach side, firstly pay attention to the draw.

Then you need to find the undervalued weapons to help your starting salary go further.

You cannot make your money go further than finding cheapies who are set to explode in cash.

For the definition, a cheapie is any player under $85k in BBL Supercoach.

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Sometimes it’ll be a heralded rookie who is set to come in and take the league by storm, other times it’s a role change which can unlock a whole new part of a player’s game. 

Don’t forget there’s arguably the best category – the fallen guns who had a down year and are cheap accordingly.

No matter what’s caused it, here’s our definitive breakdown of the best cheapies for BBL15. This could be the greatest cheapie crop ever!

1. Aaron Hardie – $74.8k

Hardie fits firmly in the fallen gun category. He averaged 57.5 in BBL12 and 60.2 in BBL13 before an injury impacted season.

While there’s no DGW until round 4, the lack of depth in their bowling stocks plus the potential unavailability of Josh Inglis and even Mitch Marsh due to the Ashes could mean he’s got one of the best roles in the game as a Top 4 batter and death bowler.

His job security is great. He’s got keeper potential.

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2. Ben McDermott – $79.5k

Another fallen gun, Benny McDermott is certified Big Bash royalty for his exploits for the Canes. And while he had a down season last year, he still remains one of the most frightening batsman in Australia.

We don’t know what his role is given Tim David’s rise as a number 4 for Australia, but he should bat in the top 5. Regardless of where he walks in he’s capable of impacting a game.

The fact he is so cheap plus the ‘Canes ridiculously friendly opening draw means he should be your starting keeper. Another you could hold the whole season.

3. Jack Wildermuth – $58.5k

Jack makes this list every season and that makes me sad. Because for all the potential he shows in Queensland Grade Cricket, he just never seems to be given a chance for the Heat.

Two things have changed in his favour however this season. 

The first is an untimely injury to Spencer Johnson which could make him unavailable for the first few rounds of the season (which includes a Heat DGW in Round 2).

The second is the release of Paul Walter whose been the most like-for-like player in the squad.

Tall Paul batted six and bowled a few and Wildermuth could potentially do that role. Even if not exactly that role, he could still bat 7 and share some overs with Nathan McSweeney. He’s cheap enough to take a punt on if named in Round 1 (second game of the round thankfully).

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4. Mahli Beardman – $85.3k

One of the players to watch in Australian cricket as evidenced by his call-up to the Aussie T20 squad to face India.
The Scorchers have plenty of overs available for the quicks this season with no Lance Morris, Jason Behrendorff or Andrew Tye, and it’s very likely a lot of them fall Mahli’s way if he’s fit. A decent stash ahead of a Round 4 DGW.

5. Matt Kelly – $81.1k

Kelly has at times been a Supercoach prodigy. He’s boasted previous season averages of 57 and 69.5.

Four years ago he was so good that he earned himself an IPL deal with the Kolkata Knight Riders. But sadly that peak was short lived.

For the same reasons we like Beardman, Kelly stands out. All of a sudden he’s one of the senior figures in the Scorchers squad, and while he still has to earn his spot, if he shows what he’s done in the past he’s incredibly undervalued.

6. Mitch Swepson – $59.5k

The big offseason recruit for the Stars, Swepson arrives as the number 1 spinner in the squad with excellent job security.

He’s never been a consistent Supercoach threat, but with a Round 3 DGW and a very low price you could do a lot worse than to stash him. 

The only reason he’s not higher in this list is the fact the Stars have a myriad of allrounders who could eat into his overs.

7. Finn Allen – $85.3k

Two things I love about Finn.

The first is he’s so cheap for a talent that’s genuinely world class. The second is he’s picked up the WKP-BAT dual after wearing the gloves for the end of the BBL14 season in Perth.

Finding a player of his class this cheap is a boon. He and Mitch Marsh are going to break some serious records the season opening the batting.

In a volatile WKP position, his price and potential bring him into serious consideration for your Round 1 side.

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8. Joe Clarke – $68.6k

Clarke’s first two seasons in the Big Bash showed a calmness and class that was worthy of fanfare. Since then he’s been a bit of a journeyman.

Still, he’s all but guaranteed to open the batting for the Stars who have a Round 3 DGW and is severely underpriced based on his potential.

If your goal is to save money at wicketkeeper and not bother with trades then it’s very hard to look past Clarke who is here for the whole tournament. Keep in mind though that if pairing him up with a McDermott, they both have a DGW in Round 3 so you’ll need a third keeper in your squad to field both of them.

9. Hassan Khan – $79.1k

Khan was a fascination in preseason last year due to the Renegades friendly Supercoach draw to start the year, but he only managed one appearance.

On paper he’s got the makings of a Supercoach stud, but it remains to be seen just where he will fit into the side. Even if he does, the job security might be dependent on his ability to perform.

On potential, if he gets named in their Round 1 side he’s a handy guy to stash due to his dual position and the fact he should have a solid role with plenty of match involements. His stunning returns in the 2025 MLC tournament (12 wickets @ 16.5 SR, 225 runs @ 187 SR) are fantasy gold.

Given the Renegades lack of early double game weeks, I think you can afford to sit back and see just how his role eventuates. His price shouldn’t get out of hand too badly if he does become a target.

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10. Matt Kuhnemann – $75.5k

Arguably one of the biggest improvers in Aussie cricket in the last 12 months is Kuhnemann who will enter this BBL season as the leading spin option for the Heat.

He’s used primarily during the middle overs and isn’t a noted wicket taker, but with a Round 2 DGW he is worth monitoring. A round 1 trip to Geelong – a bowler’s paradise – could see him lock in some good cash rises before his Round 2 DGW.

11. Jason Sangha – $77.8k

We could certainly be talking about Sangha at the end of this season as one of the cheapies of the year. Sangha’s got a fresh start to his BBL career at the Strikers this season having made the switch to South Australia in the other formats last season.

With their current squad, Sangha’s likely to lock down a spot in the top 4 and with half his games at Adelaide Oval, he will be looking for a big runs tally. Despite not looking like your prototypical T20 great, he’s had success in Supercoach over the years.

• BBL14 avg: 59, 1 game
• BBL13 avg: 25, 2 games
• BBL12 avg: 24, 4 games
• BBL11 avg: 61, 11 games

The role isn’t ideal – we love top 3 batters as a bit of a principle – but he’s also a chance of rolling the arm over for the odd over of quick leg spin which I like.

With no DGW until Round 7, he’s certainly a watch and there’s no urgency to get him in.

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12. Nathan McAndrew – $60k

His rise and rise in the red ball format hasn’t correlated that closely with BBL form, but in a side building a nucleus around spin bowling, there’s a likelihood he could step into some death bowling overs to start the season alongside Dan Sams.

He will need to beat out the likes of Wes Agar and even cheapie candidate Ryan Hadley for a spot in their final XI, but given his role and a pedigree which includes an average of 51 in BBL12 he’s worth monitoring.

13. Laurie Evans – $81.7k

One of the principles of BBL Supercoach is to avoid middle order batters, and while I fully expect Evans to take up his customary position in the 5-6 spot for the Scorchers, the question marks around the batting order mean he’s worth monitoring.

14. Mackenzie Harvey – $58.5k

As it stands, Mack Harvey will open the batting for the Adelaide Strikers and it’s a whole different proposition going from one of the worst home grounds in Australia to the Adelaide Oval.

Like with Sangha, the Strikers poor SuperCoach draw means you really are only picking Harvey to get in at the ground floor of his price.

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15. Ollie Davies – $58.5k

We’re not that far away from a time when Ollie was the next big thing. I’m hopeful that he can find some of the form from previous years when he truly put the fear into opposition sides.

As it stands, he’s not even locked into the Thunder’s best XI, but he’s worth keeping in mind given his ceiling.

16. Will Salzmann – $39.5k

An absolute wildcard who has also been on this list for the past 12 months.

Salzmann’s ceiling is really high when it comes to Supercoach, which is saying a lot for someone who is yet to debut.

In his first season with the NSW Blues he starred with the ball taking 16 wickets in seven games. While he hasn’t bowled since early October, he’s now established himself as an opening batter in the Shield having partnered Sam Konstas in the Blues recent draw with the Bulls at the Gabba.

For a side with a batting order that’s up in the air, who need an allrounder to compliment Will Sutherland, he could be a dream fit.

It might just come down to if he IS fit enough to bowl. Because he could be another who rises in price and prominence.

17. Callum Stow – $77.5k

Currently injured, but Stow is a guy I really like to have a breakout in the next two summers of the BBL.

His skillset of left-arm wrist spin is rare and accordingly it takes wickets as batters just aren’t that used to it.

Again, the Renegades draw means he’s largely irrelevant but certainly one to keep an eye on if he does get named. He’s a wicket-taker.