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  • Writer's pictureJonathan Turner

GameDay Squad Rugby League - Round 24 Trading Targets

With Lomax injured, what do we do with him? Isaako was a home run selection for GDS coaches in round 23, can he be started every week? When can we start Ryan Matterson? These are some of the questions that will be answered in the round 24 preview of buy, sell and hold. It’s essential to keep in mind that GameDay Squad is a dynasty fantasy football platform and that will be heavily taken into consideration in this article. Let us know your thoughts on who we have included below on all of our socials - twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.


Buy, Sell, Hold for round 5 of the NRL

BUY!


Zac Lomax

St George Illawarra Dragons - Centre (CTR)

Lomax will be sitting out of the Bunnies clash this weekend due to a shoulder injury and the time to buy him is now. This is more of a dynasty play than for this season. With him not suiting up this week, you may be able to find a deal or two for him on the TM. Over his last four games he’s averaged 70 points and was the inform centre over this period. Over these four games, he was the best player on the field for the Dragons and we saw the attacking upside that he can provide. With the Dragons appointing Shane Flanagan to take over the reins as coach next season, who knows what Lomax’s future looks like. There have been rumors that a move to fullback might be in his future. If this was to be the case, Lomax has the potential to be the best centre in GDS if he was to remain with a centre designation. Especially when he is the team’s goal kicker. If you don’t have Lomax in your squad, I would be checking the TM as I think his value will only go up. That’s if everything breaks right from a fantasy point of view. If it doesn’t, he is still likely to remain as one of the better centre options every week, but his upside may not be as high.


Reuben Cotter

North Queensland Cowboys - Middle-Forward (MID)

In fantasy terms, Cotter hasn’t been having a great season and only averages 39 points. Thereason for this is the lack of minutes he’s spending on the field. This has a lot to do with his workload over Origin and the Cowboys rotation. I believe he has the engine to be a 60+ minute middle forward and when he’s played for these minutes this season, he averages 55 points. After looking at the TM, I think he is being really undervalued as a 55+ point average is definitely within the realms of possibility. I believe this is the perfect opportunity to buy low on Cotter if you don’t already have him in your squad.


SELL


David Klemmer

Wests Tigers - Middle-Forward (MID)

Klemmer has been a valuable asset in the past, but I believe his best days in GDS fantasy are behind him. The 214-game veteran is in his eleventh season of first grade and will be turning 30 years old at the end of the year. He has averaged 43 points and 50 minutes a game for the season. I honestly can’t see an increase in minutes due to the stage of his career, they will decrease if anything. His fantasy production is actually pretty good for time he spends on the field but moving forward I think his production will only decline. Before this eventually happens, it’s probably best moving on from Klemmer.



Jamayne Isaako

Dolphins - Winger-Fullback (WFB)

saako was brilliant as he went on to score a hat trick against the Knights in Perth. After scoring 84 points, this is a perfect sell high spot. This is because he plays on the wing, and this is the most inconsistent scoring position for GDS fantasy. If you are after consistency in your WFB position, fullbacks are the better option, and this makes selecting Isaako a very risky selection. There is no denying that he can provide faithful coaches with performances like last week but it’s a huge risk playing him in your squad each week hoping for him to boom. Look at his performances from round 18 to round 22 for example. He only averaged 32 points over this four-game sample. With the Dolphins season over and the likes of Averillo and Farnworth joining the Dolphins for 2024, who knows what that backline will look like next season. At this stage I still think Isaako will retain his spot on the wing but will continue to be a risky option each week.


HOLD...


Dylan Edwards

Penrith Panthers - Winger-Fullback (WFB)

Edwards has fallen out of favor with a lot of GDS coaches over the last couple months after a blistering start to the season. Since round 14 he has only averaged 40 points with only twoscores of 50+. When Cleary returned from injury, I was expecting an uptick in Edwards fantasy production but that just hasn’t happened. I won’t be starting Edwards anytime soon, but he is a proven fantasy performer that can bounce back to form at any time. If you don’t have him in your squad, now may be the best time to go out and acquire him. I have no doubt he will be a relevant fantasy option again in the future.


Ryan Matterson

Parramatta Eels - Middle-Forward (MID)

Matterson must be one of the most frustrating cards to have this season as it seems like his job role changes from week to week. This season he has started at second row, lock, five-eighth and off the interchange. Matterson is at his best for GDS coaches when he starts in the second row and averages 59 points over four starts in this position. This week he is listed to start off the interchange and he averages 47 points over seven starts from the pine. Looking at these averages, I’ll be avoiding Matterson this week unless there is a late changeand he starts in the second row. With the Broncos vs Eels match being on a Friday night, he may be a great POD option in the MIDs if he gets to start in the second row. I don’t think this will be likely, but Matterson is a proven GDS fantasy talent and I’ll be holding him.

 




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