Alright legends… Coming at you with some bonus content here to help get you through to the end of the season!

PODs (point/players of difference)… A buzz phrase in fantasy circles, and for good reason! Nailing a selection is one thing, but if you couple that with low ownership ultimately you are one of only a few cashing in on the reward.

As I’ve said previously, while I’m not about chasing PODs purely for the sake of it there’s merit behind taking a risk, particularly as we head toward fantasy finals. With only six weeks remaining, coaches can now start to get a bit crafty with their selections – remember we want to be selecting guys who we think will score the most point from now until seasons end! Sure, a phat average looks great and usually a player has achieved this for a reason (they are a gun!). However, you may identify an option with multiple favourable match ups or equivalent role change in the run home worth investing in!

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at a player in each position who could bring you home the bacon (rankings and leagues alike!) in the run home… Given how similar teams are starting to look, for the purposes of this write-up, a POD is defined as a player with <20% ownership.

*Ownership % as of 18 July 2023*

LS = Last Score

DEFENCE

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera ($834K DEF/MID | STK | LS: 105 | 6.1% owned)

Kicking us off with one right out of left-field, I give you Nas Waganeen-Milera. He’s been a revelation in 2023 for the Saints, cementing a spot in the back six and in more recent times become the go to man when distributing the footy out of the back half. With Sinclair spending more time in the midfield, Nas has stepped up as the designated kicker and this has seen his fantasy output increase significantly! He has now usurped Sinclair based on kick-in numbers and I can’t see that changing given Sinclair’s profound impact around the ball. Another reason I like Nas is because the Saints next five fixtures all happen to be under the roof at Marvel stadium. I speak of this time and time again, but defenders generally cash in on a high mark style of footy in the pristine conditions afforded at Marvel. Did I mention that Nas averages 108 in his last five at the venue?! That’s right up there with the big dogs and why he needs to be considered if you are looking to shake things up a little with a unique pick!

I think the main question coaches will ask is “Is there any upside here?” Based on the numbers here I’d say there’s reason enough to be optimistic.

Others to consider:

• Luke Ryan ($873K DEF | FREO | LS: 90 | 11.89% ownership)
• Bailey Scott ($797K DEF/MID | NORF | LS: 136 | 1.4% ownership)

MIDFIELD

Touk Miller ($830K MID | GCS | LS: 108 | 7.31% owned)

After a largely disrupted 2023 due to a knee injury, Touk has re-entered the frame over the past fortnight and unsurprisingly has not missed a beat. His CBA’s have slowly increased from 17% in R17 to 64% in R18! He looks fit and confident in his body after such a long layoff. He has season averages of 122 and 110 over the past two seasons so there’s no doubt he possesses the scoring power!

I think this is a relatively safe one and comes with the huge bonuses of being under-priced and having low ownership. He is already one of the most traded in players for R19 which should really not come as a shock!

Others to Consider:

• Caleb Serong ($941K MID | FREO | LS: DNP | 13.64% ownership)
• Luke Davies-Uniacke ($779K MID | NORF | LS: 138 | 6.67% ownership)

RUCK

Max Gawn ($779K RUC | MELB | LS: 162 | 18.2% ownership)

How about that for a statement?! It’s no secret that ruck men far and wide relish the challenge of rucking solo without the need to share duties. This had been the case for Max for the previous 17 rounds until the Dees decided to give their skipper extra responsibility – and didn’t he love it!

IF you are not currently running with the English/Ro combo, I think coaches would be silly not to consider big Maxxy at that price – saving some $$$ in the process! I can’t see Melbourne changing their big boy structure any time soon after that.

As fantasy coaches, that’s music to our ears!

FORWARD

Nic ‘Alpha’ Martin ($827K MID/FWD | ESS | LS: 79 | 5.53% ownership)

After his rookie heroics of season 2022, Alpha Martin has elevated his game in 2023 to become one of the AFL’s better wingmen. He started off season 2023 slowly but hit a purple patch from R10 and for the most part has kept it up with the the exception of a couple quieter games! I like the Martin pick here as, much like Nas Wanganeen-Milera, the Dons late seasons fixtures are saturated with Marvel stadium games. Specifically, the Dons will be there for the next month! Martin scores his points primarily from kick-mark so there’s no doubt the Marvel conditions will be conducive. Couple that with the fact they have both the Eagles and Norf in the run home and you can see how it becomes enticing! Alpha also averages 105 in his last three fixtures at Marvel. Impressive numbers!

Again the questions will be around if there is any further upside here but I think there is reason to be bullish based on the facts!

Others to Consider:

• Sam Flanders ($621K MID/FWD | GCS | LS: 120 | 2.84% ownership)
• Caleb Daniel ($840K DEF/FWD | WB | LS: 67 | 5.68% ownership)

FINAL TAKEAWAY

PODs, PODs, PODs! Potentially your key to one-upping the rest of the competition with an elite pick of low ownership. Particularly if you are down the pecking order / possess an inferior squad compared to your competition, it’s worth considering these unique selections. At the end of the day, would you rather go down admirably by 50-100 points or lose by 200 points trying?

So there you have it folks, some tasty PODs to consider as we hit the run home! Anyone I missed that you are keeping a close eye on (or perhaps staying hush-hush about!)? Let me know in the comments! Thoughts, feedback and banter welcome!

Cheers legends,

Fantasy Fanatic #70