Position 2025: MIDFIELDERS DISCUSSION
- Thread starter KLo30
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Think the filter has gone a bit haywire on the top 20 mids list as the DEF and RUC guys have snuck in there.
I'm actually struggling to pick the top guys this year. I hate the bye for Bont/Butters as I'd like to use that bye up on other positions where the top options feel better.
I really want to make the mistake of Harley Reid. Kind of hoping for a dreadful set of preseason games from him because otherwise I'm going to pick him!
I really like LDU but he's got the same bye problem as Bont/Butters but I do think it's finally time for him now that he's got a ton of support. I do like that he's been utterly useless in all other positions so should be a pure mid. #inb4startsforward
Am I crazy to have Cripps near the top of my list? I feel crazy.
It's also weird that their finishes to the season have me considering Brayshaw over Serong when every bit of football watcher tells me one is a very good player and the other is very average and I'm picking the average one
Doesn't help that I'm using half my midfield spots right now to pick forwards because of the value there and quality of rookie options on first pass.
I'm actually struggling to pick the top guys this year. I hate the bye for Bont/Butters as I'd like to use that bye up on other positions where the top options feel better.
I really want to make the mistake of Harley Reid. Kind of hoping for a dreadful set of preseason games from him because otherwise I'm going to pick him!
I really like LDU but he's got the same bye problem as Bont/Butters but I do think it's finally time for him now that he's got a ton of support. I do like that he's been utterly useless in all other positions so should be a pure mid. #inb4startsforward
Am I crazy to have Cripps near the top of my list? I feel crazy.
It's also weird that their finishes to the season have me considering Brayshaw over Serong when every bit of football watcher tells me one is a very good player and the other is very average and I'm picking the average one
Doesn't help that I'm using half my midfield spots right now to pick forwards because of the value there and quality of rookie options on first pass.
Think the filter has gone a bit haywire on the top 20 mids list as the DEF and RUC guys have snuck in there.
I'm actually struggling to pick the top guys this year. I hate the bye for Bont/Butters as I'd like to use that bye up on other positions where the top options feel better.
I really want to make the mistake of Harley Reid. Kind of hoping for a dreadful set of preseason games from him because otherwise I'm going to pick him!
I really like LDU but he's got the same bye problem as Bont/Butters but I do think it's finally time for him now that he's got a ton of support. I do like that he's been utterly useless in all other positions so should be a pure mid. #inb4startsforward
Am I crazy to have Cripps near the top of my list? I feel crazy.
It's also weird that their finishes to the season have me considering Brayshaw over Serong when every bit of football watcher tells me one is a very good player and the other is very average and I'm picking the average one
Doesn't help that I'm using half my midfield spots right now to pick forwards because of the value there and quality of rookie options on first pass.
I'm actually struggling to pick the top guys this year. I hate the bye for Bont/Butters as I'd like to use that bye up on other positions where the top options feel better.
I really want to make the mistake of Harley Reid. Kind of hoping for a dreadful set of preseason games from him because otherwise I'm going to pick him!
I really like LDU but he's got the same bye problem as Bont/Butters but I do think it's finally time for him now that he's got a ton of support. I do like that he's been utterly useless in all other positions so should be a pure mid. #inb4startsforward
Am I crazy to have Cripps near the top of my list? I feel crazy.
It's also weird that their finishes to the season have me considering Brayshaw over Serong when every bit of football watcher tells me one is a very good player and the other is very average and I'm picking the average one
Doesn't help that I'm using half my midfield spots right now to pick forwards because of the value there and quality of rookie options on first pass.
The problem is Laird is in the fair to overpriced range if he's playing defense so not ideal to start. Also those mid spots are a lot more valuable than the DEF spots so wasting one on a defender seems a gutsy play.
His bye is great though so definitely could be a trade target. Some DEF scoring has improved since he last played there as well so could be upside if he tapped into that.
His bye is great though so definitely could be a trade target. Some DEF scoring has improved since he last played there as well so could be upside if he tapped into that.
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Probably, as he doesn't need a great deal of improvement from his last 2 seasons where he went with an adjusted 110 (cos of the 5) last year and 111 the year before.
There was a run of 9 games last year between rounds 5-15 where is average was 85, includes the injured game of 5. Five of those scores were 82 or less with a 159 thrown in for good measure. In those games under 82 he averaged 7.2 clangers/game, whether that was because he was being sat on, or because the nature of an inside mid means more clangers I don't know, probably both.
Outside of those 9 games he averaged 120 with 4.9 clangers/game.
FWIW he's been in and out of my side a few times. He could easily come back in if I decide in going with two round 2 premos instead of one (Flanders)
*Edit.......I started him last year partly because of his matchups in rounds 1 & 2, North & Eagles, with an eye to flicking him to Daicos or it might have been Walsh, after round 2. Very disappointed that I didn't as I would have missed that run of 9 games.
There was a run of 9 games last year between rounds 5-15 where is average was 85, includes the injured game of 5. Five of those scores were 82 or less with a 159 thrown in for good measure. In those games under 82 he averaged 7.2 clangers/game, whether that was because he was being sat on, or because the nature of an inside mid means more clangers I don't know, probably both.
Outside of those 9 games he averaged 120 with 4.9 clangers/game.
FWIW he's been in and out of my side a few times. He could easily come back in if I decide in going with two round 2 premos instead of one (Flanders)
*Edit.......I started him last year partly because of his matchups in rounds 1 & 2, North & Eagles, with an eye to flicking him to Daicos or it might have been Walsh, after round 2. Very disappointed that I didn't as I would have missed that run of 9 games.
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There is potential there but I think he needs to either add some strings to his bow or find a way to improve his disposals. He has no issue winning the ball but so often undoes his good work with either an ineffective disposal (no points) or clanger (negative points). He's the first player to get attention because his game is so one dimensional (while being pretty important to GWS) meaning he's always going to be at risk of a poor score or run of poor scores. He strikes me as the sort of player that "could" average 115 but it'll have a significant number of sub 100 scores o***et by his high ceiling games.
So while I think he has potential, I don't think he's ever going to be a start and forget pick because he will have a high likelihood of dropping in price, and therefore either become a huge problem for your squad or a player everyone jumps on at a significant discount.
So while I think he has potential, I don't think he's ever going to be a start and forget pick because he will have a high likelihood of dropping in price, and therefore either become a huge problem for your squad or a player everyone jumps on at a significant discount.
Poor ball use remains a big factor.
He also really struggled playing through the ankle injury, would imagine he had quite a few jabs to get through that next 6 weeks, 4 of those 72-96 games in that 5 game period.
Averaged 120 in the 8 games prior to the injury and 115 for the last 10 games. Given the injury normally would be expected to be a 6 week type of injury it's actually pretty impressive he averaged 90 for that period.
If he didn't have the bye I'd be starting him. I'm still very much watching him closely in preseason as think he's got 115-120 in him.
He also really struggled playing through the ankle injury, would imagine he had quite a few jabs to get through that next 6 weeks, 4 of those 72-96 games in that 5 game period.
Averaged 120 in the 8 games prior to the injury and 115 for the last 10 games. Given the injury normally would be expected to be a 6 week type of injury it's actually pretty impressive he averaged 90 for that period.
If he didn't have the bye I'd be starting him. I'm still very much watching him closely in preseason as think he's got 115-120 in him.
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After doing a bit of data digging trying to find potential breakouts and undervalued players, one player in particular has stood out to me so far. I was not considering this player whatsoever before this I did this research but now I'm having a really hard time leaving them out.
Will Day (23) 2024, 16 games/14 full games
SC Avg: 91.2
Adj Avg: 100.6 (excluding subbed games)
PPM: 1.06, top 20 of all midfielders last year
PPD (points per disposal): 4.7, 2nd highest of all midfielders behind Bont
(PPD is a good indicator to which players rely on lots of touches for points, generally 4 is an above average score. Accumulator players such as Parish, Whitfield etc average around 3 PPD. 4.7 is a really nice number for Day in that there's a bit of safety in that he doesn't need to rack it up to score, very similar to Bont.)
After having a slow start coming off injury he averaged 111 after returning to his normal TOG%, this also includes a tagged game in R21 by Bedford scoring a 53.
I didn't really understand the hype around this pick but now I'm starting to get it, I'll still have to look into his scoring breakdowns but going off raw data this is looking like it could be a very promising. Personally the only risks I see is the small sample size, it would be nice to have a bit more data but his previous season was fairly similar by the numbers. His body is another issue but starting him mitigates that. Probably the biggest one is the tag risk, he'll be the #1 target for that and can see him getting a few early.
I'm sort of wondering if there's merit to fading until after the bye and picking him up for his soft run afterward as his first couple of games are historically tough for mids. Likely he gets tagged in the GWS game as well. Probably a round 0 decision.
Will Day (23) 2024, 16 games/14 full games
SC Avg: 91.2
Adj Avg: 100.6 (excluding subbed games)
PPM: 1.06, top 20 of all midfielders last year
PPD (points per disposal): 4.7, 2nd highest of all midfielders behind Bont
(PPD is a good indicator to which players rely on lots of touches for points, generally 4 is an above average score. Accumulator players such as Parish, Whitfield etc average around 3 PPD. 4.7 is a really nice number for Day in that there's a bit of safety in that he doesn't need to rack it up to score, very similar to Bont.)
After having a slow start coming off injury he averaged 111 after returning to his normal TOG%, this also includes a tagged game in R21 by Bedford scoring a 53.
I didn't really understand the hype around this pick but now I'm starting to get it, I'll still have to look into his scoring breakdowns but going off raw data this is looking like it could be a very promising. Personally the only risks I see is the small sample size, it would be nice to have a bit more data but his previous season was fairly similar by the numbers. His body is another issue but starting him mitigates that. Probably the biggest one is the tag risk, he'll be the #1 target for that and can see him getting a few early.
I'm sort of wondering if there's merit to fading until after the bye and picking him up for his soft run afterward as his first couple of games are historically tough for mids. Likely he gets tagged in the GWS game as well. Probably a round 0 decision.