Let's look at your situation/tradeable players line by line (B/E, SC Gold projected score, if selected):
Def: Clisby (B/E -72, 66) (
Duffield (B/E 132, 0),
Docherty (B/E 16, 0))
Mid: Kennedy B (B/E 74,
51)
Ruck: Nicholls (B/E 17, 87) (Rowe (B/E 41, 62))
Fwd: Rockliff is a potential trade out, but for now, I'd leave him. He is partly anchored because Staker currently sits in your Fwd's.
I agree with your statement about taking risks. Even though you are an outside chance, that means you are some chance. You need to take the risks somewhere, so your not left regretting not having a go. You have no cash to speak of, but probably have 1, maybe 2, trades more than a lot of teams above you. These trades are your only weapon/method of attack.
I'm not sure I agree with your statement, that you already have 2 Premium Rucks. I think there will be 4 Rucks that will go close to 110+ for the last 9 games: Goldy, Minson, Cox, NicNat. You have 1. Leuey is averaging 98.6. Yes, Brisbane have a good draw, and he has averaged 109.7 in 3 games since he came back, but here is your problem. If you say, "I'm happy with Cox and Leuey. Leuey may be just short of the others, but not short enough to use a trade on upgrading Nicholls.", you may be right. That means you think Rocky can outscore Goldy/Minson/NicNat. That's what you're looking at. If Cox goes up, Rocky becomes your F6. I can't see him outscoring those three guys, and most of the guys above you will have a stronger R1/R2/F6 combination than Cox/Leuey/Rocky.
I think you need to make at least 2 upgrades to have any chance of being competitive at the pointy end of the season with the really good teams. To do that, you need to get the money somewhere! Let's look at the potential growth in the tradeable players listed above:
Clisby: SC Gold have him peaking too late to be of any value as a cash cow, unless you do a last minute one up, one down in about round 19 or 20, when he is expected to be about $280k.
Docherty: Struggling to get picked, so has potentially peaked already. A downgrade to Oxley/Richards makes $81k
Kennedy B: SC Gold say he has peaked, and is due to drop $10k this week. If you downgrade him, probably the best option is to a DPP. Whether it is M/F or M/D is up to you. As it is a cash raising exercise, the cheapest available are $109,500 (Hams, Colquhoun, Prudden, Atkins). If you do it this week, you make $124,500. If you wait for next week, SC Gold say you make $114k.
Rowe: Rowe might have maxed out, given his shakey JS. Rowe to McBean makes you $110. I'm not sure there is much value in downgrading Nicholls for cash, but there is possibly upside in upgrading him to a Premium.
Summary. If you stick to downgrading Rookies only, it looks like trades can make you $81k, $124 or 114k, $110k.
I think linking Staker to your Defs is a really good idea. I also think, if you are going to have any chance of an outside miracle, you need to start loopholing properly. I cannot stress to you enough what a difference this potentially makes, and I cannot stress to you enough, that Richards is twice as good to you as Oxley, if you are going to start loopholing!
So where does this
rainbow leave us?
To make progress, you have to try and eliminate your weaknesses. Cox is in 96% of the top 100 teams. The problem we've identified is, that it is easier to find a high scoring Ruck, than it is a high scoring Forward. By shifting Cox into the Ruck, you are forcing yourself to find a high scoring Forward to improve upon Rockliff's expected scores (unless you think Rocky will go 110+ from here!). NicNat sort of fits both roles, but outside of NicNat, can you think any forward that you
don't have, that will outscore Goldy/Minson? I can't. I'm not sure, but I think you'll find most of the top teams have Cox in their Forward line because of this exact fact. If you can upgrade Nicholls, and keep Rocky as your F7, you have great coverage for any Ruck or Forward outs.
For someone in a risk taking situation, Kennedy B is a luxury. He has, according to SC Gold, peaked in price. Given your Rucks and Forwards will be potentially working together for coverage, and Staker will probably come a swing man, it means Kennedy is probably best served becoming a M/F DPP. The points are secondary here, as it is a money making, flexibility creating exercise. That being the case, we need to look at the player that gives the best loophole possibilities out of Atkins, and Prudden. There's really not much in it, but maybe Adelaide by a whisker, so Kennedy B to Atkins.
I'm guessing you'll be totally surprised, and hate my suggestion. I'm suggesting one trade this week. Kennedy B --> Atkins!
If you think Staker will outscore Clisby significantly, then also do Docherty to Richards this week.
If you think there will be less than 10 to 15 in it, wait on that trade. Richards isn't playing, so won't go up in price for now. Docherty might get picked next week, and get a few extra dollars for you if he does.
Your Kennedy B to Atkins trade bumps your bank to $143k.
Your next 2 trades, if all selections go well next week, will be in round 16 or 17.
Docherty to Richards makes your bank around $224k. Nicholls to Goldy/Minson/NicNat, according to SC Gold, will cost you between: $215,500 and $230,100 in round 16, or $177,700 and $197,400 in round 17.
These planned trades leave you between $47k and $0 in the bank, and 2 trades. It makes your team look like this:
Def's: Goddard, Gibbs, Shaw, Hanley, McKenzie, Duffield - Clisby, Richards +(Staker)
Mid's: Ablett, Pendlebury, Swan, Watson, Griffen, JPK, Jack, Barlow - Mitchell T, Atkins +(Bartel, SJ, Martin, Rocky)
Ruc's: Goldstein*, Leuenberger - Rowe, Currie + (Cox, Roughead)
Fwd's: Cox, Bartel, Johnson, Franklin, Roughead, Martin - Rockliff, Staker + (Rowe, Atkins)
*could be Minson/NicNat
That's a pretty strong for a team with 2 trades, good coverage, and flexibility built in.
There are so many loopholes you can exploit, sending players between lines, that you could save/make 30-50 points/week. Even in the Midfield, it costs you nothing to say, look at Barlow's score before Mitchell plays, and if Barlow gets subbed/injured you're covered.
I chose Atkins over a Def DPP, because you have Rocky at F7, but you could just as easily go a Def DPP. Remember, you need 2 outs in your Mids before that DPP is needed anyway! I also like that you can bring Richards down to your Fwd line, and exploit your 7 Prem Fwd line with the loophole as well!
It still leaves Duffield in your team, but you have options. you have 2 trades, and possibly nearly $50k to fix him, you can loophole him with Clisby and maybe get something out of that, as well. I guess I'm not as confident on improving Duffields score by trading another Def in, as I am on improving Rocky's score by trading a true Premium Ruck in.
Which ever way you decide to go, I wish you luck, and I hope you climb up the ratings!
ps - an alternative, that gets you Ibbo for Duffield, but uses an extra trade.
Rnd 15 - Duffield/Kennedy to Richards/Atkins
Rnd 16 - Docherty/Nicholls to Ibbotson/Goldstein*
It gives you Ibbo, but only 1 trade left to get you through the last 7 weeks. You can possibly manage that with the flexibility you would have built!