Actually I think the worst thing is that a lot of people are trading in the same players and that those people that started with the very players we are trading in are already 300-400 points ahead of us and just getting square with them does not help us catch them.
As someone who decided not to take Will Brodie last year, at any point, I can categorically state that the worst thing is for you to not take a player who turns out to be a gun. TBH if I am within 300-400 points of the leaders when the whips are cracking at about Rd 20 I will be rapt. Last year not having Brodie probably cost me 1000 points
The upside by having a POD vs the popular mid pricer who has started well is only as good as you have used that money. Do you have a premo/rookie combination that is going to get you the points you need and the cash you need to make taking the risk of letting the popular mid pricer go worthwhile.
If your, say, Setterfield and Ziebell is compared to say Daicos and Chandler the best you might do on a week by week basis might be 200 (130+70) vs a (80+80). So you might make 20pts per week up by fading the popular mid pricers. But even if the average 80 you're probably not making any additional cash (assuming you won't be trading a 130 averaging Daicos). The downside is if Daicos averages 110 and Chandler scores 50 and then is dropped for a returning Pickett, and Ziebell and Setterfield put out 105s, your down 50 the first week and then 100 for every other week. To _everyone_.
And if you already had Daicos, so you're looking at Ridley or Young or some other mid or forward at 500k, and you also have a worse 123k rookie, the chances of you spending your money for improved output even over a low end return from Ziebell and Setterfield (for example) might be worse.
Sure, it's _possible_ that fading the hot starting mid pricer might be the play. But if you get it wrong you basically can write off a high finish for the season.
Edit:200-160 = 40. The point still stands.
And...I was expecting Brodie to revert to a 70 average at some point last year, but instead it is his scores for 2023. You have to ride hot streaks when they're there. And get off them when they're done.