The start of the Isuzu UTE A-League season is almost upon us – and so is the debut of your Official A-League Men Fantasy team.
When the first game of the 2022-23 campaign kicks off on October 7, your 15-player fantasy squad will kick into action. Unlimited off-season transfers will turn into a capped amount of 35 set to last you for the rest of the season.
It’s what makes your pre-season fantasy selections all the more important – especially with each player’s value in the game set to rise and fall depending on their performance through the season.
A player’s price is impacted by projection – or their projected score, which is determined by trends spotted in their performances aligned with the points scoring system.
Whether a player exceeds or falls short of their projection will impact their value.
Predicting which fantasy assets will outperform their price tag is what could separate you from the pack early doors.
KEEPUP looks at seven players who may provide you fantasy points beyond what their current value suggests when the 2022-23 season kicks off in October.
Featured image credit: Perth Glory
Ulises Dávila (Macarthur FC)
Midfielder – $385,100
Percentage of ownership (September 26): 23%
Ulises Dávila will begin the season as the 15th-most expensive player in the game. But his starting price of $385,100 starts to look like great value when compared to the seven midfielders priced higher than the Macarthur FC captain.
Most fantasy managers will target midfielders priced at a premium to “set and forget” in their squads. These are the players you can insert into your starting XI and leave there virtually all season, relying on them collecting you regular points.
Dávila should come into consideration as an alternative to the five-most expensive players in the game: midfielders Craig Goodwin, Craig Noone, Jake Brimmer, Jay O’Shea and Anthony Caceres.
The Mexican takes his fair share of Macarthur set pieces, and is a regular penalty taker. He’s scored 26 goals and notched 14 assists in 73 A-League Men games, and has scored seven goals or more in each of his three seasons in the league. A return to his 2019-20 form, where he scored 12 goals and assisted five more with Wellington, would see Dávila become a prime fantasy asset.
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Bruno Fornaroli (Perth Glory)
Forward – $317,400
Percentage of ownership (September 26): 3%
El Tuna is the 12th-highest ranked forward in the game this season. At $317,400, the prolific A-Leagues scorer offers a cheaper option to the likes of Daniel Arzani, Adam Le Fondre, Aleksandar Prijovic, Jason Cummings, Andrew Nabbout and Beni N’Kololo, as a result of playing only 16 games last season.
Despite a lack of appearances, he still managed eight goals in an average Perth side on the road for the the majority of the campaign.
Over the two seasons prior he scored 26 goals (13 each season) and assisted seven more. Perth are guaranteed their share of home fixtures this season, and after three COVID-impacted seasons the Uruguayan could find the stability and regular game time he needs to shoot back up the Golden Boot leaderboard – and become a handy fantasy asset.
Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners)
Forward – $294,600
Percentage of ownership (September 26): 8%
Garang Kuol will use the start of the A-League Men season to gun for a spot in the Socceroos’ 26-player squad bound for the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, kicking off in November.
Used exclusively off the bench by Central Coast head coach Nick Montgomery in his breakout season, Kuol is expected to push for a starting berth in 2022-23 as both he and fellow Mariners striker Jason Cummings look to impress Socceroos boss Graham Arnold prior to the A-League Men’s hiatus during the group stage of the World Cup.
Kuol could explode at the start of the season – and those who don’t select the 18-year-old could miss out on an early influx of points if he takes flight. At $294,600 the teenage Socceroo appears as a great value pick-up to ride early-season form.
Kusini Yengi (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Forward – $165,300
Percentage of ownership (September 26): 5%
There’s excitement emanating out of Wanderland as a fit-again Kusini Yengi rips through pre-season ahead of his first A-League Men season in red and black.
The 23-year-old Olyroos striker has recovered from a quad injury which hampered his 2021-22 campaign at Adelaide United; he managed just eight appearances for the Reds last season, scoring once on either side of a five-month stint on the sidelines to finish the season with two goals to his name.
Yengi travelled to Uzbekistan with the Australia U23 international side and made four appearances at the AFC U23 Asian Cup. He’s since returned to Western Sydney, and by all accounts is training the house down with Mark Rudan’s Wanderers.
As one of 16 new signings coming through the doors at the club this off-season, Yengi’s place in the squad is not yet clear. But at $165,300 the imposing striker could prove a brilliant fantasy acquisition should he get on the park consistently.
Stefan Colakovski (Perth Glory)
Midfielder – $165,300
Percentage of ownership (September 26): 14%
The Melbourne City product made the bold off-season decision to depart the reigning Premiers for the wooden spooners – and at Perth Glory he’s guaranteed more minutes, starts and opportunities to show his wares.
Last season he started just two games in 18 appearances, as the arrival of Mathew Leckie saw him drop down the attacking pecking order. But, in the season prior Colakovski proved what he can do when entrusted with starting responsibility.
He was asked to step up in the absence of key attacking personnel in the 2020-21 finals series, making three consecutive starts to close out the season and notching two goals and two assists – including one in the Grand Final. His three goals and four assists for the campaign came thanks to a decent run in the side. Expect Colakovski to start many more games in purple than the two he managed last season, and with a $165,300 price tag, he could prove a valuable addition to your fantasy squad.
Jamie Maclaren (Melbourne City)
Forward – $365,700
Percentage of ownership (September 26): 37%
It may seem counterintuitive to list Jamie Maclaren, winner of the A-League Men Golden Boot for three consecutive seasons, as a left-field fantasy selection. But the 29-year-old begins the season cheaper than six other strikers in the game – including fellow City forwards Mathew Leckie and Andrew Nabbout.
Maclaren will collect the majority of his points through goals scored alone; his 2021-22 statistics would have garnered 216 points, with more than half of those points coming thanks to his 16 goals.
His 16-goal output last season followed two seasons in which he scored a combined 48 goals in 49 appearances. A return to that kind of form would see Maclaren’s fantasy value skyrocket. With the opening rounds of the season helping Maclaren push for World Cup selection with the Socceroos, expect the City spearhead to hunt for early goals – and lot’s of them.
Cadete (Melbourne Victory)
Defender – $234,500
Percentage of ownership (September 26): 4%
Replacing Jason Davidson in Tony Popovic’s Melbourne Victory outfit will be no easy feat – but should Spaniard Cadete be entrusted with the job, he could offer immense value to your fantasy squad.
Victory conceded the fewest goals (29) of any team in the league last season, keeping the third-most clean sheets (eight) of any team. Cadete is unproven in the league, and with Noah Smith joining the club from Central Coast it is no guarantee he’ll lock down a starting berth in Popovic’s preferred XI. But, at $234,500 the Spaniard offers an affordable alternative to Jason Geria ($365,700) and Noah Smith ($321,000).
Cadete has been getting assists in pre-season friendlies for Victory. Any player who can lock down a consistent spot in a Popovic defence is worth consideration.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR A-LEAGUES FANTASY AND TIPPING
Signing up for KEEPUP’s Official A-Leagues Fantasy and Tipping is a quick and easy process, leaving you more time to agonise over which players to select in your 15-player fantasy squads, and to pick your Round 1 winners.
First, head on over to https://play.keepup.com.au/. Then, either sign in to your KEEPUP account or select register & play. Fill in your personal details to create your free account, and you’re all set to go.
On the Official A-Leagues Fantasy and Tipping homepage, your dashboard will act as your home for both games, showing your registered fantasy team/s and/or your tipping hub.
Access the A-League Men or A-League Women dropdown menu at the top of the page to reach the relevant fantasy and tipping pages you wish to register for, and you’re away!
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CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO A-LEAGUES FANTASY AND TIPPING TODAY!
