Well that first round was quite something, games called off, Mitch Swepson returning from the dead and Corey Anderson possibly being a relevant option.
Not to mention that the Heat went from a triple to a double, the Renegades and Scorchers went from a double to a single, and the Strikers effectively had the bye, that round went nowhere near how I expected it to.
Anyway, we’re moving forward now to Round 2, where some teams will have carried some Strikers. Now I for one carried zero Strikers, so getting to 3-4 of them this round is crucial, and it got me thinking, what’s the best use of your three trades AND: Is it worth a trade boost?
We only have 2 trade boosts this season, in comparison to the 3 we had last year. That’s due to the shortened season, meaning a boost every 3 rounds would have been unnecessary. Which makes the debate of using a boost this early, even more interesting. Now most level-headed coaches will say, “save your boosts” and whilst there is plenty of merit to the idea, I’ve found that boosts are overrated, and that you may as well use them to get ahead as early as you can. I’m looking at using a boost this round, but in the event of a chaotic round that rivals round 1 later in the tournament, I may well be exposed due to a lack of numbers.
So is there a right answer to using a trade boost? No. As always, the gut feel reigns supreme, back it in and see where it takes you. We’ve established that trade boosting early is a great play for aggressive SuperCoach players, and should probably be used in this situation, but who are you boosting for? There’s your mainstream players like the 2 Shorts and Chris Lynn who people will bring in, but who are the PODS to set you apart?
David Payne ($139k BWL) is my favourite POD, for 2 reasons: his form for the Scorchers last year, and the talked-up role Wes Agar gave him as the new ball bowler and the leading death bowler. It’s a fantastic role for a pacer to have, and at a mere 4.1%, his ownership is too low.
Henry Thornton ($161k BWL) will probably have a similar role to Payne, but also has less ownership. He is $20k more expensive and probably not as good of a player, so he has a few marks against him, but he can take bulk wickets, and a POD like that is never a bad one to back.
Finally, this one is going to cause some controversy, but I’ll throw the grenade anyway: Cameron Boyce ($120k BWL) may not even be picked ahead of Ben Manenti, but his ownership is so low it’s ridiculous. I personally think Boyce is the guy for them, and I think he can be very over-hated at times. He’s a pretty decent leggie who will take a bag of wickets every now and again. The ownership is somehow higher than Henry Thornton? Not sure if I agree with it that much, but if you like going rogue and we see Boyce’s name on the team sheet for game 1 of this round, I reckon he’s worth a flyer
The value of trade boosts are overrated, so don’t get too attached to them, but in the event that your team is falling apart, they’re gold. Alternatively, if your team is in great condition, and you’re looking for an extra edge to climb the rankings ladder, a trade boost is the best way to do it.
It essentially boils down to how you strategise for the season, and use the boosts to support that strategy. I hope this has been useful to you, and that it has eased any overthinking minds out there who are contemplating to boost or not to boot.
Cheers, SuperCoach Guns
