Alrighty then! Round 1 is behind us and I’m sure the gaps in our draft teams are present and possibly multiplying. Did you get burnt by Christian ‘the witch hunt’ Salem (really hoping that nickname kicks off)? Maybe you foolishly put faith in Dion Prestia‘s connective tissue? 

In any case, this article aims to assist in filling any holes your weekly lineups may have – whether it be a sneaky loophole option for your benches or a genuine plug and play. These are one week streamers (perhaps longer in some cases, AKA RIVER plays) for mostly redraft leagues; patch and play suggestions for those loose ends that need some tying off, especially if your priority waiver claims were missed.

Here, I will list a team of players with low ownership that may (or may not) be available in your leagues. I will fill a team in the 4-5-1-4 structure catering to AF/DT/UF scoring, as well as Supercoach, in certain cases. But first, let’s see how my round 1 tips performed:

HITS

Jack Gunston (99 AF/104 SC) – he looked fit again and got it done against some weaker opposition in the Kangas. He’s a clear hold for now.  

Hayden Young (81 AF/92 SC) – I was big on this guy preseason and he’s an on-field defender in my opinion. 

Brad Hill (82 AF/97 SC) – liked his role coming out of defence and is a clear hold at this point. 

Tom Phillips (86 AF/77 SC) – did this from 61% game time. Keep him on your bench and see what happens with him next week. 

Jordan Clark (70 AF/86 SC) – played a nice outside role but the jury is still out on him. 

Matt Flynn (88 AF/119 SC) – played without Preuss so don’t expect this output when the pair are playing in tandem. 

MISSES

Josh Battle (50 AF/51 SC) – had the defensive role but was too busy actually defending. 

Jack Higgins (66 AF/56 SC) – I expected better going against the Pies. I’m willing to give him another shot given the state of St. Kilda’s midfield and a matchup on Freo to come. 

DEFENDERS

Steven May – Salem will miss the next 8 weeks, giving May some RIVER* appeal, especially in SC. He faces the Suns this week and someone called Luke Fokey managed a ton on them last week. 

Riley Bonner – Another one with RIVER* potential here, seeing as Port will be without McKenzie and Aliir for a long while. Bonner takes on the Hawks this round and we saw what Luke McDonald and Aaron Hall did to them as movers out of defence in the week prior. 

Will Powell – his poor score from Round 1 may have some either cutting or benching this guy, but I implore owners not to. None of the GC defenders notched up noteworthy scores last week, as it was the forwards who capitalised against a languishing West Coast squad. This round, the Suns face Melbourne, and I’m expecting to see a lot more ball in their defence. I can’t see them streaming forward with as much confidence and it’s possible they revert to a more possessive game coming out of defence (as we saw a lot of last year).  

Luke Brown – one for deeper leagues/desperate teams here. Brown scored relatively well in round 1 and faces the Pies this week. He won’t win you a matchup, but he shouldn’t lose you one either. 

MIDFIELDERS

James Jordon – is available on waiver wires and faces the Suns. He scored 73 (AF) on the Dogs last week and with Salem out, there will be a shuffling of the Deck at Melbourne, which could give Jordon more opportunity. 

Angus Brayshaw – touted as a solid waiver pick-up by the DD team, Brayshaw will face the Suns this week and appears to be a worthwhile on-field play, particularly if you have a dubious M6/7.

Nick Daicos – he’s certainly owned in your league by now, so this is merely a call to play him on-field against the Crows. 

Jack Ross – he faces the Giants this round and Swans such as Florent and Rowbottom scored handsomely on them last week. In addition, Prestia will be absent for some time, giving Ross a little bit of RIVER* lure.  

Willem Drew – may have been cut in shallower leagues, following his 63 (AF) on the weekend. However, he’s a hold for me as he did play in a very tight and scrappy match against the restrictive Lions. This week Port play the Hawks, giving Drew an avenue to score much better. 

RUCK

Marc Pittonet – this one is for the desperados, or the sadomasochists in leagues with 2 on-field rucks. He’s the number one ruck at the Blues and goes against Tim English this week, who is known to give it up to opposing ruckmen. Reconsider this stream if Stef Martin is named.

FORWARDS

Curtis Taylor – I reckon this guy has a fantasy game, but I’m uncertain as to why I think that. Just trust me here. Anyway, he faces the Eagles this week, who let forwards like Rankine, Ainsworth and Holman score decently last round. He’s worth a punt as your F4/5.

Ben Brown – plays the Suns this week and scored a 101 (SC) on them last year. This is the kind of stream that could win you a matchup. 

Joe Daniher – Cameron (before the hospitalisation) and Hawkins went ballistic on the Bombers in round one, and the Brisbane forwards may well do the same. I like to think that Joe plays with a little more fire against his old team, evident in his 121 (SC) on them last year. This is another boom or bust stream option. 

Brodie Mihochek – he went well against the Saints last week, and if Collingwood can uphold some winning form, he could score similarly at home against the Crows this week. 

*RIVER play – when a player’s flow is a little longer and stronger than a stream, meaning he may hold value for multiple weeks to come, whether it be due to a role change, injury or other.

If you’re reading this article thoroughly, it probably means your team has been hit with some poor fortune, but don’t stress too much. Unlike Tom Morris, there is some coming back from a blunderous round 1 showing. Let me know if you stream any of the guys mentioned here and feel free to share some of your own in the comments, or @ me on the Twat: @lionelhutz4prez

May your streams flow golden and strong!