Cash cows coming home to roost

RL DREAM TEAM: New bargains to snap up, which cash cows to sell and how to get hold of DT dominator Cameron Smith...

Cut the bad boys

There were real blows for some big names this week, with Jarryd Hayne suspended by the NRL judiciary for a fortnight and Todd Carney stood down by the Roosters indefinitely.
Both have already under-achieved in Dream Team this season, with Hayne dropping $50,000 in value and Carney – one of 2010's must-haves – down $44,500 on his starting price this year. Still, they both remain popular players, with Hayne owned by 10,000 DT coaches and Carney in more than 8,000 Dream Teams. While Hayne remains one of the top three fullbacks in the game, points-wise, it's certainly time to get rid of Carney if you haven't already.

Time to start cashing in

It's also getting to the time now to cash in on the early bargain buys. To quote the immortal Leslie Nielsen, it looks like the (cash) cows have come home to roost.
After six matches and four price rises, a player's value should be just about where it will stay all year. Of course, in some case a player's scores are still improving (such as for the superb Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Smith), but for those whose scores have been relatively stable it could be time to cash in.
Eels forward Shane Shackleton is a good example. Now averaging about 25 points a game after a couple of below-par rounds, Shackleton's value seems to have just about peaked. His four price changes so far (+$24,900, +$17,500, +$8,600 and -$2,100) suggest that's the case.
So while there's not necessarily a rush to make any trades, you should be planning now on what to do with your money-makers – either trade down for a cheap player to make some money, or upgrade to one of the game's big scorers.

Who to keep

Injuries continue to wreak havoc for the Dreamers out there. A pre-game injury to Dragon Nathan Fien on Monday night caused pain for the 31,500 Dream Team coaches who have 2011's second-most popular player in their team, while an injury to bargain buy Tom Symonds also initially appeared to be a minor disaster (although the red-headed Rooster did still bring in a $19,100 cash boost).
Symonds has surprisingly been named to return for the Roosters this weekend, and will continue to increase in value as long as he plays.
But with Fien expected to spend another couple of weeks on the sidelines, is he worth hanging on to? It's a tricky question, because his replacement Dean Young could continue to drain points from the hooker when he comes back. But if Fien continues to score around 35 a game (and his 43 in Round 5 – with Young also in the side – suggests he can) then his value should continue to rise to early $200,000s. We say hold onto him if you can, but if you need a points boost quickly then it might be the right time to splash out on a new No.9.

Who to buy

More bargains up for grabs this week, with a few young guns due for their first price change. Manly prop Tim Robinson is the first name on Des Hasler's bench this week and should get game time after missing the last fortnight. Young halfback Sam Williams gets another start for the Raiders in the absence of the injured Matt Orford. Orford's horror form could mean Williams gets the full-time gig later this season – but he hasn't got it yet. The Raiders have been clear that Orford will return when he's fully fit, and he remains a chance to come back this weekend. So be wary of jumping on the Williams bandwagon.
Titans back-rower Luke O'Dwyer should play his third straight game after being named on the bench, while Rabbitohs bench-warmer Nathan Peats and Eels centre Jacob Loko will also get juicy price boosts – although Loko appears to be a short-term replacement for injured pair Chris Walker and Ryan Morgan.
And those who snapped up new Warriors back-rower Elijah Taylor were rewarded handsomely last weekend, with 51 points and a $37,400 value jump. He will start in the pack again this week and will keep making money, so if you're among the four-fifths of Dream Team coaches who don't have him – get him now.

The Cameron Smith dilemma

If you don't have Cameron Smith, you're going to struggle to win many head-to-head league matches (or, indeed, any Dream Team prizes). The scary thing is that Smith's scores keep improving, following last week's huge 82. Unfortunately for those without the Melbourne skipper in their team (and that's two thirds of the Dream Team coaches out there), he's now worth a whopping $421,900 – putting him out of the price range for many.
To get him, there are basically two options. The first is to sell up one or two established stars in order to free up cash fast and bring him in instantly. That should give you an immediate boost in points (assuming you make Smith your weekly captain), but will cost you a fair chunk of your salary cap. The other option is to wait until State of Origin time, when Smith's Queensland duties will take its toll on his scoring and his price tag. Picking him up then should save you money, but you'll continue to struggle to get the big scores in the meantime.
If you're focusing on your head-to-head league, we'd suggest trying to wait until Smith's price dips before making the splurge – so long as you have a fairly competitive team without him. If you can pick up the odd win without Smith and then bring him in mid-season, you could still be in the running come finals time when the extra cash will come in handy.
If you're playing head-to-head and struggling for points, get him now. And if you're trying to win the car and haven't got Smith, chances are you're out of the running already.
Source http://www.bigpondsport.com/