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Who will be in your team?
Sonny Bill Williams is gone but the bulk of the Roosters' premiership-winning 2013 squad remains, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck replacing the retired Anthony Minichiello at fullback and plenty of talent across the park. Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney are both capable of improving on last year's efforts but I've picked out Jake Friend, Aiden Guerra and a couple of new faces as players to watch at the Tricolours this year.
Fantasy Gun
Jake Friend ($477,000) – Tackles are the bread and butter for Fantasy points in the forward pack, and Friend leads the way for the Roosters with 44 a game. He was ranked third in the NRL for tackles last season, and can also cause damage in attack with three tries and seven try assists. His biggest drawback is the fact he's likely to miss the start of the season following shoulder surgery, so is will more likely to be one to watch later in the year.
Wild Cards
Aidan Guerra ($398,000) – With Sonny Bill Williams and Frank-Paul Nuuausala gone, more responsibility will fall to Queensland Origin back-rower Guerra and his NSW counterpart Boyd Cordner to lead the way in the Roosters back row – and with Cordner already a regular 80-minute player that leaves Guerra with a larger role to play this season. Guerra did play the full 80 three times in the back row last season, as well as twice filling in in the centres, but still averaged about 57 minutes a game across the season. With no Sonny Bill to turn to, expect Guerra to play a few more minutes and be used more in attack on the fringes, which could turn an already strong player into a Fantasy gun this season.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ($321,000) – Anthony Minichiello's retirement allows huge talent Tuivasa-Sheck to move in from the wing this year, and the young Kiwis star is capable of beating defenders almost at will if given room to move. His positional play and defensive game won't be up to Minichiello's standard for some time, but it's in attack that RTS has the potential to become a Fantasy weapon.
Blake Ferguson ($288,000) – The former Canberra Raiders bad boy returns to the NRL this season with the Roosters, where he is set to slot into a star-studded backline. Ferguson won't start particularly cheap at $288,000 but he should get plenty of try-scoring chances in a team that has brought the best out of fellow uber-talent Michael Jennings.
Potential Cash Cows
Nene Macdonald ($216,000) – A second-year player who may be a little pricier than expected thanks to a string of impressive performances last season – including about three tackle breaks a game. He played two of his games off the bench last season – including a 15-minute cameo against Penrith in Round 19 – but looks set to be a first-choice winger this year following Tuivasa-Sheck's shift to fullback. If he can match RTS's scores from last year, expect to see Macdonald make about $100,000 in price rises.
Matt McIlwrick ($199,000) – Recruited from Canberra as a back-up hooker to Jake Friend, McIlwrick could find himself in the starting side for Round 1 as Friend recuperates from shoulder surgery. McIlwrick played seven games for the Raiders last season – six of those from the bench – so he could be a fast money-maker if he gets a lot of game time in the first few rounds. His price is the equivalent of about 22 points a game, so if he manages to string together a few 40s (he scored 42 in 55 minutes in his first game of 2014) he should be in for some handy price boosts.
Roosters 2015 NRL Fantasy prices
Jake Friend, $477,000
Boyd Cordner, $419,000
Aidan Guerra, $398,000
James Maloney, $381,000
Mitchell Pearce, $375,000
Sam Moa, $336,000
Michael Jennings, $331,000
Shaun Kenny-Dowall, $323,000
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, $321,000
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, $316,000
Daniel Tupou, $296,000
Blake Ferguson, $288,000
Mitchell Aubusson, $269,000
Dylan Napa, $261,000
Martin Kennedy, $226,000
Nene McDonald, $216,000
Isaac Liu, $210,000
Matt McIlwrick, $199,000
Kane Evans, $154,000
Brendan Elliot, $142,000
Jackson Hastings, $142,000
Willis Meehan, $142,000
Lagi Setu, $137,000
Samisoni Langi, $136,000
Abraham Papalii, $128,000
Siosiua Taukeiaho, $128,000
