It was another mixed week for NRL Fantasy coaches, with several popular buys scoring big while a few big names picked up new injuries. Here's who's hitting form (and making money) after Round 15.
SJ (almost) goes all the way
Warriors superstar Shaun Johnson nearly became the third player to score 100 NRL Fantasy points in a single game at the weekend, with two tries, six goals, five tackle breaks and a try assist for a huge 96-point effort in his side's win over the Titans in Round 15.
He was the big Fantasy winner of the weekend, ahead of a couple of Panthers back-rowers in Bryce Cartwright (77) and Elijah Taylor (73) and a couple of hard-working Titans forwards in Lachlan Burr (73) and Luke Douglas (72). Of those players, Taylor is a locked-in keeper this year with an average score of 56, while cash cow Burr took full advantage of another start at lock to take his price tag closer to $300,000.
Those Fantasy coaches who have opted against Elijah Taylor in recent weeks and picked up Tyson Frizell instead wouldn't have been too disappointed, with the Dragons forward hitting 70 – primarily in base stats – while popular buys Cameron Smith (72), Jack Bird (70), Andrew McCullough (67), Johnathan Thurston (63), Jake Granville (61) and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (61) also went big.
Mid-season money makers
Knights half Carlos Tuimavave, nominated by Chris Kennedy last week as a potential cash cow, did well in a side missing Tyrone Roberts and the perpetually injured Jarrod Mullen to score 67 (including a try). That gave him a whopping $41,000 price boost but at $216,000 he's got more money to make with a break even of -12 this week.
The other player with a negative break even this week is Warriors forward Raymond Faitala-Mariner, who was promoted into the starting side before kickoff on Saturday, with Blues star Ryan Hoffman coming off the bench following Origin II. With a try and five tackle busts, Faitala-Mariner scored 50 Fantasy points in 60 minutes and looks good value at $155,000 – although he won't play big minutes too often in a team that already features three 80-minute back-rowers. New Titans hooker Chad Redman is making some handy cash as well, and a few more 30-somethings off the bench should take him well past $200,000.
More injury havoc
James Segeyaro's stop-start season continued with news he'll miss between four and six weeks with a knee injury suffered against Canterbury. The good news is Segeyaro's just $55,000 cheaper than Cameron Smith, who's still arguably the best Fantasy player in the business after backing up from Origin II with a cool 72 against Brisbane. Apisai Koroisau will replace Segeyaro in the Penrith side in the short term but isn't really on the same level as the top Fantasy guns at hooker and isn't a cash cow either with a price tag of $356,000.
Meanwhile the Titans lost Ryan James and Aidan Sezer to injuries against the Warriors, with Sezer out for 2-3 weeks with a torn hamstring and James to have scans on his shoulder after leaving the field in the first half hour of the game with only 8 Fantasy points to his name.
Follow the Lone Scout on Facebook or Twitter and read more Fantasy hints and tips here.
