The NRL Fantasy finals begin for many leagues this week, making your remaining trades even more important. Here's my wrap of the in-form and out-of-form Fantasy prospects heading into Round 22.
Pick your Round 22 NRL Fantasy team now
Broncos v Bulldogs
Broncos: Brisbane are unchanged despite their hefty defeat at the hands of the Sea Eagles in Round 21. Dale Copley has been added to an extended bench. Ben Hunt (15) was well below his best in the loss, missing eight tackles, but should return a much healthier score back at Suncorp Stadium. Of greater concern is Andrew McCullough, who managed just 27 in his 58 minutes on the park, as Kodi Nikorima played a greater role for Wayne Bennett's side.
Bulldogs: Aiden Tolman, Frank Pritchard and Curtis Rona are back on deck for Des Hasler's side, with Corey Thompson and Lloyd Perrett dropping back to an extended bench. Michael Lichaa looks set to continue to play 80 minutes, while it's getting close to time to cash out Shaun Lane if you need to do so, with the young forward's break even sitting at 42 ahead of Round 22.
Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs
Sea Eagles: Just one change to the Manly side that belted the Broncos, with experienced centre Steve Matai replacing Tom Trbojevic in the 17. The Sea Eagles young gun scored a handy 50 in Round 21, but is heavily reliant on massive attacking plays for his points. That said, he could be one for future seasons.
Rabbitohs: Michael Maguire has named an unchanged side for his side's Friday night clash with Manly at Brookvale Oval, with former Sea Eagle Glenn Stewart sure to have a say on proceedings. The South Sydney second rower has been reasonably consistent since returning from injury, averaging just under 48 in his last three starts. Greg Inglis (21) was below his best against the Panthers, but is still one of the better options at WFB.
Warriors v Dragons
Warriors: Konrad Hurrell makes way for Jonathan Wright in the only change for the Warriors, who will be hoping a trip to the New Zealand capital can revive their top eight chances. Despite moving further wide in a reshuffled pack, Simon Mannering (68) keeps on keeping on, scoring a try in his side's narrow loss to the Sharks. The highest-scoring player in NRL Fantasy so far this season, if you don't have Mannering for whatever reason, you're missing out.
Dragons: Trent Merrin returns from suspension to take his place on the bench for the Red V, while Kiti Glymin returns from injury to take Jason Nightingale's (foot) spot on the wing. Merrin could be worth the risk if you need a 2RF under $400,000. Despite starting from the bench, he's still capable of scoring over 60. Coupled with the Dragons' kind run home and his desire to finish up with the club on a positive note, there could be worse buys. Don't be fooled by Gareth Widdop, though. While the England international was superb against the Knights, scoring 86, previous scores of 23, 17, 36, 33 and 18 in his last five should tell you all you need to know. Avoid.
Sharks v Cowboys
Sharks: No changes to the side which got the better of the Warriors last week. Paul Gallen is thriving, averaging 70.7 in his last three starts. There's still no clear indication when Andrew Fifita will return, and in his absence, the 'G-Train' is posting some pretty impressive numbers.
Cowboys: Also unchanged from their come-from-behind win over the Raiders. Johnathan Thurston continues to go from strength to strength, while it might be time to shift on Ethan Lowe and Lachlan Coote if you're blessed with trades to burn.
Eels v Panthers
Eels: Will Hopoate and Brad Takairangi will add some much-needed stability to the Parramatta backline after the centre pairing missed their side's Monday night loss to the Titans. Corey Norman has also been named, which is a massive boost for Brad Arthur's side.
Panthers: Robert Jennings' injury has forced a reshuffle for Penrith, with Waqa Blake moving to the wing, Lewis Brown to the centres, and Bryce Cartwright starting in the back row. Of concern for James Segeyaro owners is the inclusion of Apisai Koroisau on the four-man interchange. His presence should be enough to discourage you bringing in Segeyaro if you're considering that trade.
Storm v Titans
Storm: Melbourne will field an unchanged 17 against Gold Coast on Sunday, with Tohu Harris again being named at centre. He needs to be named at centre in just one more game to be awarded dual position status, so that is likely to occur next week.
Titans: Nate Myles is back for the Titans, with Eddy Pettybourne moving back to an extended bench that also features Lachlan Burr and Daniel Mortimer. At this stage, there doesn't seem to be many appealing Fantasy buys amongst this Titans outfit.
Knights v Roosters
Knights: Tariq Sims and David Fa'alogo are back, with Chris Houston moving back to the bench and Joe Tapine and Lachlan Fitzgibbon out of the side. Tapine in particular is proving to be a bit of a point-per-minute machine, with the young forward scoring 35 in his 34 minutes against the Dragons in Round 21. With a break even of 0, he'll still continue to rise in value should he return to the first grade side.
Roosters: Shaun Kenny-Dowall replaces Brendan Elliot on the wing for the Tricolours, while Isaac Liu replaces the injured Sam Moa on the bench. Don't have Roger Tuivasa-Sheck? You might want to bring him in. The Roosters custodian is averaging 65 from his last five starts, and might wreak havoc against the Knights. If you're brave, he might even be a captaincy option.
Raiders v Wests Tigers
Raiders: Sisa Waqa is back for Edrick Lee, Glen Buttriss replaces Josh Hodgson at hooker, but the big Fantasy talking point comes in the back row. Sia Soliola is out for the remainder of the season, with Jarrad Kennedy ($174,000) promoted to the starting side. While Kennedy's scores will no doubt go through the roof with his new role, Shaun Fensom should also benefit from Soliola's absence, with the workhorse lock likely to see his minutes increase.
Wests Tigers: Brenden Santi joins a five-man interchange in an otherwise unchanged Tigers side. Keep an eye on Robbie Farah ($424,000). With a relatively high break even of 71, his price is likely to drop again, or at the very least, remain stable. He's currently $164,000 less than he started the season, and could be a good purchase for the run home. One to monitor.
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