With a host of talented young guns – including the most expensive player in the game – Brisbane will be a crucial club for the upcoming NRL Fantasy season.
As we count down to the start of the 2020 NRL Fantasy season, we reveal the starting player prices and preview the key players from all 16 NRL clubs.
Payne Haas
Front-rower, $999,000
Haas is coming off one of the greatest NRL Fantasy seasons of all time, especially considering how cheap he was at the start of 2019 having played just three games the year before. He's easily the most expensive player in Fantasy at the start of 2020 but the evidence suggests he's worth it – no other player can match Haas's combination of tackle-busting running game, excellent work rate in attack and defence and the ability to play for up to 80 minutes in the middle of the park. He's the safest bet as Fantasy captain this year, even if he doesn't come cheap.
Jamayne Isaako
Winger/fullback, $471,000
Isaako scored 29 points a game on the wing for Brisbane, but a likely switch to fullback gives him the chance to earn some big price rises in 2020. The 23-year-old didn't start a single game at the back last year but played there three times in 2018 – scoring 50, 36 and 41. He also gave a glimpse of his huge potential that year with one of the great match-winning tries against the Roosters, a play that earned him about 24 Fantasy points on its own. He's priced at 32 points a game but could be a 40+ scorer at fullback.
Best finishes of 2018: Isaako steps Broncos past Roosters
David Fifita
Second-rower, $680,000
I predicted Fifita could be a breakout Fantasy star a year ago and while the first half of his 2019 campaign was a little quiet, in the second half of the year the Junior Kangaroos captain exploded. Fifita averaged 33 points in 38 minutes per game in the first half of 2019 but a stunning 59 from 73 minutes after that, including a string of 80-minute games. His break even at the start of the new season is 47, so if he picks up where he left off and keeps scoring 50+ he looks a cut-price keeper.
Jake Turpin
Hooker, $557,000
One of many promising youngsters at Brisbane, Turpin found himself in the halves to cover for the injured Dearden for much of 2019 but could challenge stalwart hooker Andrew McCullough for the No.9 jersey in 2020. If he gets that starting hooker spot you can expect his scoring to climb – his price is based on last season's average of 38 but he scored 52.3 points per every 80 minutes he played at hooker. In his two actual 80-minute games at hooker he scored 49 and 68 (with a try). Beware he'll need big minutes – if he splits a dummy-half role with McCullough he's likely to score around 40 points a game, like last year – but the potential for big scores at a great price is there.
Broncos starting prices in 2020
| Payne Haas | $999,000 | FRF |
| Anthony Milford | $785,000 | HLF |
| Matthew Lodge | $716,000 | FRF |
| David Fifita | $680,000 | 2RF |
| Andrew McCullough | $647,000 | HOK |
| Tevita Pangai Junior | $600,000 | 2RF |
| Joe Ofahengaue | $578,000 | FRF, 2RF |
| Jack Bird | $561,000 | CTR |
| Jake Turpin | $557,000 | HOK |
| Brodie Croft | $536,000 | HLF |
| Alex Glenn | $529,000 | 2RF |
| Kotoni Staggs | $477,000 | CTR |
| Jamayne Isaako | $471,000 | WFB |
| Sean O'Sullivan | $467,000 | HLF |
| Corey Oates | $456,000 | WFB |
| Patrick Carrigan | $430,000 | FRF |
| Darius Boyd | $388,000 | WFB, CTR |
| Thomas Flegler | $379,000 | FRF |
| Tom Dearden | $365,000 | HLF |
| Jesse Arthars | $353,000 | WFB, CTR |
| Jordan Kahu | $318,000 | CTR, WFB |
| Herbie Farnworth | $280,000 | WFB |
| Rhys Kennedy | $246,000 | FRF |
| Richard Kennar | $246,000 | WFB |
| Keenan Palasia | $246,000 | 2RF |
| Izaia Perese | $246,000 | WFB |
| Xavier Coates | $246,000 | WFB |
| Tyson Gamble | $246,000 | HLF |
| Ilikena Vudogo | $228,000 | CTR |
| Jamil Hopoate | $228,000 | 2RF |
| Sam Scarlett | $228,000 | HLF |
| Fanitesi Niu | $228,000 | CTR |
| Cory Paix | $228,000 | HLF |
