Lone Scout's NRL Fantasy Q&A: Round 16

Another week of mayhem on the injury front with Jason Taumalolo and Api Koroisau headlining a long list of Fantasy-relevant players on the sideline.

All this with the head-to-head finals series just one week away.

But while the temptation to use your last few trades is there, it's also worth keeping in mind there's still a quarter of the season remaining.

Having even one trade up your sleeve in the knockout rounds could be the difference between grand final glory and an early exit.

So what are the best moves to make in round 16?

This week's big questions

What are your top three options for Taumalolo? Any POD in mind?

From Josh Vonk

Assuming you need a second-rower, my top three for reliable and consistent scores are probably Ryan Matterson, Cameron McInnes and Tohu Harris, just ahead of Jazz Tevaga.

The best point-of-difference option is also the cheapest, with in-form Knights lock Mitch Barnett coming off scores of 71 and 74 after two 80-minute performances, and with a $674k price tag that allows you to free up cash for your next trade (if you have one).

Who would you get rid of out of Taumalolo or Angus Crichton (if at all)? Both injured, without clear information on for how long. Lacking trades but want to bring in Matterson.

From Graeme Lock

The Roosters say Crichton is "a couple weeks off" making a return, while the Cowboys say Taumalolo will miss "up to four weeks" but is expected to return before the end of the season.

It's not much to go on, but it suggests Crichton is worth holding and Taumalolo selling if you've got both of them.

There is an argument for holding both if you have already locked up a spot in the top four of your head-to-head finals series (and are not focused on overall points).

That means you don't need to win your match-up this week and can also afford a loss next week – assuming your league is using the default NRL top-eight finals system.

If you win in the opening round of the finals as a top-four team you earn a week off so will likely get those stars available for the following game, and if you lose you can make a decision on whether to trade based on the latest news from the Roosters and Cowboys camps.

I held Harry Grant through the carnage, is he still a keeper? Or should I trade to Matterson or Harris? I have three trades left.

From Ben Lewis

With three trades left Grant is a definite hold at this point, and should still score well enough even if he loses minutes to bench hooker Jacob Liddle.

Only if his scores take a significant dive should you consider trading, and even then it'd be worth keeping trades up sleeve as late as possible to cover serious injuries.

With Taumololo out, will McGuire be playing 80 minutes at lock?

From Daniel Besgrove

I'm not sure Josh McGuire will play the full 80 – which he has done just once this year, against Penrith in round 10 – but he could go very close. He played 76 minutes against the Sharks back in round four when Taumalolo was out, scoring 59 points, and he's in good scoring form after making 62 against the Knights last week.

As a dual-position player who already has an average in the mid-50s he's not a bad point of difference option, albeit one who doesn't really have the attacking upside of someone like Ryan Matterson who can score well into the 70s and 80s.

Best choice out of Mitch Barnett, Nathan Brown and Cameron Murray?

From Jeremy Collett

I'd rank them in that order, with Mitch Barnett first ahead of Nathan Brown and Cameron Murray. Barnett is coming off two straight scores in the 70s (playing the full 80 minutes at lock in both games) while Brown has a three-game average of 60 and Murray – whose scoring has taken a bit of a slide this year – is averaging around 50 in his last three.