Lone Scout's Fantasy Q&A: Round 12

With State of Origin selections and the first bye weekend to navigate just one week away, Round 12 a big week for Fantasy coaches.

Is it time to cash in our popular cheapies?

Who are the differential selections we should be looking at to try and get a march on our opponents?

Lone Scout is back to help shed some, we'll call it wisdom, and answer your burning questions ahead of this week's games!

NRL Fantasy Q&A: Round 12

Should I trade out Payne Haas? —@plunky.01

I can see the thinking here with Origin and a slight dip in form, but the answer is no. Payne Haas is one of the middles you will want all year, and if you trade him out then you're definitely going to want to bring him back in at some point. Especially with the likes of Cameron Murray, Isaah Yeo and potentially even Ryan Matterson on the Origin radar, there's not a genuine gun outside of Isaiah Papali'i who it would make sense to trade to, and Papali'i doesn't play the first bye either. Yes, the three-game average of 47 isn't what we're used to from Haas, but the season average is still well north of 60 and we know what he's capable of. Keep the faith.

Is Sexton worth bringing in? —@iwishiwastim

Another one that I can see the thinking behind, especially given he plays next week, but it'd have to be a very short-term punt for someone with trades in hand. Keep in mind that Sexton isn't kicking goals now with Jamayne Isaako in the team, and Isaako looks to have a wing spot locked in for the time being with Greg Marzhew and Patrick Herbert unable to crack that backline. The three-round average of 51 is nice, but again, remember there was a Golden Point fixture in there to inflate the numbers a little, and he's not going to get the Dragons and a depleted Sharks side every week. The Titans will be firm outsiders this week against the Broncos, before taking on the Cowboys, Rabbitohs and Cronulla — who will have their full strength team back by then — so he's not someone I'm looking to bring in. He's probably got somewhere around $60-70k to be made in the next fortnight, but Sexton can just as easily lose that money, having produced scores of 8 and 15 not that long ago. 

Is Tohu a buy this week or should I wait? —@t.ewhetukihohepa

I'm all in on the Tohu express. There's no Matt Lodge (released) or Addin Fonua-Blake (injured) for the next few weeks so the minutes could rise even further than what they did last week when he churned out 50 points in 70 minutes. Harris is a player you will want over the bye rounds, and I can get around waiting a week if you really want to save the $30k or so that he will probably drop for next week. But if you've got someone like Jason Taumalolo (who we'll get to) or Kelma Tuilagi, or even Siosifa Talakai — who I still think is a hold but you get the point — then I'd be making the move this week and not looking back. The matchup is fairly good this week too against the struggling Knights. The Warriors haven't lost at Redcliffe this year, having beaten the Cowboys, Broncos and Raiders.

Is it too late to bring in Selwyn Cobbo? —@hugodominy

I don't think so. There's more money to be made in Cobbo who enters Round 12 with a breakeven of negative 10. Of course you would have liked to have brought him in three or four weeks ago when he wasn't worth $557k, but Cobbo should make you another $100k or so over the coming few weeks. He could also easily churn out another 100 at home to the Titans at Suncorp if we're being honest, so it's not just cash that he offers in the short term. Two things to keep in mind, though. The first being he seems more and more likely to make the Maroons Origin side, so don't plan on having him for Round 13. The second being that I don't see him as a keeper until the end of the year, so you'll probably need to have exit plan in mind. If you're comfortable with all of that, then fire that trade away and enjoy the ride.

Should I bring in Cam McInnes? —@khan_salic_

We were all waiting to see whether Cam McInnes would nail down the number 13 jumper at Cronulla, which it appears he has. Dale Finucane needs to come back into the 17 at some point in the coming weeks, but I think he's more likely to return at prop so McInnes should still retain the lock role — and his precious minutes as a result. Owned by less than five percent of coaches, McInnes is a very reliable option to have over the next few weeks as we navigate the bye rounds and has proven that both over the past few seasons and this year in isolation. His last four games are the perfect proof of that with a low score of 49 and a high score of 60. 

What do I do with Blake Taaffe? —@leo.khayyat

Sell. Sell. Sell. Blake Taaffe only made coaches a small amount of cash despite what looked to be a fantastic opportunity, and is now starting to go back down the other way. I'd be moving on quick smart. You can trade him out to someone like Jacob Kiraz or Cody Ramsey this week and make a profit, or even go up to Cobbo as we discussed above. Latrell Mitchell is every chance to return after the bye, too, which could see Taaffe drop back to the bench — and then he'll really start to leak cash — so it's time to farewell the Rabbitohs young gun from our teams.

Is Jacob Kiraz a good option? —@taineblake1

See above. He's seemingly secured his spot in the back five of the Bulldogs, having maintained his position ahead of Jayden Okunbor, and has a very friendly draw coming up — including next week during the bye round. Not only will Kiraz make you money over the next month, the average in his first two games is above 50 so there's every chance he adds some very valuable points to your team in the process. You do have to keep in mind that he's an attacking asset for a team that currently sits last on the ladder with the worst attack in the competition, but Kiraz is still a great option nonetheless.

Is Taumalolo a hold or sell? —@kameelandraos

A very tricky (and good) question. While we know Taumalolo won't play this week, the key could be the fact that the Cowboys are playing the first game of Round 13 on the road to the Titans — when they're hopeful of having him back. With a short turnaround a flight required, I'd guess (note, guess) that he doesn't play the following week either so I can get around moving him on. If you're moving him on to someone like Papali'i or Harris then it's a no-brainer as you know you're probably going to cover his points in Round 13 even if he does return. If you're wanting to go down to a cheapie, then I'm a little more hesitant. The other thing to note is the break-even for Taumalolo, whenever he returns, is above 80, so he'll likely lose another $50k or so over the next two weeks in which he does return, having already lost $76k last week. If you're holding, you've got to be in for the long haul, but it's time to move him on for mine.

Is Jayden Campbell worth picking up? —@jayden.alexander.field

I've been really impressed with Jayden Campbell since his return from QLD Cup and really like him as a differential over the next month or so. He's flying very under the radar given the Titans aren't exactly setting the world on fire at the moment, but he covers Round 13 and looks very secure in his position at the back. Campbell is heavily involved in everything Justin Holbrook's side are doing in attack (with back-to-back scores of 62) and will certainly be up for a big game this week in Indigenous Round. If you're looking for a downgrade option from Tom Trbojevic before going up to Ryan Papenhuyzen in a few weeks' time, Campbell could be a really good bridge option to get you there without having to spend too much cash.