Crucial Fantasy calls to make: Round 13

This week we're talking bye round cover options and what a positional change means for Kalyn Ponga. 

A reminder that a rule change for 2023 means that in Rounds 13, 16 and 19 only your starting 13 players score points (rather than the usual 17 players). 

Crucial Fantasy calls for Round 13

Best cover options by position

If you've got a Fantasy gun on a bye this week and need to make a trade, these are the best options by position who play in Round 13. 

• WFB: Clint Gutherson ($579k)
  Will be licking his lips at the thought of facing a pair of rookies on the edges for the Cowboys, with Zac Laybutt and Robert Derby in for Valentine Holmes and Murray Taulagi. Could have a big day out in what, on paper, shapes as being a potential big win for Parra.
  CTR: Jack Bird ($708k)
  Always a good CTR option given he plays in the forward pack and scores consistently, but an even better prospect this week given he comes off a rest in Round 12 and should be nice and refreshed. Scored 54 when the Dragons played the Dolphins earlier this year and is primed for another good score this time.
• HLF: Mitchell Moses ($813k)
  Similar to Gutherson, he's likely to have some fun at the expense of the inexperience North Queensland backline and will be a good chance of scoring himself and setting up a few. Has the potential to kick plenty of goals in this one too. 

• MID: Tohu Harris ($671k)
  Playing in his hometown for just the second time as an NRL player, and first time as a Warrior, he's likely to be pumped up and ready for a big game. Given his workload and dodgy knee, he will have benefitted greatly from the week off with the bye in Round 12 too. 
• HOK: Damien Cook ($698k)
  While in 2023 he's not the Fantasy player he's been in recent times, he's still averaging in the mid 50s and should have a point to prove after missing out on NSW selection. Tipping him to come up with a couple of dynamic attacking plays to add to his usual decent base. 
• EDG: J'maine Hopgood ($771k)
  An easy pick here. He's been on fire of late, with a last three game average of 61, and his role in the Eels pack will be even bigger this week with Junior Paulo out on Origin duty and Andrew Davey and Ryan Matterson injured. A good chance of playing 80 and scoring above 70 this week.

Price is right to punt on Ponga  

For much of this season Kalyn Ponga has shown plenty of reasons to consider him a stay away in Fantasy, but with his move to fullback this week that might be about to change.

At $420k, with designation as both a WFB and HLF, he'll be a bargain buy if he remains at fullback and can keep a high level of involvement in attack.

The move to the back will drastically reduce the amount of tackling, and therefore missed tackling, he has to do. That has been his biggest issue this year, and in his last three games he's averaged a whopping -12 points from missed tackles.

Take those demerits away and combine it with a likely uptake in run metres and kick defusals, and you have a decent scoring WFB at a low price.

But all this relies on Ponga actually staying at fullback long term, and we are assuming this whole move isn't just Adam O'Brien trying to jolt Lachlan Miller into form. 

Fantasy draft free agent of the week

With many Draft leagues having a bye this week, it's a good time to make a trade for the future, and I like the idea of bringing in a player who is set to return from a long injury layoff in Round 14. Mitch Barnett had scores of 57 and 53 prior to his injury in Round 3, and offers Fantasy cover at both EDG and MID, which will be handy over the next few weeks when plenty of teams have byes.