BBL12 is off to a great start, with new contenders topping the table heading into Christmas.

Friday brings us the second double header of the tournament, featuring the competition leading Adelaide Strikers.

Draftstars have put up a heap of contests to suit every budget, including Qualifiers for the new Big Bash Star competition.

Here Josh Nevett will give his DFS tips for each encounter.

Draftstars

Stars vs Scorchers Fantasy Plays

Stars Squad: Trent Boult (NZ), Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (ENG), Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Nick Larkin, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Luke Wood (ENG), Adam Zampa, Tom O’Connell, Sam Elliott, Cam McClure, Campbell Kellaway

Scorchers Squad: Ashton Turner (C), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Faf du Plessis (SA), Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis (VC), Matt Kelly, Adam Lyth (ENG), Hamish McKenzie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Stephen Eskinazi

Both these sides are one from two in BBL12, having defeated the Hurricanes and Sixers, respectively.

It’s a commendable effort from a couple of franchises plagued by preseason drama, which saw both lose star players on the eve of the 2022-23 campaign.

Before losing Mitch Marsh, Phil Salt and Laurie Evans the Scorchers were actually title favourites… that is no longer the case.

Nevertheless, Perth will be confident that they can register a victory against a Stars side missing Glenn Maxwell.

Fantasy Plays:

Love It – Josh Inglis ($15,400)

Inglis has taken on the responsibility of leading Perth’s batting group, after the loss of Mitch Marsh, Phil Salt and Laurie Evans. Inglis, now an international player, hit 62 off 37 balls last start to tally 119 DFS points, which would be a great return at this price.

Don’t Love It – Marcus Stoinis ($18,700)

Despite scoring two straight ducks, Stoinis is still priced at nearly $19k. Having suffered a bout of COVID last week, it’s been a less than ideal start to BBL12 for the Stars gun. Today, Stoinis faces a top-notch Scorchers bowling attack, so I think his struggles may continue.

Who Knows – Adam Lyth (11,100)

It’s been a slow start to BBL12 for English import Adam Lyth, who has scored just 14 runs in two innings. Selected to open up for the Scorchers, the veteran has a fantastic role batting in the power play, but he has failed to take advantage of this so far. Will we see Lyth find some form against the Stars on Friday?

Heat vs Strikers Fantasy Plays

Heat Squad: Jimmy Peirson (c), Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Sam Billings (ENG), Josh Brown (LRP), Max Bryant, Matt Kuhnemann, Colin Munro (NZ), Michael Neser, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Ross Whiteley (ENG)

Strikers Squad: Wes Agar, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, Colin de Grandhomme (NZ), Ryan Gibson, Travis Head, Adam Hose (ENG), Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Rashid Khan (AFG), Chris Lynn, Harry Nielsen, Matt Short, Jake Weatherald, Henry Thornton, Peter Siddle

These teams are at opposite ends of the table – the Strikers are undefeated and sit pretty at the top while the Heat are down in seventh after two losses.

It’s been a dream run for Adelaide so far – they beat the Sixers comprehensively in Round 1 before destroying the Thunder, bowling them out for a record-low 15.

Matt Short and Henry Thornton have led the way for the Strikers, tallying 158 runs and 11 wickets, respectively.

The Heat have lost two tightly contested matches, with their batters failing to perform. Scores of 144 and 137 haven’t been enough for Brisbane, despite the heroic efforts of Michael Neser (4-32) in Game 2.

Considering the quality of Adelaide’s bowling attack, I envisage another tough night for Brisbane.

Fantasy Plays:

Love It – Jimmy Pierson ($10,400)

Pierson has made the most of his opportunities so far this season, scoring 45 off 30 and 43 off 30 in two innings. Although he won’t always get a bat down in the middle order, it looks as if Pierson is a great low-priced option given the Heat’s tendency to lose quick wickets.

Don’t Love It – Jake Weatherald ($12,000)

Weatherald is a form player, and form is something he is seriously lacking right now. The inconsistent left-hander has managed just 18 runs in his first three BBL12 innings, and tonight he comes up against a red-hot Michael Neser. While Weatherald is likely to find form at some stage during this tournament, I doubt it will be tonight.

Who Knows – Chris Lynn ($16,300)

This will be box office viewing. Lynn returns to the Gabba tonight, a ground where he has plundered plenty of runs for the Brisbane Heat over the years. Stepping out in Adelaide Strikers kit on Friday, Lynn will be determined to claim bragging rights over his former side by putting a big score on the board.

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