The last double header of BBL12 will see two finals hopefuls, the Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder, fight for their spot in the top five against the Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars, respectively.

For at least two of these teams, Wednesday represents the end of the line for the 2022-23 campaign, so it’s sure to be a frenetic day of cricket.

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

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

Hobart Hurricanes vs Brisbane Heat

Hurricanes Squad: Asif Ali (PAK), Tom Andrews, Faheem Ashraf (PAK), Zak Crawley (ENG), Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis (vc), Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott (vc), Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Joel Paris, Wil Parker, D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade (c), Mac Wright

Heat Squad: Ross Whiteley (ENG) Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Sam Heazlett, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Jack Wildermuth, Spencer Johnson, Will Prestwidge, Josh Brown, Sam Hain (ENG)

After three consecutive losses, the Hurricanes must win if they are a chance of playing in the finals.

It’s been a bitterly disappointing campaign for Hobart so far, after they promised so much in preseason.

With such a talented squad, it’s hard to believe the Hurricanes are in this position heading into the final round, however there is still hope.

A big win will send Hobart into the final five and, from there, anything can happen. Paddy Dooley has been the best spinner in the competition, and there is plenty of room for improvement for his bowling allies Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis.

Likewise, Ben McDermott and Matthew Wade are yet to truly explode with the bat, so if one or both of them get going then the Hurricanes can certainly challenge the best.

Conversely, the Heat have been one of the success stories of BBL12, soaring above expectations to book a spot in the finals.

It’s been a team effort, with most individuals making notable contributions at some point throughout the campaign.

Although, experienced stars Michael Neser and Matt Renshaw have led the way, making it easier for the likes of Spencer Johnson, Josh Brown, James Bazley and Matt Kuhnemann to thrive.

Despite their success, the Heat will enter this clash as underdogs, likely due to the venue and stakes involved for the Hurricanes.

Hurricanes vs Heat Fantasy Plays

Love It – Spencer Johnson ($11,100)

I’m a big fan of Johnson, who has quickly become a crucial cog in Brisbane’s team. The Heat quick has averaged 33 DFS points since making his debut, but more importantly he scored 64 against the Hurricanes recently, so the matchup is there. At this price point, you won’t find better value.

Don’t Love It – Marnus Labuschagne ($17,000)

The test players have had mixed fortunes since returning to the BBL, with Steve Smith setting the competition on fire while David Warner and Usman Khawaja underperform. Labuschagne has also struggled, averaging 25 DFS points, and I don’t think he is a wise pick for an away fixture at this price.

Who Knows – Matthew Wade ($17,000)

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Wade’s best. The pocket rocket started the campaign with a bang, producing two 100+ DFS scores in his first four games. Since then, the best he has managed is a 47. Wade is a proven performer in this competition, but DFS players are starting to lose faith in the struggling premium.

Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder

Stars Squad: Adam Zampa, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (ENG), Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Tom O'Connell, Tom Rogers, James Seymour, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Luke Wood (ENG)

Thunder Squad: Ben Cutting, Joel Davies, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green (c), Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Ross Pawson, Usman Qadir, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, David Warner, Sam Whiteman

Finally, the Stars have reached the end of a disastrous campaign in which they have managed just three wins to date.

From the beginning, things have gone from bad, to awful, to worse, with injuries to Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis compounded by several close losses.

As a result, the Stars will finish at the bottom of the BBL12 table, and have little to play for in this game.

Joe Clarke, Luke Wood, Liam Hatcher and Beau Webster can hold their heads high, but the rest of the squad has been unable to perform consistently.

On the contrary, there is plenty of excitement in the Sydney Thunder camp ahead of a potential finals appearance. While the Thunder have lost four of their last five matches, a win here will seal their spot in the top five, a solid achievement.

With David Warner out of form and Jason Sangha returning from injury, there is plenty of scope for the Thunder to improve and challenge for the title.

Ollie Davies and Daniel Sams will also need to bring their best, which has been explosive at times throughout the season.

Stars vs Thunder Fantasy Plays

Love It – Thomas Rogers ($12,400)

Rogers is one of the few quality value options available on this slate. The Stars has improved as the tournament has gone on, and he has managed three scores of 63+ in 2023. With a reliable role and a theoretically unlimited ceiling, pick Rogers with confidence this Wednesday.

Don’t Love It – Beau Webster ($18,200)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive fan of what Webster has brought to the table in BBL12, but I’m not keen on selecting him this Wednesday. The reason? Marcus Stoinis. Stoinis and Webster play a very similar role and in order to accommodate the return of big Stoin, Webster’s role will likely be diminished. As such, the value isn’t there at over $18k.

Who Knows – David Warner ($17,000)

Australia’s most damaging limited overs batsman of yesteryear has yet to fire a shot in BBL12. Warner has averaged just 16 DFS points in four games and has looked a shadow of the player he once was in this format. However, all it takes is one innings for Warner to go from zero to hero.

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