daily fantasy sports articles

The second match in Wednesday’s BBL08 double header sees the Sydney Sixers host the rampaging Hobart Hurricanes at the SCG. The Sixers leapt to second on the table with a 5-5 record on Sunday night with a 79 run win over the Brisbane Heat. The Hurricanes have dominated the tournament so far and after a massive 10 wicket win over the Adelaide Strikers they sit three games clear on top of the ladder at 8-1.

Fittingly for a top of the table clash, both teams go in with unchanged 13 man squads. You can read more about the players for each team in our pre-season squad profiles of the Sydney Sixers and the Hobart Hurricanes.

The Sydney Cricket Ground has traditionally been a bowler-friendly deck and this season has been no exception. The Sixers successfully defended 164 here against the Scorchers in their first game, but lost to the Stars when they could only manage 130 and then got cleaned up by the Renegades in their last game when they struggled their way to 115. On Sunday night the Sixers scored an impressive 177 but the Heat had plenty of trouble on this deck, being bowled out for 98. We have been recommending playing extra bowling in your lineups where possible and this remains a viable strategy until proven otherwise.

Want to win a free trip to stay at Crown Melbourne and play off for a share of $150,000? Then the Draftstars “Biggest Bash” contest is for you! With a $2 qualifier running on every BBL contest, here is your chance to party at the VIP Live Final and compete for the $50,000 first prize!

Our latest Biggest Bash qualifier interview is with “Mattylee” – read how he hopped on the ‘Cane Train and rode it all the way to grab his golden ticket to the live final!

We have a number of other interviews with qualifying winners this season:

• Jason Knox aka “Knoxinator” won the first qualifier of the season with a solitary $2 lineup!
• Shaun O’Neill aka “THE_BEARD” booked his ticket into the final thanks to one of three lineups he entered while at the pub with his girlfriend!
• No one knows who the “Donkey” is but he will also be at the final after riding Ashton Turner to victory!
• Brent Trannore aka “Brento” came from the clouds thanks to a couple of big blows from Dan Christian to slide into 1^st place and win a trip with the better half to Melbourne for the final!
• Adam Rathjen aka “Milanos1987” is a star on the rise and read the weather to perfection to dance his way to the final!
• “Clangers” aka Andrew Cottman, who resigned from the corporate world to spend more time with his kids and is now making waves in the DFS world!

Are you new to Big Bash DFS? Picking the right games to play is a vital skill in building your bankroll. There are a number of sites offering a wide range of contests so we have an article looking at the best games to suit you.

This season at DFR we are providing Draftstars Cheat Sheets for the 13 players named in each squad, offering projections and a salary-based value figure. Cricket is a volatile DFS sport so player scores can vary greatly from match to match, however we aim to provide a figure based on historical data as a starting point for your lineup construction. We have also added in each player’s scores in the past three matches so you can see their recent form at a glance.

BATSMEN

Whenever the Hurricanes play the first question is what to do with D’arcy Short ($26,500). Generally the answer is as simple as ‘play him’ but his salary is at its peak now and many others are priced up which makes it much harder to roster him than it was earlier in the season. Even at this price he can return value but if you want to fade him, you can be encouraged that his supposed weakness is against slower bowling and the SCG may be the pitch to bring him undone. Maybe.

James Vince ($15,800) destroyed the Heat bowlers here on Sunday night, scoring 75 off 46 balls. His salary went up accordingly but it is still very reasonable given his T20 experience and ability in comparison with the rest of his batting lineup. He should be popular after his knock the other night but he has big upside which you can’t say for many other Sixers batsmen.

Ben McDermott ($11,300) is a class player who has got right down in price, although he can be excused for his last start 10 given the ‘Canes won by 10 wickets. He hasn’t set the world on fire this BBL season but still has a fantasy average of nearly 35 which is very solid at this strategy. A quick fire 30 odd is all that is required at this price point and he has very safe hands when he gets his chance in the field.

BOWLERS

Steve O’Keefe ($15,100) is one of our favourites when he plays at the SCG and is very attractively priced here. He was too good for the Heat on Sunday night, taking 1/17 off his four overs including a maiden (!) and his game in Perth was the only time he hasn’t taken a wicket this season. A very consistent, reliable bowler and he deserves plenty of exposure in your lineups.

James Faulkner ($15,600) is in a purple patch of form, including a match winning final over with the bat against the Scorchers two games ago. He has taken multiple wickets in 6 of his 9 games and while the strength of the Hurricanes batting has severely restricted his time in the middle with the bat, he is capable if given the opportunity as he showed against Perth. With five scores above 60 this season, he has a good chance of returning value at this price.

Johan Botha ($9,500) has missed out in his past couple of games with the ball and his salary has plummeted as a result. Given he has twice topped the 100 fantasy point mark this season he has massive upside at this price. Consider that his off-spin is suited on this pitch, he previously played for the Sixers and he took 3/22 against them earlier in the season and he appeals as one of the best value options in this match.

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