The second leg of Sunday’s BBL09 double header takes place at the MCG and is the biggest match of the season so far. The Melbourne Stars sit on top of the ladder with a 7-1 win loss record and host the Sydney Sixers, sitting immediately below them in a clear 2nd position with a 6-2 record.

First of all, along with our famous  FREE Cheat Sheets and Data Tools in our Data Tools section, new for the BBL09 season, Daily Fantasy Rankings presents the Draftstars Lineup Builder! Using our Data Tools and Projections you will be able to quickly build and import BBL teams into Draftstars by using the CSV upload. Access the Builder including tutorials on how the builder works by clicking the banner below.

 

 

Draftstars have posted a $20,000 contest for a $15 entry, as well as a $1,500 Mini and even a $200 Single Entry contest for a $10 buy-in. Moneyball are offering a $4,000 contest for a $15 entry as well as a $500 guarantee on their $2 contest.

 

The Stars have made two changes to the 13 man squad that got across the line against the Renegades on Friday night. Nathan Coulter-Nile is being rested, while Sam Elliott has been left out. In comes Jackson Coleman and Jonathan Merlo, although Daniel Worrall looks like the man to replace Coulter-Nile after missing the game against the Renegades.

 

Just the one change for the Sixers. Josh Hazlewood hit the winning runs against the Adelaide Strikers in their match on Wednesday but now heads to India for representative duties. Regular captain Moises Henriques will take his place following the birth of his son Archie earlier in the week. Rather than being a straight swap, Henriques may take his spot in the middle order at the expense of youngster Jack Edwards, opening the door for Ben Manenti or Steve O’Keefe to return to the starting XI.

 

The MCG continues to be the lowest ground in the country in terms of fantasy scoring and the Thunder’s innings of 5/145 on Friday night was another example of this. The key stat to this ground is the incredible record of the team batting 2nd and both games this season have seen the team chasing (both times the Stars) reach the total with relative ease.

 

 

Doubling down on lack of fantasy points scored at the MCG is the low number of points allowed to opposition players by both of these teams. They rank 7th (Sixers) and 8th (Stars) in the competition for points against, with both batting and bowling totals reflecting these standings. While there is no particularly obvious trend to take advantage of when building lineups, you should keep the strong possibility of this game being a low-scoring arm wrestle in mind.

 

Access our FREE Data Tools for Sunday's BBL Matchup here

Batsmen

 

Love It – Glenn Maxwell ($20,100 on Draftstars) 

Maxwell is in unbelievable form and comes here off a huge 177 fantasy points against the Renegades after making 83 off only 45 balls. He is now priced as the most expensive player in the game but with his regular bowling to go with his superb middle order batting he has a number of ways to contribute fantasy points. With scores of 104 and 42 in his two games at the MCG this season there is no reason to think he won’t lead from the front again, and there are plenty of value options to fit him into your lineup.

 

Don’t Love It – James Vince ($17,000 on Draftstars) 

Vince is one of the key batsmen in the Sixers lineup but is priced accordingly. In 6 games this season he hasn’t scored more than 53 fantasy points, with a top score of 41 against the cellar-dwelling Renegades. He comes up against a professional Stars attack and has slid down to number 4 with the introduction of Avendano into the top order, potentially reducing his exposure. Very capable but expensive.

 

Who Knows – Justin Avendano ($9,500 on Draftstars) 

Avendano is a really tempting option given his position opening the batting for the Sixers. He has missed out more often than not in the past couple of seasons but when he returned to the side two matches ago he cracked an impressive 47 off 33 balls against the Strikers. Against the top side there is a reasonable chance he is dismissed cheaply but at least his intent is aggressive and he can open up plenty of salary for your other slots.

 

Bowlers

 

Love It – Tom Curran ($18,700 on Draftstars) 

Curran has been an absolute star for the Sixers in the past season and a half. Damaging with both bat and ball, he is capable of having massive fantasy games, as shown by his 141 last game and 129 earlier in the season. Playing against a good side like the Stars on a hard to score ground can be a bonus for him as it makes it more likely he gets opportunity with the bat, and he is capable of taking a bag of wickets.

 

Don’t Love It – Lance Morris ($8,800 on Draftstars) 

Morris was quite popular against the Renegades at this cheap salary but didn’t trouble the scorers with the ball, going for 33 runs off his 3 overs. He should stay quite popular as coaches try and fit the likes of Stoinis, Maxwell and Curran in their lineups but there are plenty of options under the average salary so you may prefer to see Morris have some success before rostering him.

 

Who Knows – Sandeep Lamichhane ($16,600 on Draftstars) 

Lamichhane hasn’t been as consistent as he was last year but that may present an opportunity to roster him at lower ownership. He still possesses good upside at this salary and bowls well at this ground, highlighted by his 3/26 against the Renegades last week. He is an awkward price if you are trying to squeeze in the big guns but can score towards 100 fantasy points which may give you a winning point of difference for your lineup.

 

 

 

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