Fantasy NRL: How will the bye schedule affect your team?

Sam Burgess. Photo / Getty Images.

Round ten of Dream Team Fantasy NRL begins this weekend and it's the final full round of action before bye weeks become an important part of your fantasy strategy.

Next weekend, six teams have a bye - the Eels, Dragons, Knights, Sea Eagles, Storm and Panthers - and State of Origin begins on May 28, so your transfers over the coming weeks will play a crucial role in your overall points score.

Below is a breakdown of how the bye schedule will pan out over this time:

Round 11: Dragons, Eels, Knights, Panthers, Sea Eagles, Storm + all Origin players out
Round 12: Bulldogs, Sharks, Tigers, Titans
Round 13: None
Round 14: Broncos, Cowboys, Raiders, Sea Eagles, Sharks, Warriors + all Origin players out
Round 15: Panthers, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Tigers
Round 16: Bulldogs, Titans
Round 17: Broncos, Eels, Knights, Raiders, Storm, Warriors + all Origin players out
Round 18: Cowboys, Dragons, Rabbitohs, Roosters

From the above we can name a number of clubs and players who have more favourable schedules over this time. Your goal will be to field as close to 17 starting players as possible for those key Origin rounds (11, 14 and 17).

The teams with the best bye schedule are the Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Titans and Tigers. These teams will play in all three of those major Origin bye weeks. So target non-Origin players from these teams to compete over the bye period.

Some great examples are: James Graham ($319,000), Timoteo Lafai ($244,000), Sam Burgess ($424,000) and George Burgess ($391,000).

Keep in mind that each of these teams will miss two regular head-to-head Fantasy rounds and that the Origin players from these five teams will actually miss at least five weeks, and potentially more if they fail to back up from Origin for their club side.

If you wish to hold on to some of your Origin players during the bye period, pick those from teams who have both their byes on pre-Origin weeks. Those teams are the Broncos, Raiders, Sea Eagles, Storm, Knights, Eels and Warriors.

Now to the week ahead and which fixtures present themselves as ones to exploit.
The Broncos have the best matchup of the round as they face the Titans at home where Ben Hunt ($286,000), Andrew McCullough ($388,000) and Corey Parker ($337,000) will all be must-plays.

The other team I like this week is the Dragons who face the Eels who've been giving up a lot of fantasy points of late. Look to Jason Nightingale ($282,000), Josh Dugan ($216,000) and Trent Merrin ($224,000) for solid pickups this week.

In team and injury news - Greg Bird has been suspended and can be dropped from all teams for the foreseeable future, Andrew Fifita is out for up to six weeks and is also a drop. Robbie Farah returns for the Tigers but his bye schedule is extremely unfavourable so he's not a recommended pickup while Ashley Harrison has been ruled out of this weekend's action with a concussion.

Tariq Sims ($208,000) returns from injury to the Cowboys and is a solid value play, Sonny Bill Williams is playing five eighth for the Roosters this weekend and will be on my bench. Conversely, Mitch Aubusson ($511,000) will start in the back row for the Roosters and is a great pickup if you have the spare cash.

Top pickups:
Ben Hunt, Broncos
Jason Nightingale, Dragons
Value pick:
Timoteo Lafai, Bulldogs
On the bench:
Greg Bird, Titans (suspended 2 weeks)
Ashley Harrison, Titans (out 1-2 weeks)
Andrew Fifita, Sharks (out up to 6 weeks)
Mitchell Pearce, Roosters (suspended 1 week)