Fantasy NRL: Both Friends are sure bets

Jake Friend of the Roosters passes during the round 8 NRL match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters. Photo / Getty Images.

After a week off, the NRL swings back into motion this weekend and so does Dream Team Fantasy NRL.

Before the break we saw some usual suspects rise to the top of the scoring ledgers - Jake and Nathan Friend both topped the 60-point mark while Andrew McCullough and Cameron Smith came very close.

Shaun Fensom continued to be a force in the back row while Jonathan Thurston was the standout half. Peta Hiku's four tries against the Raiders made him the most valuable back to own in round eight.

Most of these players will again be there or thereabouts this weekend though Hiku will find it tough against the Storm.

Both Friends are looking likely for 80 minutes of play this weekend with no bench hookers named for either the Warriors or the Roosters. They are both sure bets in my mind for big production.

Andrew McCullough, however, may be looking at a slight decrease in minutes with Jake Granville named on the bench for the Broncos. This will be slightly tempered by a great matchup with the Cowboys who do concede a lot of fantasy points.

Another side that tends to concede big fantasy scores is the Broncos themselves, so look to Thurston, Brent Tate ($389,000) and Gavin Cooper ($250,000) for options to exploit.

The league-leading Bulldogs face the fantasy-friendly Dragons on Sunday evening where I'm picking Timoteo Lafai ($239,000), Josh Jackson ($297,000) and Aiden Tolman ($335,000) for big games.

In team news this week, Elijah Taylor and Jason Nightingale headline the injury ward.
Taylor is suffering from a knee injury and is likely out for the next month while Nightingale will miss at least two weeks with a knee complaint.

Robbie Farah is still out for the Tigers despite being expected to suit up for NSW in Origin I. Tim Simona will miss two weeks after being suspended for a dangerous throw against the Titans.

Another consideration to take into account for your team this week is the fact that State of Origin and major bye weeks begin in two weeks time. This period of the season will impact your team markedly as many of the top players will be out of action, often leaving you requiring more than the maximum number of transfers allowed to field a full squad.

Fringe players and Kiwis and Great Britain internationals suddenly become more valuable transfer targets while fantasy stalwarts such as Cameron Smith, Corey Parker, Thurston, Greg Inglis and Jarryd Hayne become less attractive.

However, it's not all bad news - play your cards right at this time of year and you can make big ground on less-aware fantasy players that are currently above you on the ladder.