Forward planning is one of the most important factors to KFC SuperCoach success.
Round 4 is the first time in BBL12 that no team will play twice and no team will have a bye.
It presents a great opportunity for KFC SuperCoaches to start loading their teams with Sixers and Renegades players to prepare for their Round 5 double.
And unless you started players such as Akeal Hosein, Izharulhaq Naveed or Nic Maddinson, KFC SuperCoaches will want to jump on before it’s too late.
YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP FOR KFC SUPERCOACH BBL! HEAD TO SUPERCOACH.COM.AU AND BE IN THE RUNNING FOR $500 EVERY ROUND
By the same token, there are players from both Round 5 double teams whose value is dropping and it would be worth waiting for.
One player who won’t feature in the Round 5 double is Andre Russell, who will be replaced by Martin Guptill.
Don’t fall into the trap of picking the West Indian star thinking he’ll play in Round 5.
The trickiest factor about the Round 5 double is the Renegedaes and Sixers play twice, but both times against each other.
It would be wise not to go too heavy on players from these two teams — a maximum of six or seven would likely be enough.
See our list of the best KFC SuperCoach picks from the Renegades and Sixers and when to jump on below.
BUY IN ROUND 4
Akeal Hosein
The West Indian spinner has been a revelation in the early games of BBL12, opening the tournament with scores of 116 and 55 to send his price skyrocketing from $105k. Hosein has a dream role for KFC SuperCoach opening the bowling and batting at No.7. Buy now as his price will be much higher come Round 5.
Izharulhaq Naveed
Well done if you jumped on Naveed at the start of the season when he was only $62k. The young Afghan spinner will cost a lot more than that now after scores of 61 and 66 to open the campaign which sent his price soaring. The 19-year-old was one of the best performed spinners in the opening rounds of BBL12 with four wickets in his first two matches.
Sean Abbott
Put simply, there’s never a bad time to have Abbott in your KFC SuperCoach team. He showed why in Round 1 when he took three 20th-over wickets to boost his score to 86 KFC SuperCoach points. If you want to get the No. 1 wicket-taker in BBL history cheaper you can wait until Round 5, but it could be worth going early as he’ll be a popular captaincy option in Round 4.
Tom Rogers
Rogers is tipped to rise about $12k after his stunning four-wicket haul in round 3, and his price will skyrocket after that. Rogers cleaned up the Heat’s middle order with 4/23 and comes up against his former side the Hurricanes in round 4. Rogers is fairly expensive but looms as a promising POD play — especially next round at a venue he knows well in Blundstone Arena.
Nic Maddinson
The Melbourne Renegades captain made a blazing start to BBL12, producing his best BBL score of 87 from 49 balls back in Round 1 against Brisbane Heat. He has been dominant at the top of the order and is always a chance to bowl. Although, his role with the ball has decreased since the arrival of Hosein and Mujeeb ur Rahman. Another player whose price is on the rise and could lift later in the tournament when the two lead spinners depart.
Hayden Kerr
Kerr hasn’t delivered the same bowling results early in BBL12 as during his breakout campaign last summer, but has made important contributions with the bat from No. 7 in the Sixers’ line-up. His 42 from 35 balls against Perth Scorchers was an indication of Kerr’s batting talent which is largely untapped in the BBL. His price has remained steady but anything around the $140l-$150k mark looms as good buying.
Naveen ul-Haq
International signing Naveen’s role as a death bowler for the Sixers will make him a popular target for Round 5. The 23-year-old Afghan quick has an impressive record and already boasts more than 150 T20 wickets. Naveen was a great buy at his starting price of $105k but a bowler on the double can be worth paying upwards of $150k for. Don’t miss out.
BUY IN ROUND 5
Martin Guptill
The experienced Kiwi opener is due to replace Andre Russell in Round 5 in a move which will likely cause Sam Harper to shuffle down the order. The 36-year-old isn’t cheap at $160k but has scored more than 8000 career T20 runs at an average of 31.7 and strike rate of 130.8. He’ll be a unique pick and if he replicates his career numbers will score well in Round 5.
Josh Philippe
Philippe has been the most selected wicketkeeper since the start of BBL12, featuring in more than 40 per cent of KFC SuperCoach teams. If you stayed patient, you will be rewarded with a cut-price Round 5 gloveman. By Round 3 Philippe was already under $150k and his price was set to fall further. Anything less than $130k would be an absolute steal for one of the BBL’s most damaging batters.
Kane Richardson
One of the leading seamers in BBL history is likely to be available for a lot less than his starting price of $189k. Richardson’s price has been heading south since an opening-round score of 21, potentially presenting another great value selection for Round 5. He averages 58.6 KFC SuperCoach points a game against the Sixers, who the Renegades meet twice in Round 5. He should be a priority buy and has a perfect role for KFC SuperCoach scoring.
Mujeeb ur Rahman
While Hosein has stolen the headlines early in their spin partnership, Mujeeb has a more proven KFC SuperCoach background. He averaged 38.5 last year and 66.6 two seasons ago, underlining his pointscoring potential. Hosein’s price might be heading toward unattainable heights but Mujeeb has so far remained affordable. He started BBL12 at $111k and if you can get him for $125k or less you’d be happy. He was $208k at the start of BBL11.
Sam Harper
The point-of-difference gloveman for Round 5. You can make a case for picking both Harper and Philippe, especially as they will give you trade flexibility after the double. The main reason to wait for Harper is the impact Guptill’s arrival is likely to have on the Renegades’ batting line-up. Guptill is likely to open with Nic Maddinson, considering how well the Gades’ skipper has started BBL12. That could mean Harper slides as low as No.6.
Aaron Finch
Those who were burned by the former Aussie T20 skipper a few summers ago in KFC SuperCoach will find it tough to commit again. But Finch showed his potential as a KFC SuperCoach scorer when he blasted as unbeaten 70 in Round 2 to lead the Renegades to victory over Sydney Thunder. He can be hit-and-miss like most batsmen — the game before that innings he scored four. But, an on-song Finch could provide a real lift for your Round 5 score.
Will Sutherland
Sutherland looms as the major beneficiary of Andre Russell’s departure. The Victorian all-rounder only bowled three overs in the opening two games of BBL12, compared to Russell’s seven. Russell will leave a void in the Gades’ line-up which will become even greater when Hosein and Mujeeb depart at about Round 8. Sutherland’s price has stayed cheap and for the first time in his BBL career he looks set to have an opportunity to be a leading part of the Renegades attack during the run home.
WHO TO SELL
Every team plays in Round 4 so it really comes down to which players from your team have peaked in price, are set to lose value or have a tough fixture coming up. If you’re still carrying any batters who made a poor start to BBL12, you could offload them for a player with a low break even who’s set to make money — but ideally from the Sixers or Renegades.
Come Round 5, Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes have the bye, so ideally you would trade players from these teams. But if you can, try to hold at least one Hobart player on your bench through Round 5, as the Hurricanes have a double in Round 8.
The Strikers’ next double is in Round 9, so you have three or four extra trades to bring Adelaide players back. Try to keep someone who can perform strongly in single game rounds such as Shadab Khan.
Your other option is trading out players who have peaked in price or are set to lose value. You can find out full break evens and price protections by using SuperCoach Plus — if you’re a subscriber.
SHOULD I BOOST?
Trade boost will likely be a popular option come Round 5. They’re in the game to use strategically and this appears a perfect round to use a fourth trade.
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach BBL trade guide: Best Renegades, Sixers to buy for rounds 4 and 5 of BBL12