Fantasy Q&A: Round 21

I'll make the assumption that most who are reading this aren't sitting on a bunch of extra cash at this point of the year, so for this exercise I'm only going to discuss players who are available for less than $50k more than the one you'll be trading out.

While Tino doesn't give you much to work with at $563k, Keaon's $729k price tag means you can get your hands on close to a top tier option. 

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui replacements

• Lindsay Smith (MID, $604k) has a decent points-per minute rate and has become a key part of the Penrith pack, which in turn has him averaging 51.3 this season. The ceiling isn't high, but the floor is, and Smith's a pretty safe pick. 
• His scoring has been a bit up-and-down, but I'd give thought to Phoenix Crossland (HOK/MID, $578k). He's starting at lock and has pretty consistent base stat numbers, with errors the only real thing that differentiates his good games from his average ones. Crucially though, Newcastle have a Round 22 bye. 

• When he plays full games, like he is right now while Victor Radley is out, Salesi Foketi (EDG/MID, $509k) is a mid-50s scorer. Radley is due back in Round 24, so the starting role might not be long lived, but he's an option if you also want to bank some cash to use elsewhere. 

Keaon Koloamatangi replacements

• The fact that he's hardly been available in Fantasy during the Origin period, and has a couple of <50 scores since Round 13, means opinion has soured a little on Isaah Yeo (MID, $724k). It shouldn't have. He's almost a 60-point player by average and has now got all of his Origin games, and his rest, out of the way now. I see him being a reliable top tier scorer for the remainder of the year. 
• Much of the sentiment expressed above about Isaah Yeo also applies to Patrick Carrigan (MID, $697k). All of the Brisbane byes are out of the way now and Carrigan should play a key role from here as Michael Maguire's men push for a spot in the top four. Prior to his last three games, which came during the Origin period, Carrigan was knocking out 60s with relative ease, and he should get back to being that type of player from here.
• Averaging 65.3 across his last three and 55.4 over his last five, Trent Loiero (EDG/MID, $674k) has become a nice Fantasy player in 2025. Like Koloamatangi, he offers DPP status in both forward positions. The Storm have some really tough games coming up against quality packs, so Loiero is set to get plenty of work sent his way. 

Favourite buy for under $550k?

Taylan May (CTR, $507k) has a lot of appeal here.

On one hand his 66-point club debut was built on dynamic stats that will be hard to repeat, with a try and two try assists accounting for 18 points on their own.

On the other, it looked pretty obvious that Benji Marshall intends to use his new recruit a lot in good ball situations – so at least one or two dynamic metrics each week are likely. 

He looks a decent shout to scores mid to high 40s, with a 60+ ceiling when he scores tries.

The other one I like at this price point is Lachlan Galvin. He's not going to climb into the elite HLF tier, but there's still a path to him being good value for money at $463k.

A role leading one of the competition's best teams around the park means there's always going to be plenty of potential for try assists, line break assists etc, and Galvin could be a handy looping option even if you have strong halves already. 

Who to captain this week?

How good is it to have all of the top-tier options available again?!

Based on projected points for Round 21, there's almost nothing between them, with Terrell May tipped to top the week with 70, followed by Nathan Cleary on 68 and Payne Haas on 67. 

Cleary against a Wests Tigers team that leak quite a few points right now (27.5 per game when averaged out across their last four games), has the potential for a big score. He had 64 the last time he took on Benji Marshall's men, and if he can score a try then it's not hard to see him going over 70.

A refreshed Nathan Cleary, on the back of a week off in Round 20, is my top pick. 

At the same time, this has the feeling like a game in which Terrell May will have plenty to prove against his brother Taylan's old team. Not that he needs extra motivation in order to score well, with his 75.8 per game average telling you everything you need to know. 

The only thing is, most are probably going to opt for May due to his last-up 80, so if you need a point of difference I'd be avoiding him. 

Payne Haas against Parramatta is the least appealing option to me. Although they are a team Brisbane should beat pretty comfortably, MIDs haven't tended to score that well against the Eels recently, with edge forwards and backs tending to be the ones to cash in instead.

Last week Joseph Tapine only managed 48 against them, while a week earlier Penrith's middles didn't go big against them (albeit with Isaah Yeo on restricted minutes).

That's not the most scientific measure, and it won't be hugely surprising to see Haas dine out on them, but those are the numbers against him.