Caleb Daniel has ridden the rollercoaster of emotion as a fringe player at the Western Bulldogs more than anyone this season, spending time in the VFL, donning the subs vest more than once, but finally fighting his way back into the senior 22 to re-establish himself as a wingman. There are never any assurances of job security when Luke Beveridge is your coach, so despite the fact that the helmeted Daniel has endured his fair share of trials in 2024, there are no guarantees that he won't fall out of favour again... making him a high risk/reward trade-in target this week.
Caleb Daniel has ridden the rollercoaster of emotion as a fringe player at the Western Bulldogs more than anyone this season, spending time in the VFL, donning the subs vest more than once, but finally fighting his way back into the senior 22 to re-establish himself as a wingman. There are never any assurances of job security when Luke Beveridge is your coach, so despite the fact that the helmeted Daniel has endured his fair share of trials in 2024, there are no guarantees that he won't fall out of favour again... making him a high risk/reward trade-in target this week.
Caleb Daniel disappointed his many fantasy owners earlier this season with a terrible score in the Antarctic conditions at Ballarat plus a suspension, leading many to jump off the pint-sized premium. His return to the side and to form in recent weeks means his price in salary cap formats is nice and low, with a lot of upside built in as the Bulldogs consolidate their top four status. This is probably the week to bring him in as that blip in his historical scores comes out, but can you trust him not to pull another stinker from under his helmet?
The littlest hobo
Moving Caleb Daniel to half back and Jason Johannisen up to a wing was a master maneuver, as the former lead the club for rebound 50s and kicks per game to keep a host of fringe flankers in the VFL. With 27 touches per game, the league's shortest player produced a career-biggest season, highlighted by six fantasy tons and a PB of 135 against the Pies. Daniel made the rebounding role his own, and redefined it. Despite howls of protest about his shortcomings as a one-on-one defender, coach Beveridge wants to win the bet that he can create more scores on the counter than he gives away in contests. As a player capable of amassing midfield numbers with defensive eligibility, Daniel deserves an early selection.
Caleb Daniel has come under fire in the footy media this year in his new role starting at half back, as in the modern way he has found himself at the back of the defensive zone one-out in the goalsquare against tall forwards, with predictable results. Beyond those anecdotes, he has lifted his statistical output by over 15 points in basic AFL Fantasy/Dream Team scoring and a massive 25-plus in Supercoach. As long as his coaches look at the positives, he should stay in that role and challenge for top six fantasy backs by the end of the season.
Caleb Daniel moved to half back last season after playing outside midfield for years and, despite his diminutive stature, managed to hold his own defensively while maintaining his disposal numbers from his days further up the ground. This is a pleasing mix for fantasy coaches, as while he is not a complete ball magnet, his production is much more valuable as a HBF than as a winger. The Bulldogs are due a bounceback season, and Daniel's work off half back would be an important part of that.
Daniel dabbles in defence
The shortest player in the senior competition, Caleb Daniel moved from a midfield/forward role to spend August of last year in defence. The positional shift was followed by personal best figures, including 40 touches in the round 21 clash against North. His averages have largely remained constant for the past three years at a level below the midfielder baseline. Given his creativity and efficiency with ball in hand, Daniel will look to improve upon his four score involvements per outing. Daniel follows a long line of Bulldogs whom coach Luke Beveridge has trialled in multiple positions. Following the retirements of Robert Murphy and Matthew Boyd, the club has struggled to generate creativity and run off half back. Renowned for his exceptional decision-making skills, Daniel has quickly demonstrated his capacity to succeed in this role. Versatility can deliver many more questions than answers, which means grabbing Daniel in the second half of the draft to mitigate possible downside.
Caleb is Hebrew for Dog
Like a lot of Doggie teammates, Caleb Daniel couldn't find another gear last year as he put up much the same sort of numbers as his breakout, barely improving on his disposal rate which hovers just above 20. He spent rounds 4 and 5 in the VFL, which woke him up for three fantasy tons in the next six... then none for the final 11. His tagging roles were highly infrequent, going to Sam Mitchell as he did in 2016. The reason that recruiters started drafting athletes over footballers about a decade ago was that smaller players were perceived to have lower ceilings than those who were still growing into their bodies as juniors, and so it might be proving with Daniel who might have peaked early a la Rhys Palmer and (arguably) Daniel Rich. His scoring is below the midfielder baseline, so he is in danger of not being drafted at all.
