David Zaharakis has had a poor time of it lately in fantasy terms, past the age of 30 and suffering the fate of a fair few in his age bracket by being moved from the pivot out to a flank, sometimes back and sometimes forward. Last week he was best on ground off a HFF, with a bag of goals and plenty of the pill, though his unreliable role hadn't changed all that much. Essendon is without Dyson Heppell and now Dylan Shiel so they need all hands on deck in the engine room, so any remaining fantasy value in Zaka might be restricted to the next few weeks.
David Zaharakis has had a poor time of it lately in fantasy terms, past the age of 30 and suffering the fate of a fair few in his age bracket by being moved from the pivot out to a flank, sometimes back and sometimes forward. Last week he was best on ground off a HFF, with a bag of goals and plenty of the pill, though his unreliable role hadn't changed all that much. Essendon is without Dyson Heppell and now Dylan Shiel so they need all hands on deck in the engine room, so any remaining fantasy value in Zaka might be restricted to the next few weeks.
Zaharakis dry as Arrakis
As late as round 18 last season, David Zaharakis's statistics had dropped off slightly to a point where he was still barely startable, albeit not delivering the sort of middle-round value you would have had to spend to get him in fantasy drafts. Then came a terrible four weeks culminating in a season-ending ankle injury. He played a forward role in some games but after the bye was more often starting behind the ball, using his elite endurance to cover a lot of ground with limited effect on the stat sheet. If footy was played on a GPS machine, Zaharakis would still be considered top drawer. Getting the ball is still worth something in modern footy, however, and he was scapegoated somewhat by Bomber fans who were disappointed in his demotion to a utility, slotting in to unfamiliar positions on the whim of John Worsfold. The advent of Ben Rutten might see a fresh start, not to mention a decent preseason. The addition of BAC eligibility vaults him to middle round value, albeit with some downside due to age.
David Zaharakis is past the age of 30 and his best footy is probably behind him, making him of use in fantasy circles only in draft leagues where he is still an every-week starter. Coming up against the Carlton midfield should be an opportunity to put in one of his better performances of the year, filling his boots against lesser opposition. The Blues always lift against the Bombers, however, and if they turn it into a classic arm wrestle then Zaka won't be able to get free on the outside as much as he would like. His owners watch on expectantly.
Zaka not as good as Aka
Apart from a midseason collarbone injury last year, David Zaharakis continued the career-best form he had found in 2017, freed from tags and enjoying life on the outside of a half-decent midfield. Like several of his Bomber teammates in the engine room, he has a broad shape to his stat lines but doesn't quite get enough of it to join the very top echelon of fantasy scorers. If you're looking for upside, as most fantasy coaches are with an early pick, you're not going to find it in Zaharakis. He presents as a reliable option in your second or third midfield spot, rarely letting you down but then rarely winning you a game off his own boot either. Sometimes in a fantasy draft you have to take the points on offer, and Zaka is a solid if unexciting pick.
Zaharakis out of quagmire
The return of the first-choice Essendon midfield from suspension and the development of Zach Merrett released David Zaharakis from tags that had plagued him in previous years, leading to his best statistical season including fantasy tons from 12 of the last 15. His game shifted more to the outside with 6.5 of his 26 touches being contested, lifting his efficiency to a respectable 72%. Tags had been the only remaining issue for Zaharakis, and now they have been lifted he is free to produce for fantasy coaches at a very consistent rate. If you believe there will be a tide at Essendon that will lift all boats on the way to top four, Zaka is one of the boats to be lifted. The team was 17th for clearances in 2017, so if they find another Zerrett then there is upside for Zaka. Draft early.
