Carlton fans are rejoicing that crafty goalsneak and three-time All-Australian Eddie Betts is back in blue. Fantasy coaches, on the other hand, couldn't care less. Since 2016, his statistics have dipped every year, nowadays focusing on quality over quantity. Betts fills a hole in the Blues' speed-lacking forward line so will play when he's fit and in form. Expect him to be an x-factor player rather than an accumulator so don't be lured in by the name, let him slide into the free agent pool.
Betts not so electrical
Carlton fans are rejoicing that crafty goalsneak and three-time All-Australian Eddie Betts is back in blue. Fantasy coaches, on the other hand, couldn't care less. Since 2016, his statistics have dipped every year, nowadays focusing on quality over quantity. Betts fills a hole in the Blues' speed-lacking forward line so will play when he's fit and in form. Expect him to be an x-factor player rather than an accumulator so don't be lured in by the name, let him slide into the free agent pool.
Eddie Nowhere
Never a strong accumulator, Eddie Betts has gone at a rate of about 13 touches per game for the past five years at Adelaide. He has always been a low-end draft league starter at best, and last year his average dropped ten points to below replacement level with more than half of his scores below the startable baseline for fantasy forwards. The cliff came for Betts, and the team's form slump didn't help. Don't draft him on name recognition. He should go undrafted in 2019 and be available in your league's free agent pool for a spot start here or there when playing a lowly opponent, as he can tend to do okay when the team is dominating.
Eddie Betts is 31 years of age this season and it looked like he might have gone over the cliff with only one bag of over two in the second half of last season, and three goalless outings in the first month of 2018. However, after two weeks off Eddie has booted 11 goals in the last four matches, including a best-on-ground performance with four goals against the Bulldogs a couple of rounds ago. The Crows certainly need him firing if they are to struggle through this injury-hit period of the season with a few wins on the board, and he may be fantasy-relevant once more.
Long odds on Betts getting younger
Eddie Betts was again an integral part of the most potent attack in the AFL last season but, after two years of setting new personal statistical records, his numbers dropped away. Kicking off with eight games with three or more goals by round 10 he only managed one junk time bag for the rest of the home & away, his fantasy average falling by over ten points. The cliff comes for us all, and Betts at the age of 31 will not be immune. His game in the second half of 2017 became more influential on others than directly profitable, which may be the new normal. He is only draftable late as a home start, and will probably ride fantasy benches a fair bit as he can tend to turn in some discouraging shockers.
