Former #1 draft pick Jacob Weitering locked down the full back role in 2019, finishing third at the club for contested marks and 17th in the league for intercepts. For fantasy coaches, his output remained irrelevant. Weitering's only two scores above 85 were against Gold Coast. Weitering has talent to burn but lacks a role that makes us want to pick him. He'll join Liam Jones in the key defensive posts and, like Jones, he'll refuse to chalk up the fantasy-friendly stats. Pass.
Weitering is a load
Former #1 draft pick Jacob Weitering locked down the full back role in 2019, finishing third at the club for contested marks and 17th in the league for intercepts. For fantasy coaches, his output remained irrelevant. Weitering's only two scores above 85 were against Gold Coast. Weitering has talent to burn but lacks a role that makes us want to pick him. He'll join Liam Jones in the key defensive posts and, like Jones, he'll refuse to chalk up the fantasy-friendly stats. Pass.
Still waiting on Weitering
Not every #1 draft pick goes on to become an instant star, and Jacob Weitering is taking his sweet time. A forward experiment from 2017 was largely shelved last season, starting at CHB and delivering an execrably poor first four matches before a six-week thigh injury, then three more game-ending injuries in his last five appearances. When Liam Jones goes past you, it's struggle town. It appears that the club is going in a different direction in attack, and he's failed at all other positions, so Weitering is going to have to develop into a Daniel Talia close-checking type if he is going to live up to the hype. In that scenario, he would not be a fantasy factor.
Weitering sets the table
Three goals in round 1 against Alex Rance heralded a new forward role for Jacob Weitering in 2017, his second season at AFL level. Four goals in the next seven games meant that by round 9 he had returned to defence, where he stayed. He hit 20 disposals twice in the first 18 matches then three times in the last four, culminating in 24 touches and 14 marks against the Swans. As with many tall defenders, Weitering's fantasy scoring is usually not startable but can veer into decent areas when his marking is on song. The Blues' defence is built around zones and handoffs, so he rarely plays on a man all game and is often freed up as the seventh defender. As with Jamie Macmillan last year, don't get sucked in by a suddenly productive August. He should not be drafted.
