The Supercoach season is upon us, and it's time to look into the players that Supercoach owners seem to be overlooking, and why picking some of these players could be the difference between having an average team and a quality one.
Of course there are popular picks across each position that should be locks for your team, including Jake Lloyd down back, midfielders Jack Macrae and Jack Steele, Max Gawn in the ruck, and forwards such as Josh Dunkley and Stephen Coniglio.
Although most owners will have these players who will consistently perform each week, it's the players that have low ownership whilst still scoring strongly who could have an even bigger impact on your team, and more importantly against your opponents.
Check out below to see some of the 'point of difference' players that owners should consider heading into the 2022 season.
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Defenders
Luke Ryan ($540,300) - 6% ownership
The skilled Fremantle defender is one of the best and most underrated defenders in the competition, and he scores very well in Supercoach.
Ryan has averaged over 90 for the past four seasons now, including 107.3 in 2020 in his All-Australian year, but is currently in only 6% of teams at the moment.
Excelling in Fremantle's AAMI Community Series win over West Coast on the weekend with 24 disposals and 13 marks - equating to 111 Supercoach points - Ryan could be in for a big 2022.
The 26-year old's input slightly dropped to an average of 99.3 last season which is still an impressive average over his 19 games, but with a Fremantle team that is expected to take some big steps in 2022, and with Ryan being the main defender to take the kick-ins, don't be surprised if the slick defender pops back over the 100 point average in 2022.
Dyson Heppell ($541,000) - 1% ownership
Heppell is the definition of consistent in terms of strong on-field performances which equate to strong Supercoach scores.
The Essendon skipper made a move to defence from the midfield last season, which saw him average 24.7 disposals and a career-high 6.9 marks per game.
His ball-winning abilities even in the backline make him an enticing selection, but has been completely overlooked by Supercoach owners with only 1% ownership, with owners opting for another skilled Bombers defender in Jordan Ridley, who has 20% ownership.
Despite an injury riddled 2020, Heppell has averaged between 24-26 disposals in his past seven seasons whilst averaging between 95-105 Supercoach points during that span.
Averaged 99.4 Supercoach points per game across 18 games last season, and despite only collecting 13 disposals in their pre-season clash against St Kilda on the weekend, Heppell is expected to have another consistent season in a side that is striving for a finals campaign.
Didn't drop below 80 points for all of last season, and had nine scores of over 100.
A selection that is reliable if you're willing to differentiate yourself from the pack.
Caleb Daniel ($510,900) - 8% ownership
The slick defender from the Western Bulldogs is one of the best ball users in the competition, which inevitably leads to good Supercoach scores along the way.
Daniel has become one of the best half-backs in the competition in the past three years, highlighted by his All-Australian selection and Supercoach average of 101.5 points per game in 2020.
The 25-year old had a slight dip in scoring in 2021, averaging 93.9 points per game, but averaged 110 points over the last five games, before having a strong finals series highlighted by a 37-disposal performance in the Grand Final.
Had a solid 21 disposal performance against Brisbane in their pre-season clash on Friday night and could be in for another strong season for the premiership aspiring Bulldogs.
Don't be surprised if Daniel's Supercoach ownership increases as the season goes on.
