Following the release of the full 2024 NRL Fantasy price list, we're looking over the players who simply aren't worth their current dollar value.
Getting your initial squad right is crucial, along with managing your salary cap wisely from the start, so avoid an early mistake by staying clear of this group, at least until their price drops.
2024 NRL Fantasy price traps to avoid
Scott Sorensen: MID/EDG, $683,000
A revelation after being shifted out to the edge last year, Sorensen made the most of the increased attacking chances there and his Fantasy scores took a leap with it. But with Spencer Leniu gone, the Kiwi is likely to return to being a dedicated middle in 2024 and his scores should drop away, with far less potential to rack up dynamic stats at prop. Right now you're buying him at peak price and unless he ends up being named as a starting back-rower for Round 1 – and probably even if he is – he's a stay away.
Top Fantasy scorer: Sorensen
Cameron McInnes: MID, $704,000
Dale Finucane missing the final month and a half of the regular season meant McInnes enjoyed an elevated role in the Cronulla pack and finished the year with some big-minute outings in a starting role. That has inflated his price tag ahead of the new season and clouded his previous season average, which was 51.4 but will likely to drop off fairly significantly when he's back to being an interchange specialist. His high work rate and ability to come up with attacking plays means he's still going to have some big games where he hits 50s or 60s, but not nearly often enough to justify a price tag over $700k.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: WFB, $619,000
RTS averaged over 40 Fantasy points per game in each of his five seasons before he stepped away from the NRL at the end of 2021 and was a favourite WFB option thanks to his high base of running numbers and prominent role in the Warriors' attack. A switch to the centres in 2024 might mean he scores more tries and makes more breaks, but the big running numbers won't be there and his scores will be far less consistent, with a lower floor overall. He is also likely to play on the left, which is the side less often occupied by Shaun Johnson, meaning the better bet is that the ball will go towards Rocco Berry and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak on the opposite edge.
Jack Bird: EDG, $642,000
A Fantasy hero in years gone by due to often being designated as a centre while actually playing in the forwards, there are a long list of reasons to steer clear of Bird this time around. The biggest of those relates to his on-field role, with Bird telling pan66.com this off-season that he hopes to return to being a full-time centre in 2024, which will almost certainly have a negative impact on his Fantasy scores and mean he's not worth anywhere near his current price tag. He's also not listed as a CTR option to start the year in Fantasy, so even if he does play in the pack he's much less appealing. Injuries are catching up with the 28-year-old too and last season he needed to be rested from games as a result of his troublesome knees.
Bird opens the scoring
Luciano Leilua: EDG, $608,000
There are simply too many mouths to feed in the Cowboys' back row right now – with Leilua, Heilum Luki and Jeremiah Nanai all set to share minutes, with a heap of other options just behind them – and it's hard to see any of them having good Fantasy value as a result. If you're paying above $600k for a back-rower then you'd want them to be starting and playing close to 80 minutes, which just doesn't seem likely here. Leilua could be utlised as a middle instead, but Todd Payten is well stocked in that department too. There are way too many questions for me to go near any of these Cowboys, especially Leilua at his current price.