Buy, Hold, Sell: Asian Cup departures pave the way for big-money acquisitions & a Glory star fits the bill

To buy, to hold or to sell? That is the question facing managers ahead of a new round of Official A-Leagues Fantasy football!

Read on as aleagues.com.au takes you through the players to consider buying, holding or selling in Isuzu UTE A-League and Liberty A-League fantasy this weekend.

Please note – there is no episode of The A-Leagues Fantasy Show this week.

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ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE

MOST TRADED OUT & IN

Traded out	Traded in
Bruno Fornaroli (MVC)	Jamie Maclaren (MCY)
Thomas Waddingham (BRI)	Joe Lolley (SYD)
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (NEW)	Rhyan Grant (SYD)
Lawrence Thomas (WSW)	Nicolas Milanovic (WSW)
Nestory Irankunda (ADL)	Paul Izzo (MVC)
Angel Torres (CCM)	Tolgay Arslan (MCY)
Joe Gauci (ADL)	Zach Clough (ADL)
Marco Tulio (CCM)	Valère Germain (MAC)
Callum Talbot (MCY)	Tate Russell (WSW)
Jay O’Shea (BRI)	Ryan Kitto (ADL)

Projected price rise (after Round 11)

Joe Lolley (SYD): $109k
Jamie Maclaren (MCY): $74k
Leo Natel (MCY): $69k
Tolgay Arslan (MCY): $65k
Trent Buhagiar (NEW): $63k
Curtis Good (MCY): $63k
Jacob Farrell (CCM): $61k
Damien da Silva (MVC): $56k
Fabio Gomes (SYD): $56k
Rhyan Grant (SYD): $54K

Projected price drop (after Round 11)

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (NEW): $84k
Zach Clough (ADL): $83k
Lachlan Barr (ADL): $68k
Ben Warland (ADL): $62k
Ben Halloran (ADL): $58k
Jay O’Shea (BRI): $53k
Tomislav Uskok (MAC): $48k
Florin Berenguer (BRI): $48k
Guiseppe Bovalina (ADL): $48k
Valère Germain (MAC): $46k

Buy

Adam Taggart – Perth Glory

Price: $422k
Position: FWD
Ownership: 8%

With Golden Boot leader Bruno Fornaroli set for an extended absence with the Socceroos on Asian Cup duty, Perth Glory’s sharpshooter is shaping as an excellent replacement that can save you more than $160k in squad budget.

Taggart is enjoying a very consistent season, with six goals to date scored in nine appearances for Perth. He’s owned by just 8% of fantasy managers and at $422k, is a cheaper option among the premium forwards.

Another option to consider is Jamie Maclaren (MCY – $320k) whose hat-trick against Brisbane Roar in Round 10 could launch the reigning Golden Boot winner into a purple patch of form. Maclaren was overlooked for selection in Australia’s Asian Cup squad and will find plenty of motivation from the omission to show Socceroos boss Graham Arnold what he’s missing across the upcoming weeks of the Isuzu UTE A-League season.

Hold

Jay O’Shea – Brisbane Roar

Price: $528K
Position: MID
Ownership: 19%

Brisbane Roar creator Jay O’Shea sits in the top 10 of traded-out players heading into Round 11, after an 8-1 drubbing at the hands of Melbourne City that put plenty of Roar players on the chopping block for fantasy managers.

But the arrival of new head coach Ben Cahn immediately changes the complexion of Brisbane’s season; O’Shea scored less than 10 points for just the fourth time this season in Round 10, with a total of six points his lowest all year, but expect the Roar to benefit from one of the most promising young coaches, taking the reins for his first job in the Australian top flight.

O’Shea is the fourth-highest scorer in fantasy this season and is unlikely to stay out of form for long. Keep the faith while other managers make reactionary moves and the Irishman is likely to provide ample reward.

Sell

Bruno Fornaroli – Melbourne Victory

Price: $584k
Position: FWD
Ownership: 20%

The Isuzu UTE A-League’s leading goalscorer and second-highest fantasy points scorer is off to Qatar for the Asian Cup – and for 20% of managers who own the Socceroos striker, a $584k fantasy value creates opportunities aplenty to strengthen their squads.

Selling Fornaroli now leaves a number of high-scoring, in-form forwards on the table as replacements; Taggart and Maclaren were mentioned above, but Kosta Barbarouses (WEL – $486k) is another tantalising option considering his recent form.

The Phoenix forward is filling the void left by the injured Oskar Zawada and has a three-game average of 17.7 points.

LIBERTY A-LEAGUE

MOST TRADED OUT & IN

Traded out	Traded in
Fiona Worts (SYD)	Cortnee Vine (SYD)
Susan Phonsongkham (PER)	Chloe Logarzo (WUN)
Emily van Egmond (NEW)	Wurigumula (CCM)
Rachel Lowe (MVC)	Princess Ibini (SYD)
Millie Farrow (PER)	Mariana Speckmaier (WEL)
Hannah Keane (WUN)	Daniela Galic (MCY)
Annabel Martin (CCM)	Rebekah Stott (MCY)
Beattie Goad (MVC)	Mackenzie Hawkesby (SYD)
Hannah Wilkinson (MCY)	Nanako Sasaki (ADL)
Sham Khamis (WSW)	Rhianna Pollicina (MCY)

Projected price rise (after Round 11)

Emina Ekic (MCY): $98k
Alexia Apostolakis (WSW): $69k
Bianca Galic (CCM): $49k
Dylan Holmes (ADL): $48k
Millie Farrow (PER): $40k
Libby Copus-Brown (NEW): $38k
Natasha Prior (NEW): $38k
Rhianna Pollicina (MCY): $38k
Aideen Keane (SYD): $33k
Faye Bryson (CCM): $33k

Projected price drop (after Round 11)

Isabella Foletta (PER): $75k
Vesna Milivojevic (CAN): $63k
Emily Gielnik (MVC): $63k
Melina Ayres (NEW): $49k
Kayla Morrison (MVC): $45k
Chelsie Dawber (ADL): $43k
Hana Lowry (PER): $41k
Rachel Lowe (MVC): $40k
Deborah-Anne De La Harpe (BRI): $39k
Mackenzie Hawkesby (SYD): $39k

Buy

Chloe Logarzo – Western United

Price: $328k
Position: MID
Ownership: 19%

Western United midfielder Chloe Logarzo is hitting her straps in the Liberty A-League.

Logarzo’s first season at Western was a cautious one, with her return from an ACL tear complicated by a plantar fascia injury in her foot which ultimately kept the Matildas midfielder out of consideration for Australia’s 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign.

Logarzo’s current fantasy value is staggeringly low when you consider her potential; the Matildas gun is one of the league’s best players when in full flight, and it appears Western head coach Kat Smith is beginning to unlock her full potential in green and black.

Hold

Rachel Lowe – Melbourne Victory

Price: $332k
Position: MID
Ownership: 16%

Rachel Lowe has scored seven fantasy points across her past two appearances for Melbourne Victory, and as a result fantasy managers are moving quickly to trade the attacking midfielder out of their squads.

But that move could be reactionary at this point in the season; Lowe is the second-highest scorer in the game after 10 rounds, and is capable of putting up immense fantasy numbers on her day.

Lowe is part of a highly-valuable collection of players capable of getting forward and scoring goals while classed as midfielders in fantasy. The old saying goes: form is temporary, class is permanent, and in a 22-round season, expect Lowe’s fantasy output to return to early-season levels, which included 63 points scored in a three-game run.

Sell

Fiona Worts – Sydney FC

Price: $261k
Position: FWD
Ownership: 15%

Sydney FC’s star striker is an unfortunate candidate for the trade table after her club confirmed this week that Worts would miss the remainder of the regular season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in her knee.