The mad scramble begins.
Just one round into the Isuzu UTE A-League season, fantasy managers are attempting to identify the strengths and weaknesses in their squads to reload and fire in Round 2.
These are the top 10 players traded both in and out of A-League Men Fantasy squads since the conclusion of the opening weekend.
READ: Round 1 fantasy review: Roar defender LEADS the competition, shock pace-setter owned by 4%
TRADED IN
1) Gabriel Cleur – Western Sydney Wanderers
- Traded into 596 teams
- Price: $209,000
- Round 1 points: 18
What a Wanderers debut it was for Gabriel Cleur. The former Olyroos defender capped off his maiden Western Sydney start with an assist for the winning goal, a clean sheet and 18 fantasy points – the most of any player league-wide.
2) Josh Brillante
- Traded into 415 teams
- Price: $245,500
- Round 1 points: 16
A goal in Round 1 for Josh Brillante – and a winning one at that – ensured the Victory captain’s place in the fantasy Team of the Week. Midfielders with a goal threat loom as enticing fantasy prospects – and Brillante’s positioning for the winning strike will encourage his fantasy owners, having pushed forward from midfield to arrive at the back post and finish.
3) James Donachie
- Traded into 293 teams
- Price: $165,300
- Round 1 points: 15
James Donachie and Sydney FC conceded three goals in Round 1, but the Sky Blues defender ended the round on 15 points and in the Team of the Week. His 12 points for a goal from defence played a significant part in that.
Get yourself a goalscoring defender and you could be in for consistent points hauls this season.
4) Chris Ikonomidis – Melbourne Victory
- Traded into 220 teams
- Price: $172,200
- Round 1 points: 17
Chris Ikonomidis made his impact felt off the bench in the Big Blue, scoring once and assisting the winner for Melbourne Victory to sink Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium. The Socceroos winger has plenty of competition in attack under Tony Popovic, and was benched from the start behind Ben Folami and Luis Nani in Round 1.
5) Ivan Vujica – Macarthur FC
- Traded into 180 teams
- Price: $155,100
- Round 1 points: 12
A cut price defender who played from the start for Macarthur FC in Round 1 – and helped his team keep a clean sheet. Should Ivan Vujica retain his spot in Dwight Yorke’s preferred XI, his price of just $155,100 could prove an absolute steal.
6) Valon Berisha – Melbourne City
- Traded into 176 teams
- Price: $267,000
- Round 1 points: 5
It didn’t produce an enormous points haul – but it was an impressive debut nonetheless from Valon Berisha, which has fantasy managers excited. The new Melbourne City signing was unlucky not to score or assist in his side’s 2-1 win over Western United.
7) Carlo Armiento – Brisbane Roar
- Traded into 172 teams
- Price: $165,300
- Round 1 points: 9
It was his first appearance in orange – and first league outing since an ACL tear suffered whilst at Perth Glory ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. Carlo Armiento looked dangerous from the off on his Roar debut.
Playing on the left of Brisbane’s attack against Macarthur, Armiento looked to threaten the Bulls defence with a series of crosses which, if delivered with greater accuracy in coming weeks, Roar striker Charlie Austin will feast on.
8) Jamie Maclaren – Melbourne City
- Traded into 151 teams
- Price: $365,700
- Round 1 points: 17
At 38.2% ownership, Jamie Maclaren is the most-owned fantasy player in the game. In Round 1, he didn’t disappoint. A total of 17 points put the City spearhead second to Cleur alone, and an opening-round goal will have the four-time Golden Boot winner flying into Round 2.
9) Patrick Yazbek – Sydney FC
- Traded into 135 teams
- Price: $214,800
- Round 1 points: 11
An assist for Robert Mak’s Big Blue opener was the key early contribution in a sparkling display from young Sydney FC midfielder Patrick Yazbek in Round 1. The 20-year-old is set to play a significant role in the Sky Blues squad in 2022-23.
10) Jack Hingert – Brisbane Roar
- Traded into 110 teams
- Price: $165,300
- Round 1 points: 12
A well-rounded performance from Jack Hingert saw the Roar defender add four points to his total of 12 from key passes, successful dribbles, accurate crosses and tackles, with a clean sheet capping off a solid afternoon at Suncorp Stadium.
TRADED OUT
1) Leo Lacroix – Western United
- Traded out of 181 teams
- Price: $344,500
- Round 1 points: -3
It was an uncharacteristic performance from Leo Lacroix in the season opener. The Swiss centre-back scored an own goal, copped a yellow card and had the ball nicked from his feet by Maclaren for City’s all-important second goal in a 2-1 defeat to the champions.
2) Alessandro Diamanti – Western United
- Traded out of 142 teams
- Price: $268,200
- Round 1 points: 0 (not in squad)
Alessandro Diamanti missed out for Western in Round 1, with both he and striker Aleksandar Prijović lacking match fitness.
3) Alex Wilkinson – Sydney FC
- Traded out of 132 teams
- Price: $165,300
- Round 1 points: 3
Subbed out at half-time of the Big Blue with a groin injury, Alex Wilkinson is causing his fantasy owners selection headaches heading into Round 2.
Here’s what Sky Blues boss Steve Corica had to say after defeat to Victory: ““We’ll see about Wilks, I’m not sure if he’ll be out next week. But if he’s coming off, it’s (serious) – otherwise he probably would have stayed on.”
READ: Sky Blues sweat on skipper’s fitness
4) Reno Piscopo – Newcastle Jets
- Traded out of 113 teams
- Price: $263,100
- Round 1 points: 0 (match postponed)
With a rolling lockout allowing changes to fantasy squads up until kick-off of each individual game, fantasy managers pulled the trigger on Reno Piscopo as the creative midfielder was named on the Newcastle Jets bench for his new side’s F3 Derby clash with Central Coast Mariners. The game was then called off due to extreme weather.
5) Jack Rodwell – Sydney FC
- Traded out of 104 teams
- Price: $249,600
- Round 1 points: 0 (not in squad)
Jack Rowell suffered an adductor injury practicing set pieces in the lead-in to Round 1, and missed out through injury. There is no current timeline on his return.
6) Jason Geria – Melbourne Victory
- Traded out of 93 teams
- Price: $365,700
- Round 1 points: 0 (not in squad)
Jason Geria missed the opening round of the season thanks to a “long-term injury” to his hip. Victory boss Tony Popovic has put a two-to-six week timeline on his return.
“He’s coming to the back end of his recovery,” Popovic said in the lead-in to Round 1. “He’s anywhere between two-to-six weeks before he plays. He’s recovering really well and we’re optimistic that we’ll see him out there sooner rather than later.”
7) Stefan Colakovski – Perth Glory
- Traded out of 92 teams
- Price: $165,300
- Round 1 points: -2
It was a Perth Glory debut to forget for Stefan Colakovski, who came on with 17 minutes to play in his side’s clash with Western Sydney, and conceded a penalty at the death for a foul on Ramy Najjarine, which was missed by Sulejman Krpić.
8) Garang Kuol – Central Coast
- Traded out of 88 teams
- Price: $294,600
- Round 1 points: 0 (match postponed)
Garang Kuol was another victim of the F3 Derby’s postponement – and Mariners boss Nick Montgomery’s choice to name his teenage star on the bench. Kuol is travelling to Kuwait City this week with the Young Socceroos for a series of qualifiers for next year’s AFC Under-20 Asian Cup, rendering him unavailable for the second week running.
9) Nuno Reis – Melbourne City
- Traded out of 85 teams
- Price: $222,400
- Round 1 points: 0 (injured)
Despite being named in City’s extended squad for Round 1, it was confirmed in the hour prior to the club’s first fixture of the season that Nuno Reis would miss one-to-two weeks with a hamstring injury.
10) Tomoki Imai – Western United
- Traded out of 82 teams
- Price: $261,500
- Round 1 points: 5
Tomoki Imai took a heavy fall on his left shoulder in the first half of Western’s clash with City in Round 1. The Japanese defender was replaced for the second half, and was pictured icing his shoulder in the sheds.
The club has confirmed Imai will miss the next six to seven weeks after having surgery on his AC joint.
