The BBL heads to the Gold Coast and Perth on Thursday as the Thunder and Scorchers host the Thunder and Stars, respectively. 

Both encounters are sure to be entertaining contests, as BBL12 gradually builds toward its climax. 

Draftstars have put up a heap of contests to suit every budget, including Qualifiers for the new Big Bash Star competition.

Here Josh Nevett will give his DFS tips for each encounter.

Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder

Thunder Squad: Jason Sangha (C), Ben Cutting, Ollie Davies, Joel Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales (ENG), Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Usman Qadir (PAK), Alex Ross, Rilee Rossouw (RSA), Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner, Sam Whiteman

Heat Squad: Jimmy Peirson (c), Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Sam Billings (ENG), Josh Brown (LRP), Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Matt Kuhnemann, Colin Munro (NZ), Michael Neser, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Ross Whiteley (ENG)

Both these teams have struggled in the early stages of BBL12, but the Thunder showed themselves to be the superior team with a 10-wicket win over the Heat on Monday night.

Several individuals produced standout performances for Sydney – Chris Green (2-14) and Daniel Sams (2-27) were outstanding with the ball before Alex Hales and Matthew Gilkes both notched up fifties to seal the victory.

The Heat provided very little resistance, only Colin Munro (43 off 47), Jimmy Pierson (27 off 24) and Xavier Bartlett (28 off 17) could hold their heads high.

As such, it will be interesting to see what happens in this rematch on Heat turf.

James Bazley returns to the squad for Brisbane after suffering a hamstring niggle, while the Thunder are likely to name an unchanged line-up.

Heat vs Thunder Fantasy Plays

Love It – Nathan McAndrew ($12,200)

McAndrew has been solid since returning to the line-up, averaging 43 DFS points. The competitive quick has great scoring potential at this price point, given that he is playing as a genuine all-rounder in the number seven slot.

Don’t Love It – Matt Renshaw ($15,600)

Renshaw has yet to find form in BBL12, averaging just 13.3 DFS points from three games. While the left-hander was given overs as a part-time spinner last season, his role has reduced to purely batting this campaign and the runs just aren’t flowing. At this price there are far better options.

Who Knows – Matthew Gilkes ($11,300)

Before the Thunder’s most recent game against the Heat, Gilkes had scored just 6 runs in four innings. Now, he has 62. Gilkes has plenty of talent, but he just isn’t consistent at this level. At $11k, many will be tempted into selecting Gilkes… will he hit the scoreboard again on Thursday?

Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars

Scorchers Squad: Ashton Turner (C), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Faf du Plessis (SA), Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis (VC), Matt Kelly, Adam Lyth (ENG), Hamish McKenzie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Stephen Eskinazi

Stars Squad: Trent Boult (NZ), Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (ENG), Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Nick Larkin, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Luke Wood (ENG), Adam Zampa, Tom O’Connell, Sam Elliott, Cam McClure, Campbell Kellaway

As expected, the Scorchers are right at the pointy end of the table while the Stars have recorded just one win as the end of 2022 looms.

Perth have been led by Australia representatives Josh Inglis (168 runs) and Jhye Richardson, but several players have stood up at various times.

On the other hand, the Stars have been desperately crying out for leaders in the absence of Glenn Maxwell.

Marcus Stoinis has had a hampered start to the campaign, so Melbourne’s batting has been severely underpowered, despite the efforts of Joe Clarke.

Even with Trent Boult taking the new ball, the bowling attack has also struggled at times.

Stoinis and Coulter-Nile should return for this clash, a huge boost given the precarious position the Stars are now in.

Scorchers vs Stars Fantasy Plays

Love It – Beau Webster ($17,500)

Webster has been one of the best players of BBL12 so far, stepping into an all-rounder role with ease. With an average of nearly 94 DFS points, Webster has been a consistent performer as a top-order batsman and medium-pace bowler, with a high score of 131.5 points. Most players with Webster’s role and form would be priced at around $20k, not $17.5k.

Don’t Love It – Marcus Stoinis ($17,600)

After a tough start to the season, Stoinis is dropping in price. This will tempt many DFS players to roster him, but I’m not convinced he will produce value. Stoinis has only bowled in one game – he was smashed for 48 by the Scorchers that day – and he hasn’t been afforded the continuity to build form with the bat. I’m rostering Webster over Stoinis at the moment.

Who Knows – Trent Boult (13,600)

Kiwi star Trent Boult has failed to set the BBL on fire so far, having taken just 4 wickets in the same number of matches. As such, his DFS price has fallen to an all-time low, so this could be the perfect time to roster him. As they say; form is temporary, class is permanent.

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