Beat The Coach: Top Round 3 picks

Beat The Coach: Top Round 3 picks

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

With no double games this week, Round 3 Beat The Coach strategy is crucial.

Brandon Patane for NBL.com.au.

Round 3 of the Hungry Jack's NBL26 Season is upon us, and with each team hitting the court just once this weekend, the options for Beat The Coach, presented by Choice Hotels, are much less obvious than they have been previously.

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Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix players are off the table in Round 3, as the New Orleans Pelicans head to Australia to face the two sides in the NBAxNBL Melbourne Series.

However, there are plenty of other options for coaches to choose from amongst the other eight clubs following some strong performances in Round 2.

Premium options:

Bryce Cotton – Adelaide 36ers ($452,500)
Kendric Davis – Sydney Kings ($481,300)
Matthew Dellavedova – Sydney Kings ($280,200)
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr – Perth Wildcats ($280,300)
Javale McGee – Illawarra Hawks ($277,000)
Tyrell Harrison – Brisbane Bullets ($348,400)
Casey Prather – Brisbane Bullets ($354,800)
Bryce Hamilton – Tasmania JackJumpers ($306,100)
Jack McVeigh – Cairns Taipans ($265,500)

Off the back of a textbook performance where he scored 52 SuperCoach points against the Brisbane Bullets, Bryce Cotton will certainly be a popular choice this week. $452,500 is a big chunk of the budget, but you know exactly what you’ll be getting from the superstar when he takes to the court.

Kendric Davis is similarly expensive, priced at $481,300, but there’s still a lot of room to improve for the Kings star.

Davis scored 31 SuperCoach points in Round 2, dropping 21 points on just 33.3 per cent shooting from the field.

Veteran teammate Matthew Dellavedova shapes as a cheaper alternative at just $280,200, after he dropped the same amount of SuperCoach points while also shooting at 33.3%.

It’s a move that could allow coaches to maximise scoring potential and still invest more in other areas of their sides.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr and Javale McGee both scored brilliantly last week, with the Wildcats big man improving to 43 points, and the Hawks’ star import finishing on 61 points, the highest of any player in a single game so far this season. Both are priced under $300,000 making them an excellent choice for the budget, but coaches may be discouraged by the fact that the two stars play each other this weekend. Something about pick

Brisbane Bullets duo Tyrell Harrison and Casey Prather had strong showings across their first three games this season, averaging 45 and 34.7 SuperCoach points respectively. Both would be reliable picks once again this week.

They will come up against the JackJumpers and their star guard Bryce Hamilton, who has been equally as impressive over the last fortnight.

Hamilton scored 35 SuperCoach points last week, and will look to continue in similar fashion while David Johnson misses the next month through injury.

After a slow start to the SuperCoach season, Jack McVeigh picked up the pace massively last round with 44 points against the Bullets and 36 against the Kings. His price has risen to $265,500, but he remains a fantastic frontcourt option.

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Budget-friendly picks:

Reyne Smith – Cairns Taipans ($102,700)
Kody Stattmann – Cairns Taipans ($93,200)
Izayah Le’afa – New Zealand Breakers ($145,200)
Kouat Noi – Sydney Kings ($207,400)
Wani Swaka Lo Buluk – Illawarra Hawks ($130,100)
Todd Blanchfield – Illawarra Hawks ($94,000)
Biwali Bayles – Illawarra Hawks ($69,000)

Contributing solidly across the Taipans’ two games last weekend with 32 and 27 points respectively, Reyne Smith and Kody Stattmann remain solid cheap options for Round 3.

Smith in particular has benefitted from a big minutes increase between his first and third game of the year, and could put up some huge point totals over the next few weeks if he capitalises on more chances.

Izayah Le’afa put up his biggest SuperCoach total of the year so far, with 26 points against the Wildcats in Round 2. With injury concerns hampering star guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright and his start to the season, Le’afa is in a great position to shoulder some of that load, and his $145,200 price tag makes him a great option.

Priced at $207,400, Kouat Noi finished Sunday’s game against Cairns with 20 SuperCoach points. Shooting one three-pointer from nine attempts, Noi’s total was centred around his defensive game, and he could be a very tempting choice for coaches if he can couple that with an improved shooting performance.

Illawarra Hawks duo Todd Blanchfield and Biwali Bayles put in impressive performances last week, scoring 29 and 25 SuperCoach points respectively against the JackJumpers.

With both players priced at under $100,000, they remain terrific options if they can keep their minutes up, having played over 20 minutes each last time out.

At $130,100, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk is slightly more expensive than his Illawarra teammates and he wasn’t able to score better than either of them in Round 2.

However, minutes are definitely on his side with a starting role at the Hawks, and he has all the tools to improve on that average as the season rolls on.

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