Beat The Coach: Top Round 17 picks & PLAY NOW

HoopsFest 2026 tipsoff on Thursday night in Perth, and we have an exciting weekend of basketball coming your way for Round 17.

One HoopsFest game for each side means every player is on the table in Beat The Coach, so you’ll need to bring your A game when it comes to strategy this weekend.

Damon Lowery improved on his previous performance, falling to 2,969 coaches in Round 16. HoopsFest is a massive weekend for everyone, and the former champ will be up for the fight.

See if you can take him down in Round 17 of Beat The Coach, presented by Choice Hotels.

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Premium options:
Andrew Andrews – Cairns Taipans ($319,800)
Bryce Cotton – Adelaide 36ers ($498,200)
David Johnson – Tasmania JackJumpers ($212,700)
Dylan Windler – Perth Wildcats ($274,400)
Finn Delany – Melbourne United ($262,800)
Flynn Cameron – Adelaide 36ers ($300,600)
Hunter Maldonado – Brisbane Bullets ($275,600)
Jack McVeigh – Cairns Taipans ($360,200)
JaVale McGee – Illawarra Hawks ($400,200)
Jesse Edwards – Melbourne United ($239,700)
Karim Lopez – New Zealand Breakers ($260,200)
Kendric Davis – Sydney Kings ($426,300)
Kristian Doolittle – Perth Wildcats ($297,900)
Nathan Sobey – South East Melbourne Phoenix ($467,700)
Owen Foxwell – South East Melbourne Phoenix ($268,700)
Parker Jackson-Cartwright – New Zealand Breakers ($412,700)
QJ Peterson – Illawarra Hawks ($281,800)
Sam Froling – Illawarra Hawks ($296,200)
Sam Mennenga – New Zealand Breakers ($260,000)
Terry Taylor – Brisbane Bullets ($276,600)
Tim Soares – Sydney Kings ($223,000)
Tyger Campbell – Tasmania JackJumpers ($233,600)
Tyler Harvey – Illawarra Hawks ($246,400)
Will Magnay – Tasmania JackJumpers ($303,800)
Zylan Cheatham – Adelaide 36ers ($348,400)
- Names listed alphabetically

Zylan Cheatham and Flynn Cameron were the SuperCoach standouts for the Adelaide 36ers against Tasmania on the weekend, with the latter’s price climbing to a season-high of $300,600.

Bryce Cotton had his second quietest SuperCoach game of the season, with just 22 points, and should be expected to bounce back in a crucial matchup against South East Melbourne this weekend.

In a tough injury period for the Brisbane Bullets, they have found themselves an excellent performer in Hunter Maldonado. The former Phoenix star had the equal highest individual score of the weekend, with 54 SuperCoach points against the Cairns Taipans. Terry Taylor also scored well once again, with 35 SuperCoach points for the evening.

Andrew Andrews and Jack McVeigh were both excellent for the Cairns Taipans throughout Round 16, scoring 85 and 83 points respectively in their victories over Melbourne and Brisbane.

QJ Peterson was the standout for Illawarra, particularly against the Breakers where he scored 47 of his 74 SuperCoach points for the weekend. Tyler Harvey also contributed well with 49 SuperCoach points, and comes in $50,000 cheaper than Davo Hickey, making him a slightly safer option for now.

Big men JaVale McGee and Sam Froling didn’t display the same form that they have in previous games, especially in that New Zealand loss. However, both have incredibly high scoring ceilings and are excellent options at the center position.

Melbourne United have continued to struggle, suffering another pair of losses in Round 16. Finn Delany (53 points) and Jesse Edwards (50 points) were their SuperCoach standouts though, with the latter coming off a particularly strong night against the Kings on Sunday.

Karim Lopez and Parker Jackson-Cartwright both started the round poorly in the Breakers loss to the Kings but picked up the pace in a big way against the Hawks to finish with 68 and 65 SuperCoach points respectively for the week.

Sam Mennenga had a quieter weekend by his standards with just 36 SuperCoach points, but should be expected to bounce back and comes in at a very attractive price of just $260,000.

Kristian Doolittle and Dylan Windler both scored terrifically in Perth’s win over the Phoenix, with 45 and 43 SuperCoach points respectively. The pairing have fast become the go to men once again for the Wildcats and are in strong form as we head towards the end of the season.

Nathan Sobey was remarkable for the South East Melbourne Phoenix, leading all comers once again this weekend with 98 SuperCoach points for the round. The Phoenix face a tough matchup in Perth when they take on the Adelaide 36ers, but if anyone can make the most of the occasion, Sobey will definitely be the guy.

Owen Foxwell provided excellent support for the superstar veteran once again, scoring 54 SuperCoach points of his own.

Tim Soares and Kendric Davis were both very strong despite the absence of a couple of star teammates. Soares had two 33 point SuperCoach outings resulting in a total of 66 for the round, while Davis had his quietest SuperCoach night of the year against the Breakers with just 18 points, but bounced back against Melbourne to finish the weekend with 50.

David Johnson and Tyger Campbell were the two highest scorers for Tasmania in SuperCoach this weekend with 25 and 24 SuperCoach points respectively and come in very affordable at less than $250,000 each.

Star big man Will Magnay couldn’t capitalise on his career best night, finishing with just 20 SuperCoach points. However, he faces the same side he dominated against this weekend as the JackJumpers go head to head with Melbourne United.

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Budget-friendly picks:
Angus Glover – South East Melbourne Phoenix ($197,600)
Ben Henshall – Perth Wildcats ($196,900)
Chris Goulding – Melbourne United ($199,500)
DJ Mitchell – South East Melbourne Phoenix ($102,900)
Dejan Vasiljevic – Adelaide 36ers ($135,900)
Jacob Holt – Brisbane Bullets ($183,600)
Jaron Rillie – Perth Wildcats ($182,300)
Jaylin Galloway – Sydney Kings ($191,700)
Kouat Noi – Sydney Kings ($194,600)
Kyrin Galloway – Cairns Taipans ($197,700)
Majok Deng – Tasmania JackJumpers ($190,200)
Makuach Maluach – Sydney Kings ($142,700)
Mason Peatling – Illawarra Hawks ($165,100)
Mitch Norton – Brisbane Bullets ($167,300)
Nick Rakocevic – Adelaide 36ers ($187,600)
Rob Baker II – New Zealand Breakers ($191,100)
Tai Webster – New Zealand Breakers ($172,300)
Tyler Robertson – Sydney Kings ($99,100)
Wani Swaka Lo Buluk – Illawarra Hawks ($149,100)
- Names listed alphabetically

Nick Rakocevic drops back into affordable territory at just $187,600 and has had some huge performances in recent weeks, despite slowing down slightly.

Dejan Vasiljevic’s output has also lessened in the last couple of games, but we know how he can contribute offensively at his best.

Jacob Holt had a quieter night against Cairns with just 10 SuperCoach points, but should continue to have a solid role in Tyrell Harrison’s absence.

Mitch Norton has been a strong facilitator for the Bullets and was great once again with 16 SuperCoach points for the night.

Kyrin Galloway has been excellent for the Cairns Taipans, scoring another 57 SuperCoach points for them in their pair of wins. He comes into this weekend at $197,700, so there will not be much time left to get him at a very affordable price.

While the stars have stood out in Illawarra, Mason Peatling and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk have maintained pretty solid roles in the side. Peatling scored 33 points for the round, while Swaka Lo Buluk started in both outings and finished with 38 SuperCoach points for the week.

Still barely sitting in budget pick territory at $199,500, Chris Goulding had his best SuperCoach week of the season with 61 points for the round. An excellent pick if his form continues into HoopsFest.

Rob Baker II’s price has dropped back to $191,100, but he still starts for the Breakers and comes in as a strong pick for his output. He scored 29 SuperCoach points for the week.

Tai Webster has been a solid contributor since coming into the side, and despite finishing the week slow, managed 22 SuperCoach points for the round.

With Elijah Pepper’s price climbing every week, Ben Henshall and Jaron Rillie come in as much better options for the budget. Henshall scored 29 SuperCoach points against the Phoenix, while Rillie has eased back in nicely since his return and scored 13 SuperCoach points for the contest.

Angus Glover was excellent across both games for South East Melbourne, scoring 63 SuperCoach points for the round, while DJ Mitchell scored 22 SuperCoach points against Illawarra, despite a much quieter performance against the Wildcats. He is every chance to bounce back though, given some strong performances in recent weeks.

The Sydney Kings needed a big boost from their depth with the injuries to Xavier Cooks and Bul Kuol, and they certainly delivered. Jaylin Galloway was the standout for the round with 73 SuperCoach points, while Kouat Noi (41), Makuach Maluach (38), and Tyler Robertson (34) were all very impressive.

Majok Deng has had some up and down displays for Tasmania but is still a terrific pick at $190,200 if he can push his SuperCoach score back up into the twenties and thirties. The big man finished with 15 SuperCoach points in the JackJumpers’ win over Adelaide.

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