AT THE age of 22, Claye Beams has certainly had his share of injuries and bad luck over his short career of 15 games.
After debuting in 2011, Beams worked his way into the Lions’ best 22 last year before a training mishap ended his season after just two games.
In the first game of 2013, Beams started in the dreaded green vest and was given an opportunity in the third quarter when he came on and quickly scored 47 Fantasy points in less than half a game.
The following week was one to forget for Beams as he scored just 44 points before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament at training, ruling him out for the remainder of the year.
Beams can certainly push an average of 70+ this year if he is fit and given the opportunities he deserves. The danger with Beams is if Justin Leppitsch hands him the green vest and tagging roles like the Lions’ coaching staff have in the past.
With Beams currently named on the field for our team, a difficult decision will need to be made each week, gambling on the possibilities of the role he will have.
At the end of the day it would be devastating to see Beams in a vest, if Jared Polec scores well on the pine. It’s a risk we are willing to take at this early stage of the Fantasy pre-season.
Claye Beams is of course the brother of Fantasy superstar Dayne Beams from Collingwood who averaged 116 in the 2012 season.
Although the likelihood of Claye reaching the heights of his older brother are slim to none, Dayne was 22 years of age when he took his game to new heights.
In 2012, Claye averaged 89 in his last three games of the year which included a huge 114 points against the Bulldogs in round 23. That's something even his brother would have been proud of.
LOCKABILITY: 3/5
Claye Beams is simply too cheap ignore at this early stage of the Fantasy season.
He is likely to play in the next NAB Challenge game for the Lions against Gold Coast on February 23 after missing his club's loss to the Hawks.
In this up and coming game, Beams will need to show us that he is fit and firing as there are some quality options around the same price.
Viv Michie ($193,900) and Matthew Crouch ($203,200) have both put in solid NAB Challenge games recently and could easily take this final position on our field if required.
But as for scoring potential, family genes and the fact that Beams is in the Lions' best 22, he remains a great starter in our Fantasy team.
