NBL27 SuperCoach Blitz Winners & Losers: Risers, Fallers & Round 1 Targets

Updated: 6 September 2026

Preseason is now complete: This article captures what changed at the Blitz. For the final movement after the last hit-outs, read our NBL27 SuperCoach Final Preseason Stock Report.

The 2026 CODE Sports NBL Blitz is finished. Melbourne United won the Loggins-Bruton Cup, Luke Travers won the Ray Borner Award as tournament MVP, and NBL27 SuperCoach coaches finally have something more useful than offseason reputation to work with: real rotations, real roles and real box scores.

The biggest mistake now is to treat every big preseason score as gospel.

This is our NBL27 SuperCoach Blitz winners and losers list: the players whose Round 1 fantasy outlook genuinely changed in Bendigo, plus the names where the Blitz created more questions than answers.

If you want the full preseason player order, read our NBL27 SuperCoach Top 50 rankings. If you are hunting cap relief, our NBL27 SuperCoach cheapies guide separates real bargain roles from one-game preseason noise. And before turning a riser into a Round 1 selection, check the NBL27 SuperCoach fixture guide.

Our test for a real Blitz winner: did the tournament change the player's projected minutes, usage, category production or confidence in their role? A hot shooting night by itself is not enough.

NBL27 SuperCoach Blitz winners: the biggest risers

1. Luke Travers - Melbourne United

Luke Travers was not merely good at the Blitz. He was the tournament MVP.

Across Melbourne's two games, Travers averaged 18 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. That is almost a checklist of the categories SuperCoach rewards.

Scoring counts directly. Rebounds add one each. Assists are worth two. Blocks and steals are worth three. Double-doubles add another five. Travers can reach a strong fantasy total without needing a 25-point scoring night.

In the Blitz-clinching win over Illawarra, he finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. The most important part is not the 13 points. It is the fact that he can score fantasy points through five categories.

Melbourne is deep, and that remains the only reason to resist pushing Travers into the absolute top tier. Cole Anthony, Joe Ingles, Chris Goulding, Josh Oduro and others will all need the ball.

But Travers does not need to dominate usage to score well.

SuperCoach impact: clear riser. His dual-position GRD/FWD status and stat profile make him one of the strongest NBL27 selections below the ultra-premium guard tier.

2. Taran Armstrong - Tasmania JackJumpers

Taran Armstrong arrived at the Blitz with hype and left with evidence.

In his first game for Tasmania he produced 25 points and seven assists against Brisbane. In the final game against New Zealand he backed it up with 17 points and eight assists.

Tasmania was short-handed in both games, so the usage will come down when Josh Bannan, Will Magnay and others return. But the basic role is not going away: Armstrong is the point guard, the ball is in his hands, and his passing creates exactly the kind of high-value SuperCoach category production we want.

Turnovers are the obvious downside at -2 each, and young primary creators will have volatile nights.

The ceiling compensates.

SuperCoach impact: major riser. Armstrong has moved from intriguing new signing to a player we are comfortable ranking aggressively. Tasmania also doubles in Rounds 3, 5 and 7.

3. Milton Doyle - Illawarra Hawks

Milton Doyle may have had the most complete "new team, no problem" Blitz of any import.

Against Adelaide he delivered 23 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals, including the game-winner. Against Melbourne he followed with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists while hitting six threes.

There was a preseason concern that Illawarra simply had too many guards. Tyler Harvey is still there. William Hickey is a premium multi-category player. Doyle's arrival could have cannibalised everybody.

Instead, the Blitz showed Illawarra can play multiple creators together.

For SuperCoach, Doyle's profile is attractive because it is not just scoring. Assists and steals push the ceiling much higher than a pure shooter at the same price.

SuperCoach impact: clear riser. Illawarra doubles in Rounds 2, 3, 4 and 6, which makes a strong role even more valuable.

4. Josh Oduro - Melbourne United

Josh Oduro strengthened the case that Melbourne's depth does not automatically kill individual fantasy value.

In the Blitz final he had 22 points, nine rebounds and two steals on 9-of-12 shooting. That came after he had already shown productive preseason form.

For a centre, nine rebounds is tantalising because one more board creates the double-double bonus. Add steals, efficient scoring and likely starting-centre minutes and there are several paths to a 30-plus SuperCoach night.

The obvious concern is Melbourne's roster. The same depth that gives Oduro quality teammates may reduce his volume on some nights.

The Blitz suggested he does not need huge volume.

SuperCoach impact: riser. He belongs in the premium-centre conversation and may be safer than the "too many mouths to feed" argument suggests.

5. Flynn Cameron - Adelaide 36ers

Flynn Cameron produced one of the best individual games of the Blitz against Illawarra: 27 points, six rebounds and six assists.

That stat line matters because Cameron is playing next to Bryce Cotton, the most expensive player in SuperCoach. The question was whether enough creation would remain for Cameron to take a serious fantasy step.

At least in Bendigo, the answer was yes.

Cotton still scored 20 in the same game, while Zylan Cheatham delivered a huge rebounding line. Adelaide's offence appears capable of supporting more than one fantasy-relevant player.

Cameron does not need to average 27 points. If the assists and rebounds are genuinely part of his NBL27 role, his SuperCoach profile changes dramatically.

SuperCoach impact: riser and breakout candidate. Adelaide's doubles in Rounds 2, 3, 4 and 7 only strengthen the case.

6. Elijah Pepper - Perth Wildcats

Elijah Pepper recorded 40 SuperCoach points in Perth's first Blitz game against Cairns.

That is exactly the kind of preseason score that can turn into a trap if we ignore context, but Pepper's case is more interesting than one hot game.

Perth entered the Blitz without a settled import point guard, creating uncertainty around who would carry creation and scoring. Pepper's ability to produce at volume is therefore not just a random bench explosion; there is a real path to a larger offensive role.

The downside is the same thing. If Perth adds or settles a high-usage point guard, the final distribution of possessions changes.

Perth also has only two doubles across Rounds 1-7, fewer than any other team.

SuperCoach impact: riser, but still role-dependent. Pepper has forced his way into the serious conversation rather than becoming an automatic selection.

7. Charles Bediako - New Zealand Breakers

Charles Bediako's final Blitz line was extremely SuperCoach-friendly: 13 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

That gives him:

• scoring
• double-digit rebounds
• a double-double
• defensive events worth three points each

New Zealand was without Sam Mennenga, and Josiah-Jordan James played only seven minutes, so the exact frontcourt distribution still needs more evidence. The Breakers have remaining preseason games on 8 and 10 September.

But Bediako has shown why his archetype matters. Rim-running centres who rebound and generate blocks can score well without plays being run for them.

New Zealand also has a Round 1 double, then further doubles in Rounds 3, 5 and 7.

SuperCoach impact: strong riser. He is one of the most important centres to watch over the final week of preseason.

8. Shaun Bruce - Cairns Taipans

Shaun Bruce was already a logical cheapie because Luke Paul is out for six to eight weeks with an ankle injury.

Then Bruce produced 36 SuperCoach points in 34 minutes against Perth.

We do not project 34 minutes in the regular season. Cairns has more players to integrate and Jaylon Brown is expected to lead the point-guard group.

But the Blitz did two useful things: it confirmed Bruce is next in line for meaningful point-guard minutes, and it showed his veteran all-round game still produces fantasy points when he gets them.

At $76,500, that is enough to matter.

SuperCoach impact: one of the biggest cheapie risers. Read the full case in our NBL27 SuperCoach cheapies guide.

9. Akech Aliir - South East Melbourne Phoenix

Akech Aliir scored 37 SuperCoach points in just 19 minutes against Sydney.

That rate is obviously unsustainable, but the performance is still useful evidence. Aliir can score through rebounds, athletic finishing and defensive production, and he is part of a Phoenix team that plays twice in Round 1.

The role is the question. Jordan Hunter and Yannis Morin are established frontcourt pieces, while Hunter Goodrick is also fighting for minutes.

Aliir's first Blitz performance therefore raises his ceiling more than his floor.

SuperCoach impact: riser and watchlist player. Do not project 37 SC from 19 minutes, but do not ignore a player capable of that category mix either.

10. William Hickey - Illawarra Hawks

William "Davo" Hickey entered preseason with one of the clearest role-risk questions among last season's premiums.

Milton Doyle arrived. Tyler Harvey remains. Illawarra added even more depth around them.

Hickey responded by filling the box score.

He had 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds against Adelaide, then 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists against Melbourne.

That is the exact profile that made him a SuperCoach premium in the first place. He can score an ordinary number of real-life points and still get there through assists and rebounds.

SuperCoach impact: confidence restored. We still rank him below the absolute top guards because of backcourt competition, but the Blitz was a strong answer to the role concern.

11. Max Mackinnon - Brisbane Bullets

Max Mackinnon scored 26 points in his first Blitz appearance for Brisbane, hitting four threes.

Rookie scoring outbursts need to be handled carefully in SuperCoach, especially when the player does not yet have a stable NBL sample.

What makes Mackinnon interesting is that Brisbane's roster is almost entirely new. There are jobs to win, and his performance gives coach Will Weaver a reason to keep him in the rotation.

A pure scorer is usually less attractive than a player who also racks up assists, rebounds and defensive stats, so we still need to see the full fantasy profile.

SuperCoach impact: watchlist riser. More relevant in the breakout/POD conversation than as a must-start Classic pick today.

12. Parker Jackson-Cartwright - New Zealand Breakers

Parker Jackson-Cartwright did not need the Blitz to prove he is elite.

His final game simply removed any reason to get cute.

PJC finished with 23 points, eight assists and three rebounds as New Zealand beat Tasmania. The Breakers have changed pieces around him, but the organising role remains his.

For SuperCoach, eight assists is worth 16 points before you count scoring, rebounds, steals or bonuses.

SuperCoach impact: confirmation rather than a rise. He remains one of the premium guards and benefits immediately from New Zealand's Round 1 double.

Blitz confirmations: stars we did not need to move

Bryce Cotton - Adelaide

Cotton scored 20 points with four rebounds and four assists against Illawarra, then 22 points in only 17 minutes against Cairns.

Nothing here changes the core conclusion from our Top 50: Cotton remains the No. 1 overall player in our NBL27 SuperCoach rankings.

Zylan Cheatham - Adelaide

Cheatham's 16-point, 15-rebound, three-assist line against Illawarra was classic SuperCoach material. He rebounds, scores efficiently and has regular double-double upside.

He was already a premium. Bendigo simply confirmed it.

NBL27 SuperCoach Blitz fallers and red flags

"Loser" is deliberately a strong headline word. In practice, most of the names below are not bad picks. Their preseason simply became less certain.

1. Cole Anthony - Melbourne United: health uncertainty

Cole Anthony did not play at the Blitz because of a calf issue.

That means we still do not have the live NBL evidence we wanted for the hardest premium to project. His NBA scoring pedigree is obvious, but Melbourne has a deep roster and SuperCoach value depends on role as much as name.

United has another preseason game against New Zealand on 10 September.

Current call: do not remove him from the premium conversation, but do not pretend we have answered the minutes and usage question.

2. Joe Ingles - Melbourne United: ankle

Joe Ingles also missed the Blitz with an ankle issue.

Ingles can score SuperCoach points through passing, threes and all-round contribution, but his role was already difficult to price because Melbourne does not need him to carry huge usage.

Missing the Blitz leaves that question open.

Current call: wait for health and role confirmation.

3. Sam Mennenga - New Zealand Breakers: missed both Blitz games

Sam Mennenga was again absent when New Zealand played Tasmania in the final game.

He remains an attractive FWD/CTR player when healthy, but the Breakers have now shown Charles Bediako can produce at centre and have several new frontcourt options to integrate.

New Zealand still has two preseason games remaining before Round 1.

Current call: premium talent, reduced certainty. Do not pay for the name without checking the final preseason availability.

4. Sam Waardenburg - Melbourne United: new ankle issue

Waardenburg injured an ankle early in Melbourne's final win over Illawarra.

That is a new variable rather than a performance problem. He has already shown strong all-round fantasy traits during preseason, but availability now becomes the first question.

Current call: monitor rather than panic.

5. Shea Ili - Melbourne United: lower-leg issue

Ili hurt his lower leg in the second half of the Blitz final after producing 17 points, three rebounds and two assists.

His defensive game is especially valuable in SuperCoach because steals are worth three points, but Melbourne now has several health questions at once.

Current call: wait for the injury update before treating the role as settled.

6. Perth's premium environment: point-guard uncertainty

This is a team-level red flag rather than a single player demotion.

Perth entered the Blitz without a settled import point guard. Kristian Doolittle and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr remain proven fantasy talents, but an unsettled offence creates uncertainty around shot quality, playmaking and role.

The first Blitz game produced only 13 SC for Doolittle and 19 SC for Lual-Acuil. One game should not overwrite their history.

The more important issue is the context around them.

Current call: Pepper rose, but the wider Perth hierarchy still needs the remaining preseason games.

7. Hunter Goodrick - South East Melbourne: modest first Blitz score

Goodrick had 8 SuperCoach points in 16 minutes against Sydney.

That is not enough to make him a "faller" in our cheapie rankings because his selection is driven by price, dual position and a Round 1 double as much as ceiling.

But it is a useful reminder: the most popular cheapie is not guaranteed 25 points a night.

Current call: still our No. 1 cheapie, but role matters more than ownership.

The players we should not overreact to

Nathan Sobey

Sobey's first Blitz outing was not enormous by his standards, but he still produced 10 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Skylar Mays sharing creation may reduce some usage while improving efficiency.

He remains a premium guard.

Jack McVeigh

McVeigh did not need to dominate preseason to prove his NBL27 role. Cairns has been built around a group including McVeigh, Keanu Pinder and Reyne Smith. Regular-season minutes will matter more than a two-game Blitz sample.

Kristian Doolittle and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr

Perth's environment is unsettled. Their established fantasy profiles have not disappeared because of one quiet preseason game.

What the Blitz changed for our NBL27 SuperCoach rankings

The biggest movement is not at No. 1.

Bryce Cotton is still Bryce Cotton.

The Blitz changed the middle of the board, where role uncertainty is much more valuable to resolve:

• Travers now looks safer as a premium multi-category forward/guard.
• Armstrong's primary creation role is real.
• Doyle fits Illawarra immediately.
• Oduro can produce without dominating Melbourne's offence.
• Cameron has a real breakout pathway beside Cotton.
• Bediako has shown a premium fantasy-centre stat profile.
• Bruce has become a much stronger cheapie.
• Pepper has forced his way into consideration.

That is exactly why preseason matters for SuperCoach. It is not about declaring the September champion. It is about reducing uncertainty.

Remaining NBL27 preseason games to watch

The Blitz is over, but the research is not.

The remaining official preseason schedule includes:

• 8 September: South East Melbourne v New Zealand
• 8 September: Chiba Jets v Perth
• 10 September: Melbourne v New Zealand
• 10 September: Ryukyu Golden Kings v Perth
• 12 September: Tasmania v Sydney
• 12 September: Brisbane v Cairns

Those games can still materially change:

• New Zealand's frontcourt hierarchy
• Melbourne's injury picture
• Perth's guard/usage distribution
• Sydney's cheapie rotation
• Will Magnay and Tasmania's frontcourt
• Shaun Bruce's Cairns role

We will treat those games as the final evidence pass before publishing our best Round 1 starting team.

NBL27 SuperCoach Blitz FAQ

Who was the best NBL27 SuperCoach player at the Blitz?

Luke Travers was the official Ray Borner Award winner as Blitz MVP, averaging 18 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks across Melbourne's two wins.

For SuperCoach, that all-category profile is more important than the MVP label itself.

Who was the biggest NBL27 SuperCoach riser at the Blitz?

Travers is our No. 1 riser, with Taran Armstrong, Milton Doyle and Josh Oduro close behind.

Among cheapies, Shaun Bruce made the biggest move after scoring 36 SC against Perth while benefiting from Luke Paul's injury absence.

Should I pick players based on NBL Blitz SuperCoach scores?

Use Blitz scores as evidence, not as a ranking by themselves.

Minutes, role, teammates missing, shooting variance and preseason experimentation all matter. A 30-point SuperCoach game in 21 minutes is interesting. It is not automatically a 30-point regular-season projection.

Which NBL27 SuperCoach players are injury watches after the Blitz?

Melbourne has the biggest cluster: Cole Anthony missed the Blitz with a calf issue, Joe Ingles was out with an ankle issue, Sam Waardenburg hurt an ankle in the final and Shea Ili suffered a lower-leg issue.

Sam Mennenga also missed New Zealand's Blitz games.

When is the first NBL27 SuperCoach lockout?

The first lockout is Saturday, 19 September 2026 at 7:30pm AEST, when Melbourne United hosts Adelaide.

What to read next

• NBL27 SuperCoach Top 50 rankings - the full player power rankings.
• NBL27 SuperCoach cheapies - the best bargains, cash cows and cap savers under $100k.
• NBL27 SuperCoach fixture guide - double-game rounds, early schedules and captaincy planning.

Sources and methodology

This article uses official NBL game reports, the official SuperCoach Blitz score tracker, roster/injury reporting and current preseason schedule information.

Key references:

• Travers claims Ray Borner Award as Blitz MVP
• United depth shines to win at Blitz
• Breakers wrap up Blitz beating JackJumpers
• Blitz player-by-player scores: SuperCoach NBL Classic
• Armstrong, Mackinnon shine at Blitz
• Big Shot Milton delivers for Hawks
• NBL27 schedule

Buckets is an independent fantasy basketball platform and is not affiliated with SuperCoach or the National Basketball League. SuperCoach is referenced for analysis and scoring comparison.