BBL Fantasy preview: Sydney Sixers

Squad: Sean Abbott, Sam Billings (OS), Jackson Bird, Johan Botha, Ben Dwarshuis, Mickey Edwards, Jack Edwards (rookie), Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Jason Roy (OS), Jordan Silk, Mitchell Starc, Henry Thornton

In: Peter Nevill (Renegades), Henry Thornton (upgrade)

Out: Ryan Carters (retired), Brad Haddin (retired), Michael Lumb (retired), Joe Mennie (Renegades)

Master blaster: A consistent performer in domestic T20 cricket both at home and in the IPL, Moises Henriques ($55,500) will again be a key player for the Sixers this summer. He's under an injury cloud heading into the season so he's very much a 'wait-and-see' proposition at this stage, but he's worth a look if he's fit. A total of more than 600 runs at a strike rate of 130 over the past three seasons underlines his quality.

Strike weapon: The leading wicket-taker last summer by a considerable margin, Sean Abbott ($102,100) has proven to be a consistent source of wickets of the past few BBL seasons. A tally of 20 wickets from 10 games in BBL|06 followed an 11-wicket campaign the year before and his clean ball striking late in an innings is an added bonus. He comes at a price, but history suggests he's worth the investment.

Young gun: Jordan Silk ($30,000) has been well short of his best with the bat in the past two seasons, so he comes with a low price tag, but he's a proven performer in the Big Bash League. One of the best fielders in the country, the right-hander's performance in BBL|04, when he scored 272 runs at an average of 54 and a strike rate of 137, proves that he's got the game to succeed in the tricky period late in an innings. And having finished the JLT Sheffield Shield season with his first century in more than four years, he should enter the tournament full of confidence.

Overseas impact: He'll likely only be available for the first part of the season before international duty calls, but Jason Roy ($68,000) is worth the investment early in the tournament. The powerful English opener boasts a career strike-rate of more than 145 and averages one six per game in T20 cricket and while his high-risk game does inevitably result in some low scores, he'll pick up plenty of points if he comes off.

Surprise packet: Here's a trivia question for you; who is the only bowler to boast an economy rate of less than a run-a-ball in the past two editions of the BBL? The answer is Sixers spinner Steve O'Keefe ($70,800), whose clever bowling is set to be a key weapon for his side this summer. With an economy rate of just 5.55 from his past six BBL games, the left-armer is unlikely to pick up big bags of wickets, but he's a dream for Fantasy players wanting consistent scores from their bowlers.

Fantasy bargain: An incredibly clean striker of the ball when in form, Nic Maddinson ($35,600) could well be the Fantasy bargain of the whole summer. A horror campaign last season, when his top score from seven matches was just 26, means Maddinson's price has dropped significantly for BBL|07. But if you're willing to write off last summer as an aberration, a player with a career strike rate of around 128 and that price tag represents excellent value.