Weighing up multiple players for your batting line up in SuperCoach is a headache - even more so when you consider how many are similarly priced.

So who do you sit or start? Our SuperCoach experts have taken to the task in our “versus series”, giving our opinion on popular match-ups.

Chris Lynn (Heat | BAT | $202,000) vs Joe Root (Thunder | BAT | $200,000)
Tom Sangster - Lynn by the length of the Flemington straight. But only for Round 1 as he has byes in the next two rounds. T20 is Root’s worst format, having failed to score an IPL contract and recently being dropped by England. That said, he’ll probably get a run in the Sangster’s Paradise squad for his Round 4 double.

Paige Cardona - Without a doubt it’s Chris Lynn for me. Has the double straight up and also provides an option to keep all season long. He’s the first picked player in ramPAIGE CC. Joe will root and boot after six weeks, and that’s not the kind of man I’m after.

Andrew Weaver - The expectation is that both these players will play plenty of games early before international commitments get in the way. Given Lynn has two byes in a row in Rounds 2 and 3, it makes Root all the more tempting, with the Thunder one of two teams not to have a bye (and also a double in Round 4). It means Root should appear in every game he is eligible to play, albeit likely as a middle order player as opposed to an opener. Hmm... this is a decision I might talk myself into...

Marcus Stoinis (Stars | BAT / BWL | $227,900) vs Mitch Marsh (Scorchers | BAT / BWL | $198,000)
Tom Sangster - I’m a massive fan of Stoinis, but you have to think with the head and not the heart. “The Rig” has an ankle injury and won’t bowl, and the Stars don’t have a double until round 10. In contrast, Marsh has the first game double, yet currently sits outside the top 50 most popular players. POD alert.

Paige Cardona - Pending selection in the Test series, Mitch Marsh could be worth a start. However, Stoinis just offers so much and is known to go large in SuperCoach.

Andrew Weaver - I’m waiting patiently to see whether Mitch Marsh is picked for the next Test before making a commitment one way or another. On a pure head-to-head basis, Mitch Marsh has the edge primarily due to saving $30,000 of salary cap space. If he’s available he’ll appear in the top order for the Scorchers; there’s no guarantee the arguably more explosive Stoinis will bat in the top four at the Stars.

Dwayne Bravo (Stars | BAT/ BWL | $204,300) vs Ashton Agar (Scorchers | BAT / BWL | $197,900)
Tom Sangster – Bravo is not for me. I’m backing the maths and following all-rounders with double games in Round 1. Ashton Agar, David Willey, Mitch Marsh (pending Test selection), Ben Cutting and Nathan Coulter-Nile all play twice in the opening round while Bravo plays just once. That said, Bravo is a must, likely as captain, later in the year when the Stars have two doubles in four rounds to end the regular season.

Paige Cardona - DJ Bravo. Simple.

Andrew Weaver - No question, it’s Bravo all the way here. Not only will Agar likely be at least part of the national short-form squad, but Bravo bats higher in the order, is a more likely wicket-taker (18 wickets in 11 bowling stints compared to eight in nine) and is clearly one of the best T20 domestic league players in the game. Get around the big man.

Mohammad Nabi (Renegades | BAT / BWL | $192,200) vs David Willey (Scorchers | BAT / BWL | $194,000)
Tom Sangster - Pretty simple. Willey plays twice in the opening round. Nabi plays once. However, Nabi is an absolute must from rounds 6-9 when the Renegades have six games in four rounds.

Paige Cardona - Perhaps the most difficult head-to-head comparison, and one I’m personally fighting with. A lot will align with Willey given the Scorchers’ early double, which is what makes Nabi a great point of difference. Willey is prone to knock them over the fence and will feature at the top of the order, and that’s why he’s in my team.

Andrew Weaver - A very even match-up, Willey gets the nod as preferred pick primarily because his batting exploits are much more explosive - not only can he appear anywhere in the order, but when he hits it he strikes it big, with five maximums in last year’s campaign compared to Nabi’s two. With the double in Round 1, and no bye until Round 9, Willey is the safer selection.

Dan Christian (Renegades | BAT / BWL | $161,700) vs Jofra Archer (Hurricanes | BAT / BWL | $174,400)
Tom Sangster – Pass on both. But as for Nabi above, Christian is a huge target from rounds 6-9. Archer is a target for round his Round 3 double.

Paige Cardona - If the talk is true, Archer will spend more time with the ball rather than featuring higher up the order with the bat. For those reasons, I’m starting Christian over him in a heartbeat. He’ll get plenty at the ‘Gades, will save you $10KI in the salary cap and I think he’ll average better scores than Archer.

Andrew Weaver - Former teammates at the Hurricanes, the veteran Australian has the advantage here with over $10,000 in the salary cap saving yet only averaging five less SuperCoach points in BBL|07 compared to the future English player. They’re both at an awkward price point.

Jos Buttler (Thunder | WKP / BAT | $160,200) vs Alex Carey (Strikers | WKP / BAT | $199,600)
Tom Sangster - Carey all the way as he has the double in Round 2. However, Buttler will be my first-purchased for Thunder’s double in Round 4.

Paige Cardona - I admittedly have both. I cannot separate them. However, buyer beware it’s likely both will depart the BBL at some point for international commitments. It’s good to note the Thunder don’t get a bye, whereas the Strikers have one in Round 3.

Andrew Weaver - Both players should be walk-up starts for the first half of the competition before short-form international commitments get in the way of their BBL|08 seasons. Carey has the double slightly earlier, in Round 2 compared to the Thunder’s Round 4, yet the Strikers have a bye in Round 3 whereas the Thunder don’t have one at all. My hot tip: Start with neither, bring in Carey for Round 2, then Buttler for Round 3 and 4, then re-assess future team make-up.

Shane Watson (Thunder | BAT / BWL | $166,700) vs Glenn Maxwell (Stars | BAT / BWL | $175,000)
Tom Sangster – Maxwell for sure. He was recently announced Melbourne Stars skipper, which means he likely bats in the top three and bowls at least two overs per game. The obvious drawback is he has no double until round 10. Watson is still a gun in this format with the bat, but at 37-years-old, he’ll only bowl if he has to.

Paige Cardona - I can’t trust Glenn Maxwell as far as I can throw him. Based on that, Shane Watson, you’re in!

Andrew Weaver - I’m plumping for Watson for three main reasons - he opens the batting for the Thunder, he’s cheaper and he’ll play every game of the BBL|08 season, pending unfortunate injury. I say all that as a massive, massive fan of Glenn Maxwell ... It’s so hard not to pick your favourites, but in SuperCoach the head must rule over the heart! Watson is a classic set-and-forget selection.

Jake Weatherald (Strikers | BAT | $144,600) vs Joe Burns (Heat | BAT | $146,900)
Tom Sangster - Neither. Weatherald is coming off a career year. Law of averages says he can’t keep it up. And with the Bash Brothers set to open for the Heat, Burns will have to settle for a middle order role and likely face far less balls than is desirable for SuperCoach.

Paige Cardona - Weatherald and Burns both sit at awkward price points. This is literally a flip of the coin for me, and while Weatherland had a phenomenal BBL|07, he’s just edged by Burns in this instance.

Andrew Weaver - Another very even match-up. The simple fact the Heat have two byes in the first three rounds while the Strikers play twice in Round 2 means it’s very hard to plump for Burns over Weatherald. Are both chances of a call-up to Australian commitments later in the tournament, pending BBL|08 form? Absolutely! It makes the decision that much harder.

Michael Neser (Strikers | BAT / BWL | $141,000) vs Arjun Nair (Thunder | BAT / BWL | $138,300)
Tom Sangster - Neser by a long way. Strikers have the double in Round 2 and he can notch big points with both ball and bat. Nair doesn’t have a double until Round 4.

Paige Cardona - The Thunder don’t have a bye in BBL|08, which means I’m favouring Nair here. Otherwise, they’re very difficult to split.

Andrew Weaver – The latter has the double in Round 4 and no byes, whereas the other strikes twice in Round 2 before not suiting up in Round 4 ... it’s very hard to split the pair. Nair gets the chocolates simply by dint of not having a bye for the entire SuperCoach BBL season, whereas the Strikers have two byes to go with their two double-round scoring opportunities. Ultimately, neither are in my side, primarily because they’re awkwardly priced and I think there are better options at similar price points.

Ben Cutting (Heat | BAT / BWL | $130,500) vs Daniel Sams (Thunder | BAT / BWL | $127,700)
Tom Sangster - Ben Cutting is on the “near-must” list for his Round 1 double (and a sneaking captaincy choice). However, he has the bye the next round and will need to be sold straight afterwards. Sams looms as a great replacement due to his Round 3 double.

Paige Cardona - Daniel Sams is coming off a debut BBL season, taking seven wickets in six games, including an impressive best of 4/14. However, Sams didn’t get much action with the bat, only facing three balls for the tournament. But I expect this to change in BBL|08, with Sams producing a number of big-hitting displays in the JLT Cup for NSW and set to perform a Ben Cutting-like role for the Thunder in the final 10 overs. I’m going Sams. And, the Thunder have no bye for the entirety of the season.

Andrew Weaver - Cutting has it over Sams, for mine, as he has greater Big Bash experience. In BBL|07 he appeared for the Heat 10 times, whereas Sams only suited up for six. It’s a case of caveat emptor though, with Cutting having two byes in row in Rounds 2 and 3, whereas Sams, if he plays, will not have a single bye all season long.

Ben McDermott (Hurricanes | WKP / BAT | $115,300) vs Brendan McCullum (Heat | BAT | $113,100)
Tom Sangster - McCullum has the double in Round 1. Enough said. McDermott will be my keeper for the Round 3 double.

Paige Cardona - Why can’t we just have both!? Both cheap, both will play, both can go large, however, McDermott will play the opening games and has a double in Round 3.

Andrew Weaver - I think, like the Root/Lynn and Buttler/Carey dilemmas, this is one I have myself in twists over. I love a dual position player, and McDermott is a very nice price for a player set to explode in BBL|08. McCullum might be a good selection for Round 1, but with two byes in a row immediately after that, McDermott’s full-time availability until Round 4 AND double in Round 3 makes him a super-tempting selection.

Callum Ferguson (Thunder | BAT | $62,500) vs Sam Heazlett (Heat | BAT | $62,500)
Tom Sangster - Neither for now, but it all depends where they bat. I can’t see Ferguson batting high for the Thunder early on with Watson, Buttler and Root in the side. Don’t be sucked in by the fact he used to play all three formats for Australia, as T20 is by far his worst format. Heazlett has the double in Round 1 but must compete with McCullum, Lynn, Burns etc.

Paige Cardona - Ferguson at this price point is just outrageous, and will play all season long. One of the best playing bench options available in the game.

Andrew Weaver - Ferg is a player I’ve tagged as set-and-forget since SuperCoach began some months ago. Both he and Heazlett only suited up seven times in BBL|07, but with no byes all season long and a double-score opportunity in Round 4, he’s an automatic bench selection at worst for mine. He’s so cheap, so experienced, and had a strong JLT Cup one day season earlier in the year.