Buy low, sell high! It’s the age-old motto to succeed in Fantasy football of all formats. Every week we share with you the players with the lowest breakevens across AFLFantasy, SuperCoach & DreamTeam. Here are the players that offer the best breakevens heading into a new round.
Player
Position
Price
Average
Breakeven
T. Highmore
DEF
$117,300
68.5
-68
S. Giro
MID
$170,000
59
-50
J. Koschitzke
DEF
$200,700
55.8
-48
L. Jones
DEF
$139,800
65
-48
C. Menadue
DEF
$201,500
77
-35
J. Farrar
FWD
$184,300
71
-34
A. Bosenavulagi
FWD
$175,500
67
-31
J. Prior
DEF
$152,600
46
-25
P. Wright
FWD
$372,100
82.8
-25
L. Young
DEF
$198,300
69
-21
J. Jordan
MID
$241,600
65.2
-16
L. Parks
DEF
$102,400
37
-14
A. Bonar
DEF
$324,100
75.2
-13
S. Mumford
RUC
$420,700
130
-12
B. McCreery
FWD
$158,000
53.7
-12
R. Mansell
DEF
$134,100
44
-10
P. Hunter
RUC
$134,300
44
-9
A. Scott
MID/FWD
$201,800
49.5
-8
M. Lewis
FWD
$254,100
80.3
-8
D. Cameron
FWD
$302,900
92.5
-7
J. Daniher
FWD
$337,300
74.7
-4
F. Macrae
MID
$126,300
39
-4
H. Sharp
DEF/FWD
$117,300
35.5
-2
L. Franklin
FWD
$349,800
89.3
-2
Players who have played under 2 games are not listed due to price unable to change.
After rounds 3, 6, 9 & 12 the drafting format of Ultimate Footy awards additional player positions to players that have had a role change in season. As always players are required to have played a minimum of 3 games to be eligible and to be playing the new position as their primary role in the side.
12 players have gained an additional position. Five players have gained back status, 4 gaining centre, 0 new rucks and 3 have picked up forward status. Let’s look at who they are and the relevance to your draft sides and leagues.
Dyson Heppell missed getting DPP post round three because he missed the qualification of playing three games. Since then, the Essendon skipper has solidified this defensive role. His addition should be a huge boost for his owners, especially if they are running shallow in the backline and deep in the centre. Arguably this is one of the biggest DPP gains we get.
Miles Bergman | ADD BACK
The young forward has been redeveloped as a defender in the offseason and has shown he can get it done in defence at the elite level in his handful of games. He probably has more value to his owners as a forward, but the flexibility is helpful.
George Hewett | ADD BACK
An injury affected 10 last week doesn’t make his average (47) very pretty. But even before that, this midfielder turned defender has only had one good score all year. That was an 83 all the way back in round 1. If he can regain some midfield time, he might be worth a stash in deeper leagues. But not someone worth using a waiver selection one.
Shaun Burgoyne | ADD BACK
The 786 year old is still getting it done for the Hawks, but he seems to be well past his used by date for UF coaches. A top score of 59 and a seasonal average of 47 means that he shouldn’t be considered even with this new position.
Bailey Dale | ADD BACK
Bailey Dale has forged a role for himself as part of the Bulldogs defensive seven. He’s started to take some of the kick in duties from Caleb Daniel and is showing plenty of XFactor and class. It looks like Bevo has turned another mid/fwd into a centrepiece of the backline.
With Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo missing plenty of games, the Eagles have given others greater midfield opportunities. Liam Duggan is one of a few Eagles that have taken the opportunity and as a result he picks up a new position.
Mark O’Connor | ADD CENTRE
The Cats have continued to use Mark O’Connor in a defensive midfield role over the past month. Despite picking up an injury last week, he did enough to earn centre status.
Zac Williams | ADD CENTRE
Nothing special, but the new blue Zac Williams is now a D/C. Like all ‘centre’ adds, it’s rarely going to benefit your on field scoring, rather just allow for greater squad versatility.
Chad Warner | ADD CENTRE
Chad Warner has already proven to be one of the best value for money picks of the season. He’s found himself at home as part of the Swans midfield group and was a walk up DPP addition for UF.
By name, this probably feels like a big inclusion, but on current points scoring, it’s not as exciting as one may hope. In his last 5, he’s averaging 72, and for the season, his top score is last weeks 84. All this to say, with many draft sides looking weak in the forward line, it’s nice to get a unrosterable centre now able to get back on the park. He’s still available in 28% of leagues.
Devon Smith | ADD FORWARD
His average of 73 as a centre is almost someone not worth rostering in most leagues, so he needs this new DPP to stay relevant. He now moves inside the top 50 forwards available in the game and can hopefully recapture some value for his owners.
His current role (heavy forward hence the DPP gain) isn’t seeing him score with ease. From 6 games, he’s had 4 scores under 69 and just the one ton. Helpful for his owners, but unless he can get back into the midfield, it might not be season defining.
Lachlan McNiel | ADD FORWARD
He’s averaging 39… Don’t got there! Just don’t! He’s in 8% of leagues, and that’s 8% too many!
Almost There
Jack Billings and Lachie Hunter were close to gaining additional positions, with them right in contention for forward status. At the same time, Brandon Ellis isn’t far off being back eligible. All three, amongst others, are in the mix for the round 9 additions.
After rounds 3, 6, 9, 12 & 15 the drafting format of Ultimate Footy awards additional player positions to players that have had a role change in season. At the conclusion of the round we’ll confirm with you exclusively which players WILL gain a new position, but before then here are some players we believe would be in consideration for obtaining a new positional status.
Jack Sinclair getting back status is possibly less exciting than what it looked like in the preseason after scoring 112 in the AAMI Community Series. But with the saints trying to squeeze everyone into that midfield Sinclair has been one of the players moved to the backline.
Dyson Heppell | ADD BACK
Dyson Heppell missed getting DPP post round three because he missed the qualification of playing three games. Since then, the Essendon skipper has solidified this defensive role. His likely addition should be a huge boost for his owners, especially if they are running shallow in the backline and deep in the centre. Arguably this will be one of the biggest DPP gains we get.
Bailey Dale | ADD BACK
I was surprised UltimateFooty didn’t award this after round 3, so hopefully, they amend it in this batch of DPP additions. Bailey Dale has forged a role for himself as part of the Bulldogs defensive seven. He’s started to take some of the kick in duties from Caleb Daniel and is showing plenty of XFactor and class. It looks like Bevo has turned another mid/fwd into a centrepiece of the backline.
Miles Bergman | ADD Back
The young forward has been redeveloped as a defender in the offseason and has shown he can get it done in defence at the elite level in his handful of games. Lock it in!
Chad Warner has already proven to be one of the best moneymakers of the season. He’s found himself at home as part of the Swans midfield group and should be a walk up DPP addition for UF.
Jack Crisp | ADD Centre
‘Crispy’ has always pushed up the ground even when starting across half back. But in 2021, Nathan Buckley seems quite content to play him at centre bounce more regularly. The possible DPP will open squad versatility and create further options for his owners. It still looks like a top 6-8 defensive premium in 2021.
Mark O’Connor | ADD CENTRE
The Cats have continued to use Mark O’Connor in a defensive midfield role over the past month. Despite picking up an injury last week, he still did enough in my eyes to award him centre status.
Jaidyn Stephenson | ADD CENTRE
He’s playing heavy midfield minutes for the Kangaroos, add centre status. Pretty simple really! Next!
Jack Lukosious | ADD CENTRE
The Suns love his use of the ball by foot and have looked to transform him again into a damaging wingman. When he gets on the end of it, his sublime foot skills are often exploited to help set up deep inside forward 50 attacks from Gold Coast. He’s picking up centre status will add squad flexibility and not gain you more points on the field.
He’s been excellent over the past few weeks, both in his role through the ruck and also in providing a viable tall target option up forward. Normally a ruckman gaining forward status only provides coaches with some squad flexibility, but with forwards struggling to score in 2021, this could be the exception.
Lachie Hunter | ADD FORWARD
The addition of Adam Treloar was always going to have a cascading impact on the Bulldogs midfield that was already stacked for options. It seems that Lachie Hunter is one of those who’s taken the biggest hit, with the wingman now spending a majority of his time playing a forward bound role. If he gains DPP it could be a huge win! Especially with the injury impact of Josh Dunkley missing the vast majority of the season.
Josh Daicos | ADD FORWARD
Josh Daicos was one of the more hyped breakout candidates for 2021. Despite the club moving on both Adam Treloar and Tom Phillips, who were staples of the Magpie midfield previously, Daicos can barely get a CBA. Instead, Bucks has been content to play him as a small forward. As a result, his scoring has decreased to the point where last week he scored a season high 75. Unless his role changes and he plays midfield, he’s set to stay as an irrelevant option in classic. Draft coaches will be hoping to get the DPP so they can atleast something out of what’s been a disastrous selection result so far.
NB: He spent alot of time in the midfield this week, and that might just be enough for UF to hesitate awarding it for another few weeks to see if the midfield role has rebounded.
Josh Kelly | ADD FORWARD
He has barely attended a CBA in the past four weeks and seems to have inherited the role Lachie Whitfield made famous as a high half-forward pushing up the ground. It’d be some solace for coaches that drafted him if he does get it. With an ADP of 23, it’ll be a small consolidation as easily one of the biggest premium busts of the drafting season so far.
Jack Billings | ADD FORWARD
He’ll always be in the conversation for regaining his forward status, given how damaging he is inside forward 50. With the saints trying to squeeze Brad Crouch into that midfield unit, the Saints have used Billings more forward than across the wings. The question for us will be, has he spent enough time forward to his UF’s percentage quota. For me, I’m leaning towards it being a yes, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they opted against it. While he is playing more forward, it’s not an exclusive move.
Devon Smith | ADD FORWARD
See above… He’s a chance! And his owners will be praying he does get it. His average of 73 as a centre is almost someone not worth rostering in most leagues, so he needs it to stay relevant.
Nat Fyfe | ADD FORWARD
Any small chances he had to pick up forward status got smashed last weekend, with the Dockers skipper attending 95% of centre bounces last weekend against North Melbourne. It’s doubtful he gets it, but if he does, then go out and purchase yourself a lottery ticket because that’s a huge dose of luck if he does.
Each week I’ll bring you some names to consider for your Ultimate Footy side that will hopefully give you the edge you need. To be eligible, a player needs to be available as a free agent in at least 30% of Ultimate Footy leagues.
A short one this week as coaches seem to be getting better at finding these diamonds in the rough pushing their ownership up! A DPP at a top club who is yet to play this year gets a mention and so does a slimmed down Bomber whose centre bounce numbers will surprise you.
If you forget about the round 1 performance against the Blues (a 25 from 78% game time), Baker has been quietly putting together a reasonable season at Tiger land. Just shy of 50 games, Baker has well and truly locked down a spot in this strong Richmond side having only missed one game last year and playing every game so far in 2021. He stood up in a tough loss on the weekend recording a career best 27 disposals and an impressive 7 marks in the wet. Averaging 93 in his last two, Baker should only get better from here.
Marc Murphy – Carlton % owned – 69% 2021 average – 69
This is a stretch but the absence of any other solid midfield options means I have had to get creative. Now in his football twilight years, Carlton’s former captain is down on his career averages across the board playing in an unfamiliar role forward of the centre. He hasn’t quite taken to the role just yet but at least in recent weeks has started hitting the scoreboard to help boost his fantasy scoring.
A couple of 80’s in the last few weeks isn’t much to get excited about as a midfield option but, there is a chance he will receive forward status in the upcoming DPP changes. The other bit of upside is the fact that Carlton are struggling in the win/loss column, and the masses are getting restless. The Blues may not persist with this forward line experiment for the whole season which would see Murphy back into a midfield/wing role which would almost certainly help his scoring.
Sam Powell-Pepper % owned – 66% 2021 average – yet to play
This is year 5 for Port Adelaide’s young midfield bull and after 4 seasons of averages in the 70’s, many have been wondering if this is the year Powell-Pepper will add 10-15 points to his scoring average. A broken hand and some time away from the club has meant SPP is yet to feature in the senior side this season and we aren’t any closer to knowing if this will be a breakout year. He has been back at the club for a few weeks now and dominated in the SANFL on the weekend with a 34 disposal, 8 tackle performance. If he gets named this week, his dual position status as a MID/FWD makes him worth a punt.
Despite having an injury interrupted pre-season that saw him miss the first two rounds, Stringer has been reasonably consistent this season. Apart from a stinker in wet conditions in a big loss to Brisbane, he has scored 70s in every other game.
The former Bulldog slimmed down in the off season to allow him to play more midfield minutes and this has come into fruition as he has attended 72 out of a possible 95 centre bounces this season (minus the Brisbane game). In fact, he attended more centre bounces than any other Bomber on Anzac Day and this, combined with his known prowess in front of goals, makes him a very interesting watch.
It’s the trade current owners are dreading to make. But due to a shoulder injury suffered on the weekend and subsequent decision to get surgery has meant one thing. It’s for us to trade out Josh Dunkley in all salary cap versions of Fantasy Footy. On top of this, Lachie Neale will require surgery on his ankle and will almost miss multiple months of footy. He too is a must trade out player. But who should we be looking at as trade targets?
It’s not a pretty sight, beyond Josh Dunkley there isn’t many forwards banging the door down across the formats, but with that said we still do have some options. Firstly, the enigma that is Jack Ziebell. It’s a role with scoring ceiling that nobody saw coming, as a result he is someone that we need to at least consider.
A combination of North’s defensive general Luke McDonald suffering a long term injury and the footy living inside their defensive 50 means their skipper is seeing plenty of footy is his new role. For as long as he has this role he’s going to show a high scoring ceiling and be someone to consider. However, the bigger question is, can you pay for him at peak price? Personally, I’m not convinced.
Based on Steele Sidebottom’s 130 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam & 119 in SuperCoach last weekend, he’s a prime option for coaches to consider. The Pies play Gold Coast, North Melbourne and a slowing Sydney over the next 3 weeks. You might be thinking to yourself, sure he’s had one good score, but can you bring him in after that? Simply, yes! He doesn’t just have one good score. He has a decade of good scores, as we spoke about in the preseason. It’s not a flashy pick, but it’s as safe as a premium forward as we can get in 2021.
The injury for Lachie Neale is far from ideal for the Lions, but it probably does mean it forces their skipper Dayne Zorko back into an exclusive midfield role. With three scores over 108 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam, the lowest score of 71 and an average of 99 in these formats, his current season is back up his reliable history.
In SuperCoach, he has 4 tons between 101-115 and is averaging 94. If you do target him as the option, keep in mind that in round 9, he’ll reacquaint himself with Touk Miller in another famous battle. He’s often come off worse for wares from a fantasy perspective in those clashes.
Other across the formats I like are Shai Bolton, Toby Greene and Rowan Marshall. All have the combination of scoring legacy and current form to match. While maybe not a coaches first choice, they are viable options in a line that has arguably the least variety of selections.
In AFLFantasy, you have many options to consider that neither DreamTeam nor SuperCoach players have due to the round 6 DPP additions. In no particular order, any of Nat Fyfe, Josh Kelly and Lachie Hunter are genuine options.
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Rucks Options
Just 2 weeks ago, the greatest headache for most coaches was the absence of R2 selection Matt Flynn. While he had a dominant first term against the Dogs, he had no impact on the contest after half time. So it wouldn’t surprise me to see Shane Mumford return.
The injuries to Neale and Dunkley provide Flynn R2 truthers with the chance to move on their R3 up to one of Reilly O’Brien, Max Gawn or Brodie Grundy. Even without an R/F at R3, you can still make that move, even if it is a trade pairing that creates a structural shuffle. For example, a downgrade of Dunkley/Neale to a Jy Farrar while upgrading Lloyd Meek to the other premium ruck target you desire is an easy way to restructure your team.
With the Giants playing on Saturday at 2:10pmEST, coaches will know before the round starts whether he’s named or not. Regardless, if it’s not this week, then next week, you need to have a plan to avoid another impending donut.
Midfield Options
You can throw a dozen different names into the mix for this line. But across the formats, any of Clayton Oliver, Jack Macrae, Jack Steele, Sam Walsh or Zach Merrett has been consistently dominant premiums. You can’t go wrong with any of these topline picks. And in most weeks, they are genuine VC/C options across the formats.
Other legit top candidates are Adam Treloar, Christian Petracca, Tom Mitchell, Mitch Duncan, Marcus Bontempelli, or you could go left field in Jarryd Lyons or even Cam Guthrie. They’ve all got a great history of scoring now over several years.
If low ownership is the prime objective, then you’ve got a few to gamble on. Touk Miller and Darcy Parish are thriving without some of their bigger name teammates out through injury. The suitcase Hugh McCluggage and Jaeger O’Meara have also been on fire lately, and while they might not have the frequency of ceiling that others do, they are highly unique and scoring well.
Defender Options
Every team is unique in their make up, even moreso now with these popular premiums out injured. Before we look at the defensive targets to look for, I want to remind you about 3 players you might want to save room for.
Firstly, Jordan Ridley. Barring any complications, he’ll return this week from a concussion. After delivering coaches, an injury impacted 31 in SuperCoach and 15 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam; he’s got some price drops incoming. Depending on the format you play, he’s set to drop between $50,000-$100,000. At that price point, given his scoring pre concussion, he’s gonna be a perfect buy low option.
The second is Caleb Daniel. In that past few seasons, he’s proven to be a 90+ averaging defender across the formats. By this time next week, he’ll be under $400,000 in SuperCoach, under $500,000 in DreamTeam and almost $550,000 in AFLFantasy. That’s a bargain given his previous years and pore suspension scoring.
My only hesitation in advocating for him is the improvement of Bailey Dale. His past four weeks have been excellent, and he’s certainty gaining his fair share of the Bulldogs defensive ball. The ‘helmut’ will still be good. But he might have his ceiling dinted slightly.
Lastly, it’s the forgotten star of the backline Lachie Whitfield. According to the club’s website, he’s likely to play VFL this week before returning to the AFL the following week. If he can get back to full fitness, he’s certainly someone every coach would ideally want in their completed side. So maybe you can save a space for him as an upgrade after the Giants round 12 bye.
If, after those names, you’re still in the market for a premium defender, we have plenty of options. Callum Mills is the leading points scorer across all game formats and has low ownership compared to the other top tier options. His teammate Jake Lloyd isn’t having as big a year as previous, but he’s still right in the mix for being the top defender by seasons end.
Rory Laird and Sam Docherty are probably next in a line across all formats, with the latter starting to really get going in the last few rounds. I also like Tom Stewart and his reliable scoring range, even if he does lack some of the ceiling of others on this list.
Other options to consider are Jack Bowes, Dan Houston, Christian Salem and Jack Crisp. The return of Bachar Houli has slowed the scoring of Jayden Short for the past few weeks. If I were an owner, I wouldn’t panic trade him. But unless Houli gets a long term injury, I wouldn’t be looking at him too seriously now.
In SuperCoach, Daniel Rich is ranked 5th for all defenders and should be some to have on the watchlist at the very least.
Injuries, injuries, injuries. What more needs to be said. It was the round for it. In 13 years of playing this game I’m not sure I’ve seen a start quite like this. To have so many premiums out at one time, so early on in the season, it certainly feels unique this year. But in the words of the all wise and knowledgeable Conor McGregor, “An injury is not just a process of recovery, it’s a process of discovery.”
This early on in the week it feels more like recovery; particularly for those coaches dealing with multiple outs. I feel for coaches I know who need to manage Josh Dunkley, Lachie Neale, and Dustin Martin all at the same time. Just like I feel for the poor bloke I know that traded Neale in about 10 minutes before the bounce. Ooft. Needless to say, it’s these three injuries that will be taking up the majority of the Supercoach conversion this week.
To continue on with McGregor’s wisdom, it’s fair to say that we are now in a week of discovery. The opportunities we have before us for some unique points of difference in our teams makes this a fun week. If you’re still in the recovery stage, this might not sound so fun but you’ll get there.
In my mind, we’ve got three places of opportunity. Or as I like to call it, POO.
First, is the opportunity to bring fresh blood into our forward line.
I will grant you, there aren’t many standouts here.
One of the most popular trades will be Steele Sidebottom. He’s been increasingly finding form and numbers, and importantly he’s now priced under $500k. Toby Greene is another solid option, and is certainly being praised for his on-field maturity in the media these past few weeks. He’s the 4th best forward right now, priced at the $500k mark, and has 10% ownership. Tom McDonald and Shai Bolton have averaged decent numbers the past few weeks. I’m not personally looking at them, but you do you.
Second, is the opportunity to repair/improve/change our ruck strategy.
Those who are still dealing with the Matt Flynn ruck strategy could use this time to move to a set-and-forget policy. We have no idea what Leon Cameron’s ruck policy is and whether Shane Mumford will come back sooner rather than later. This week can now be a time where we define our own ruck policy more clearly.
If you’re not going to go to Gawn or Grundy then perhaps NicNat, Reilly O’Brien, or even Sean Darcy would do the job well. It might be a more conservative route, but then it could pay-off in the long run and give other options elsewhere. Again, you do you.
Third, is the opportunity to bring some PODs, particularly in the midfield.
As it stands I only have two of the top 10 midfielders right now. Yes, it concerns me. But I suspect there may be some players on this list that you don’t have either. Think Cam Guthrie, David Mundy, and Jarryd Lyons; all under 6% ownership. Other options outside of the top 10 include Touk Miller (0.6%), Jaeger O’Meara (1.5%), and Luke Parker (1.8%), who have averaged 105+ over the past few weeks. I mean, there’s more to add here too: Adam Trealoar (3.1%), Ollie Wines (1.6%), and Hugh McCluggage (2.2%), who are all scoring well and all able to be snatched up at a decent price.
Whatever your injury concerns may be this week I hope you can see this as a time of discovery, Conor McGregor would want you too. And I mean, you’ve got to do those recovery required rage trades too of course. Anyway, you do you.
Buy low, sell high! It’s the age-old motto to succeed in Fantasy football of all formats. Every week we share with you the players with the lowest breakevens across AFLFantasy, SuperCoach & DreamTeam. Here are the players that offer the best breakevens heading into a new round.
One of my favourite parts of fantasy footy is nabbing a free agent off the waiver wire before anyone else does and watching him turn into a gun scorer for my draft sides. Each week I’ll bring you some names to consider for your Ultimate Footy side that will hopefully give you the edge you need. To be eligible, a player needs to be available as a free agent in at least 30% of Ultimate Footy leagues.
Just the one defender this week but I finally have a ruckman to talk about! Plus, a high-profile player traded during the off season that has yet to debut at his new club makes the list.
Redman has always seemed to play a fantasy friendly game but has only managed 38 games across his 5 years in the system. He has looked solid this season and is one of a few that have benefitted from Saad’s departure. After a disappointing 52 in round 1, Redman has backed it up with a 92, an injury affected 49 (from 39% game time!) and a 75 on the weekend. With Ridley set to miss this week, there’s going to be plenty more ball on offer for the likes of Redman.
Luke Dunstan – St.Kilda % owned – 53% 2021 average – 74
The player with the highest average in 2020 (no seriously, he did only play the one game though) has found it tough to get into the Saints’ best 22 this season. The injection of Clark into the midfield and the arrival of Crouch from the Crows hasn’t helped but it’s still a puzzling one as he looks a decent player when fit. He got his chance on the weekend after a late change saw Zak Jones miss on the weekend.
In the big loss to the Tigers, Dunstan had 16 touches, 4 tackles and he attended 12/31 centre bounces scoring 74 which ranked him 8th for points at St.Kilda. He is likely to make way for Jones this week but if not, keep him in mind. He scored 8 consecutive tons in the back end of 2017 into 2018!
I was surprised to see Acres was available in over 30% of leagues but then I had a look at his scores so far this year and can only assume he has been dropped by a lot of frustrated coaches early. He struggled with injuries last season which was his first at the Dockers but finished the year with gusto averaging 92 in his last 4 games. Unfortunately, he has not carried that form over into this season, but the last two weeks have been more promising. He looked exceptionally good against the Crows on the weekend amassing 12 touches in the opening quarter alone. He only finished with 19 for the game but the scoring potential is there.
Callum Sinclair – Sydney % owned – 58% 2021 average – yet to play
With journeyman Tom Hickey joining the club in the off season, Sinclair saw his position as the number 1 ruck disappear very quickly. With Hickey now sidelined for the next two months with a PCL injury, we should see Sinclair come in and try to prove the selectors wrong. Playing predominantly as the preferred ruck (with some time as a key forward) saw Sinclair average 83 across 2018-2020 including a career high 92 in 2018. He should be able to hit some decent scores for those in need of a ruck, particularly this week as he comes up against the ruckless Suns.
I’ve held off nominating this guy for a few weeks now as I wasn’t convinced his scoring would continue but if I don’t nominate him this week, he’ll be too popular before the next article! Pickett put up very modest numbers in his debut year last season but has exploded this year, kicking goals in every game, applying great forward pressure with just under 4 tackles a game and even attending a handful of centre bounces each week. His fantasy scores have increased every round this season and with a 95 on the weekend, his first ton is coming soon.
Ben Brown – Melbourne % owned – 28% 2021 average – yet to play
Taylor Walker, Josh Bruce, Aaron Naughton, Tim Membrey. These are just some of the key forwards who haven’t been mentioned in fantasy circles for a long time, if ever, yet have jumped out of the blocks with some huge scores this year. If the AFL rule changes have indeed heralded the return of the big forward, then Ben Brown must get a shout as a player with tremendous upside. Brown had a very poor 2020 but before that averaged 63 goals a season between 2017-2019 and that was playing for the Kangaroos who weren’t in contention in any of those years. Now he’s at the undefeated Demons and ready for selection after missing the opening rounds due to knee surgery, he should post some huge numbers when he gets his chance.
As Monty Python’s “The Life Brian” reminds us, we’ve always got to look on the bright side of life. For despite another round of carnage for many coaches there were plenty of positives to take away from this weekend’s games. Let’s at least name some of these before moving to the more critical issues many have to deal with.
Nine tons from the Eagles meant there were plenty of coaches happy with some of their selections. Liam Duggan top scored and Alex Witherden had a great debut. There’s a couple of possible options in an already packed defensive line.
The Bulldogs do what the Bulldogs do and have such great midfield depth that plenty get on the scoreboard. Josh Dunkley, Jackson Macrae, and Marcus Bontempelli were all exceptional for our teams. Even when Bont goes forward he still manages to grab the points we want him to, it’s just a beautiful thing right now.
Surely we all want Lance Franklin to reach 1000 goals in his career. If that’s the case then we may see more scores like that on Saturday. It was a tough loss in the end for the Swans, mind you, all us Matt Flynn owners are possibly in for a tough few weeks still as Shane Mumford and his 669 owners continue to celebrate. He was the highest scorer and only ton for GWS.
Port Adelaide did a number on Carlton and also had plenty of 100’s. Sam Walsh the only consolation for Blues fans with a terrific 144.
Lachie Neale did what all his owners have wanted him to do all season. He showed what he’s capable of and the high ceiling he has. His fellow midfielder, Hugh McCluggage was also impressive and is perhaps one to keep an eye on. Zach Merrett the only positive for the Dons.
There were some good scores in the Crows–Dockers game. David Mundy keeps going, Liam Ryan another good option for us in the backline, Nat Fyfe and Andrew Brayshaw all in the mix as well.
Reilly O’Brien looks like a genuine upgrade target for those, like me, having to deal with a disastrous ruck situation. Locking him in alongside Max Gawn, who absolutely dominated and is now the number one scorer not only in his position but overall, would be a consistent combo.
Geelong didn’t have to do too much to beat North, but Tom Stewart and Sam Menegola certainly provided a helpful lift for some coaches. Jack Ziebell continues on with his excellent scoring and is currently the third best forward in the game.
See, there are plenty of positives to talk about. But, yes, you’re right. There are issues galore as well. One way to look at this past weekend is to see it through the tale of the Jordan’s.
Friday night didn’t go well for any Pies supporters or Jordan De Goey coaches. Having to deal with a score of 4 just makes it a tough round, having him drop by $57.6k is salt into the wounds, and then the fact that he’ll miss next week as well. I don’t know what that is, death by a 100 papercuts? Coaches will have to decide though, is it an easy sell or a gutsy hold?
The other Jordan is old mate Jordan Ridley. Off with concussion saw his score stand at 31 and he’ll also miss the ANZAC Day clash. What made this one worse for many coaches was the decision to offload Caleb Daniel to upgrade to him. That is the definition of carnage.
And the final Jordan worth mentioning here is Jordan Clark. These rolling team selections are causing issues every weekend and this week over 50% of teams were impacted by his omission from the Cats squad.
There’s more we could speak of here too; Mumford taking Flynn’s spot in the ruck, breakevens creeping higher and higher for a number of our rookies, and the few downgrade options coming through.
Whatever weekend you had, I hope you make decisions you’re happy with in the coming days. After all, we’ve got to look on the bright side don’t we?
Before round 6, 12 and 18, the gang at AFLFantasy team up with Champion Data to add some new DPP into the game. After round 5, the first list of names and positions will be released. Historically, AFLFantasy has said that players need a minimum of 35% to be considered for a new allocation in a new position. So let’s see which players are locks, close or no chance of getting DPP.
The former saint will be one of the first and easiest DPP decisions that AFLFantasy will make in 2021. Nick Hind has gone from occasional AFL player at St Kilda to a permanent fixture of the Essendon backline. His run and carry have seen many supporters not notice the gap left by Adam Saad.
Jack Ziebell | ADD DEFENDER
Jack Ziebell is in a similar vein to Hind and will pick up defender status. The Roos captain has been revitalised as a scorer and will provide his owner flexibility to play him at whatever end of the ground they need. His starting price made him awkward to pick in classic, but he’s a genuine top 6 FWD/DEF option if he keeps this scoring up.
Jarman Impey | ADD DEFENDER
No surprises here, with Jarman Impey’s name as a certain gain of this new status. The hawks love his speed and ball use out of defensive 50. His teammates look to get the ball in his hands and every available opportunity. Depending on your overall squad’s health and balance, he’s now able to be played as either a forward or back on the field comfortably. Probably more draft relevant than classic, but a valid addition.
Dyson Heppell | ADD DEFENDER
Will need to play this round to be considered, given Dyson Heppell has only played two games in the 2021 season. The Bombers skipper has found a new home across half back, and after back to back scores of 80+, his 2.5% of owners will be happy when this new position lands. The small % of coaches who own will be keen to flip down back and get another cow off-field.
Jayden Hunt | ADD DEFENDER
The run and carry defender is well and truly enjoying a scoring renaissance with how the AFL is being played. After attempting to reinvent him as a small forward over the past few seasons, Melbourne has deployed Jayden Hunt back into his preferred defensive role.
His last 3 weeks he’s scored 80, 93 & 68. Priced at over $443,000 and with a breakeven of 34 he’s not someone anymore I’d consider in classic. Maybe a draft addition depending on the depth of your squads.
Miles Bergman | ADD DEFENDER
He’ll need to play this weekend to be considered, but if he does, then surely the gang at AFLFantasy award this additional position. The young forward has been redeveloped as a defender in the offseason and has shown he can get it done at the elite level in his handful of games.
Tom Atkins | ADD DEFENDER
Another DPP that’s been mooted since the preseason began. Geelong has spoken about and now used Tom Atkins as a defender. The club loves his pressure acts and the defensive efforts on the game. If the Cats can get their possession game going, he should be in a 70’s averaging BACK/FWD, which would be more than handy for his owner as a bench option if nothing else.
Aaron Hall | ADD DEFENDER
Much like his captain, Aaron Hall has been moved into the backline to provide some much needed experience. Hall has been used to provide some defensive run and carry in his two full games and has scored 99 & 123. One more full game in this role, and AFLFantasy will certainly have to consider awarding the new position. However, even if they don’t award DPP, his value to coaches in especially draft is more than he’s scoring well and is forward eligible.
Genuinely scoring like a top 6 defender with an average of 102 and has the lowest score of 85. Callum Mills has been immense in the Swans midfield and is an easy addition for the boffins at AFLFantasy to make. The 6.8% of coaches on him just have got themselves some increased squad flexibility.
Chad Warner | ADD MIDFIELD
I think we’ll see a bunch of Sydney players awarded DPP, and with good reason too. Chad Warner has already proven to be one of the best moneymakers of the season. He’s found himself at home as part of the Swans midfield group and should be a walk up DPP addition for AF.
Jack Crisp | ADD MIDFIELD
‘Crispy’ has always pushed up the ground even when starting across half back. But in 2021, Nathan Buckley seems quite content to play him at centre bounce more regularly. The possible DPP will open squad versatility and create further options for his owners. It still looks like a top 6-8 defensive premium in 2021.
Liam Duggan | ADD MIDFIELD
Another easy one of the gang at AFLFantasy. With Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo missing plenty of games, the Eagles have given others greater midfield opportunities. Liam Duggan is one of those and should become a MID/DEF by the time lockout lifts this week.
The long term injury to Sam Draper forced the Bombers into a restructure. That’s meant two metre Peter has gone from a ‘relief ruck’ role into the leader of the pack. I wouldn’t be interested in him in classic, but depending on your draft league’s depth, he might be someone worth considering.
He has to get it and will be a monster addition to the competition. Errol Gulden has been the best performing rookie of the season and with his scoring. In a week, you’ll be able to shaft one of the forward cows to either the bench or slaughterhouse for culling and move Gulden into the forwardline.
Tim English | ADD FORWARD
Stefan Martin’s addition has allowed Tim to become the ‘second ruck’ option for the Bulldogs. As a result, he’s playing predominantly full forward and creating a marking target for the doggies. The probably DPP gain will be most helpful in the draft versions of AFLFantasy.
Lachie Hunter | ADD FORWARD
The addition of Adam Treloar was always going to have a cascading impact on the Bulldogs midfield that was already stacked for options. It seems that Lachie Hunter is one of those who’s taken the biggest hit, with the wingman now spending a majority of his time playing a forward bound role. If he gains DPP and, by some miracle, regain that wing role, he’s a genuine top-tier AFLFantasy forward option.
Jacob Koschitzke | ADD FORWARD
The Hawks have transitioned ‘Kosi’ from a key defensive role into a full forward. But with an average of 43, and no certainty of playing weekly he shouldn’t be someone we get too excited about.
Josh Daicos | ADD FORWARD
Josh Daicos was one of the more hyped breakout candidates for 2021. Despite the club moving on both Adam Treloar and Tom Phillips, who were staples of the Magpie midfield previously, Daicos can barely get a CBA. Instead, Bucks has been content to play him as a small forward. As a result, his scoring has decreased to the point where last week he scored a season high 75. Unless his role changes and he plays midfield, he’s set to stay as an irrelevant option in classic. Draft coaches will be hoping to get the DPP so they can atleast something out of what’s been a disastrous selection result so far.
Josh Kelly | ADD FORWARD
He has attended under 10 CBA’s in the past two weeks and seems to have inherited the role Lachie Whitfield made famous as a high half forward pushing up the ground. It’d be some solace for the 2.5% of coaches that own him given his average of 86 is almost 30 points per game under his multiple previous best seasons of 110+ averages. He’d become very relevant if DPP is awarded.
Possible, but don’t count on in
Nat Fyfe
It wouldn’t shock me at all if he got it! Nat Fyfe kicked 6 behinds on the Hawks and took plenty of marks inside forward last week. But to go with his forward time he’s still winning plenty of the ball at centre stoppages. It al depends on how close to that 35% data split he gets.
Tim Taranto
This looked more certain after round two, given his low midfield minutes. However, since injuries have struck the club hard, they’ve thrown Tim back into the guts. He’s still a chance given the cumulative time over the 5 weeks will be considered. But at this point, I’d lean on it being more likely he misses out.
