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.
Embed from Getty ImagesNick Hind | ADD DEFENDER
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.
Become a Patron! Embed from Getty ImagesCallum Mills | ADD MIDFIELD
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.
Embed from Getty ImagesPeter Wright | ADD RUCK
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.
Errol Gulden | ADD FORWARD
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.
