Season 2025

AFL Fantasy: Top 10 Trade Targets for Round Seven

It is officially upgrade season. Now is the time to start converting your cash cows into premium performers who had slower starts but are ready to deliver value in your AFL Fantasy side.

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1. Caiden Cleary

At just under $400,000, Cleary is my number one trade target this week. With back-to-back strong performances, he’s proven himself as a fieldable forward option. His work rate, intensity and defensive pressure are impressive, and we’re seeing him impact the scoreboard in multiple ways against different defenders.

With no Tom Papley for the next five weeks, he’s secure in his role and positioned to generate another $100-150K. Given the recent positional changes in the game, there’s simply no reason not to prioritize Cleary as your top downgrade option.

2. Tom Gross

Priced just over $300,000 with an average in the 60s, Gross has demonstrated reliable scoring across different matchups. While not ideal for your on-field lineup compared to options like Ashcroft, Lindsay or Davidson, he represents solid value at his price point.

Is it a double downgrade week? Probably not. One up, one down is the strategy. For Cleary owners, Gross becomes your secondary cash generation outlet; for non-Cleary owners, securing Cleary first remains the priority.

3. Riley Bice

With two consecutive six-figure price jumps and a breakeven of negative 28, Bice is heading rapidly toward $700,000. His fantasy-favorable role makes him comfortable to leave on field while premium defenders show volatility in their scoring.

To get consistent 70s from a player now at half the premium price (and a quarter of what he cost a fortnight ago) represents tremendous value. He still has considerable cash to generate, making him essential even if you’ve missed his initial rises.

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4. Nick Daicos

Daicos handled the James Jordan tag impressively, showcasing his work rate and contested ball winning ability. His history against Brisbane is excellent, with tons in his last three encounters during home and away seasons.

Though not as cheap as last week, a player averaging 100 with a breakeven of 86 projects for a baseline around 105. He offers strong VC potential this week and represents solid value despite the not-ideal fixture.

5. Zach Merrett

At $1.131 million, Merrett is undeniably expensive. However, his upcoming six-week fixture run beginning with West Coast is exceptional based on emerging 2025 matchup data.

His scoring diversity through goals, stoppage work, and transition play could make him the top fantasy player during this stretch. The question is whether allocating that premium price is worth it when players like Daicos, Green, and Brayshaw are available $100,000 cheaper.

6. Nick Martin

Recently gaining forward status, Martin excelled with uncontested possessions and marks against Melbourne. Playing as a wingman/high half-forward, his appeal stems primarily from his favorable fixture list.

His dual position flexibility creates additional lineup options, though players $100,000 cheaper could deliver similar output. This selection represents a fixture play rather than a form selection.

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7. Harry Sheezel

Despite significant midfield minutes and Wardlaw’s impending return, Sheezel continues scoring in the hundreds. When given freedom behind the ball, he delivers knockout performances.

Averaging 106 with a breakeven of 122, he represents one of the best defensive options available this season. Waiting another week to see North Melbourne’s structure with Wardlaw’s return might be prudent before investing.

8. Jason Horne-Francis

After consecutive tons, Horne-Francis offers better value with an attainable breakeven of 73. If you’ve avoided him until now, you’ve been rewarded by dodging his early season struggles while setting yourself up for value acquisition.

His ceiling appears lower than some alternatives, and with Rankine, Daniel, McCrae, Smith, Petracca and Martin providing strong forward options, Horne-Francis isn’t essential this season. Still, his value diminishes with each passing week.

9. Christian Petracca

Under $900,000 with promising recent form, Petracca’s fixture list opens tremendously after this week’s Fremantle matchup. His work rate and ground coverage have returned, even without hitting the scoreboard.

While Daicos takes priority this week due to acquisition difficulty after a potential score spike, Petracca represents a premium forward option whose trade priority will increase next week once his favorable matchup stretch begins.

10. Saad El-Hawli

At $260,000 with a negative breakeven, El-Hawli remains widely targeted despite being owned by only 30% of teams. His ranking suffers due to consecutive games as the substitute, which significantly impacts cash generation potential.

He’s a viable option if you’ve secured the primary cash generators (Cleary, Gross, Bice) and need to move on from underperforming players like Pryor, Davidson, Sanders, or Decony.

Fantasy Musings from the 2022 Season | MiniMonk

After having my best season across all formats, where I (MiniMonk) ended up in 2nd in Real Dream Team, 39th in AFL Fantasy, and 245th in Supercoach, I wanted to share some lessons I’ve learnt through the season. Fantasy can be a cruel game sometimes, but I love playing it with the competitive nature of it and the sense of community that exists around it. I hope that some of these points will be useful to you for next season or in any other fantasy sports you may play in the future.

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Your starting team won’t be perfect (But it doesn’t have to be):

Looking back at the start of 2022, all the teams I made were far from perfect. I started with relatively bad premiums such as Whitfield in SuperCoach, failed midpricers like Rowell, Milera, and McInerney, and one-week rookies like Baldwin, missing out on value performers such as Brayshaw, English, Smith, Cripps, McCartin, Martin, and Xerri. It’s easy to look at your rank after the first round and be deflated; after round 1, I was just inside 1k in RDT, 15k in Fantasy, and a miserly 53k in SuperCoach. However, you’ve made the decisions for a reason, and there are still 22 rounds in the season to fix them. The early weeks of the fantasy year are to fix these mistakes in your starting squad, and this will allow you to adjust to the players that you might have missed. In both limited trade formats, I went hard early to correct my teams, using a boost in Round 3 to remove Rowell, Milera, and Whitfield. The biggest lesson from this is that you will have made mistakes in your starting squad, but there is always time to recover to a good rank as no one will have a perfect team.

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It’s Cliché for a reason; Role is everything in Fantasy:

Players will change roles at the start of the season and throughout it, whether it be due to a trade, injury, or coaching change. Quickly picking up on these role changes can rocket you up the ranks. Both Brodie and Hewett started playing inside midfield, Xerri started as the primary ruckman, Darcy Cameron got the number one ruck role when Grundy got injured, and Coniglio returned to be an inside midfielder post-coaching change. 2022 was a year where many examples of how much a role can affect their scoring, with good coaches who could pick up on these changes, making huge climbs in the ranks this season. However, it can be scary to take the plunge on players who have changed their roles due to the unpredictability of teams’ structures, especially when these changes come mid-season. 

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Trust your eyes, your gut, and the stats:

The easiest way to know what is happening with players’ roles is to watch the footy and a lot of it. The eye test is important in determining whether a player has had a role change, but sometimes you can’t get to a game; life happens, other important things get in the way, and there are so only so many hours in the day. Digesting information from others in articles or podcasts can help, with plenty of good resources available, but only statistics are truly unbiased. In the era of modern fantasy AFL, there are many good resources for centre bounce attendances, time on ground statistics, and possession heat maps. These can be used to pick a role change before others notice it, including many pundits online. Sometimes you need to wait a week before you jump on if it is due to an injury, and sometimes you might just have to back your gut (and heaven forbid the coach) that the player will get the role you think they will consistently. 

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Mistakes will happen:

Sometimes you make a bad trade, a player gets injured, or they get dropped. You might field the wrong rookie or captain the wrong player, or, like me, reverse a trade and end up with the wrong player on field. I bought in Hall for his injured 12 the week of the Stewart suspension, accidentally captained Laird for his 92 instead of using the VC on him like I had planned, and fielded Sam Hayes over Preuss when rolling back my team. No matter how good of a coach you are, there will be a time where you make a mistake, it’s going to happen to everyone through the season, but learning from the mistakes you make is important and can help you improve not only year-on-year but within the same season. Don’t panic when something goes awry or someone you don’t own pops a big score, just focus on what you can fix in your team and success will eventually come. 

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Target the value:

Jumping on the right premium at the right time is the game’s name, and this applies throughout the entire season. If you think a player will outperform what they are priced at then they are someone you should be targeting. Players can be value due to many different reasons, such as a role change, an injury, building time-on-ground, bad matchups, or a tag. Two perfect examples of value players this year are Callum Mills and Rory Laird; they had performed well in the second half of 2021, been injured late in the preseason, missed early games, and then had low time on the ground which slowly built, with their price bottoming out at round 6. Another example is Clayton Oliver, who had a tough matchup in round 4 against Port Adelaide, dropped 40k whilst still scoring at around 110, and was coming into a run of relatively soft fixtures when his price bottomed out. Getting on a premium at the right time when they bottom out allows you to build team value and get the jump on the teams around you.

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Have fun:

If you like watching a particular player, start or buy them, especially if they play for the team you support! If you can’t stand owning a player in your team, move them on! If you want to go for a point of difference, have fun with it and get them. Fantasy is just a game after all, and even when you’re ranked highly having a little bit of fun with a cheeky POD can make your season. I indulged myself by bringing in Hurn in round 17 in SuperCoach and Ellis in round 21 in AFL Fantasy, both of which turned out quite nicely. Making decisions that you will enjoy will substantially improve your experience with fantasy, and sometimes it might just improve your rank too!

If you have any questions or ever want a chat about anything fantasy related, feel free to hit me up on twitter @MiniMonk10. Hope you all had a good season and bring on 2023!

Ten Moves That Made The Season

There are so many variables that go into making a successful fantasy football season. A good starting squad certainly contributes, but at the end of the day, ‘success’ comes from making the right trades at the right time. So retrospectively, MJ looks back at the 2022 season and the moves that could have made the difference this season.

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Rory Laird | Trade In | Round Six

For many in the preseason, Rory Laird was one of the players on the radar. He was coming off the back of averaging over 110 across the formats. Sadly, a hand injury in the preseason against Port Adelaide prevented many from starting with him. 

Every game Rory has played would’ve been a great time to get him in, given that he hasn’t dropped under 90 all season. However, at round six, he was at his lowest price point.

Since this time and over the last fifteen games, he’s scored fourteen AFLFanatasy/DreamTeam tons; eleven are over 120 and gone at an average of 126.6. In SuperCoach, he’s performing even better. He’s scored a ton in every game in the fifteen-game stretch; eleven are over 120, and the lowest score in his last four games is 140. Since round six, he’s going at a SuperCoach average of 131.

He’s never been ‘cheap’ this year, but if you’ve not outlaid the cash for him this season, you are probably not where you want to be in the rankings. He’s been one of the biggest difference makers this fantasy football season.

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Tom Liberatore | Trade In | Round Six

One of the great blessings for coaches this year, especially in SuperCoach, was the addition of forward status for Tom Liberatore. Libba spent the first few weeks of the year as a forward, building back fitness after having an injury-interrupted preseason. However, we saw a substantial spike in his fantasy football scoring from round six onwards, which aligned with a consistent return to his centre bounce midfield role. Since round six in SuperCoach, he’s scored eleven tons from fifteen games and has had only one score dip below 90. During this stretch of the game, he’s averaged 111. Even more impressive was if you grabbed him at the end of round five, you’d have been paying $521k for him.

To put that scoring into perspective, he’s currently the 17th highest scoring option in all of SuperCoach this year and is ranked third for all forward options. But, alongside this high scoring, consistency has been a notoriously low ownership number. Even now, under 15,000 coaches (9%) of teams own him.

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Darcy Cameron | Trade In | Round Seven

When Brodie Grundy went down with a longer term injury in round six, it was clear that Darcy Cameron would get the primary share of the ruck responsibility. However, the hesitation in bringing him in immediately in round seven was still there because we hadn’t seen him dominate outside of the NEAFL/VFL.

Since round seven, you’ve been handsomely rewarded if you did take the plunge and trade into him blind. He’s returned with six AFLFantasy/DreamTeam tons at an average of 93. While in SuperCoach 98 with seven tons. These scores are excellent in light of what we paid for. However, it’s a slight dip in what he’d been doing for most of the year. Between rounds 7-19, Darcy averaged 102 in AFLFantasy and 104 in SuperCoach in an eleven game stretch. He’s been one of the season’s best picks, and arguably, without him, you’ve been playing ‘catch up’ all year.

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Mason Redman | Trade In | Round Seven

2022 is the year of previously irrelevant names pushing themselves into premium territory. Mason Redman has always been a good footballer in the backline, but that’s never translated into fantasy scoring. Until now. Over the past twelve games, Essendon has utilised Mason more, and we’ve seen the spike not just in possessions, marks and tackles but also in his fantasy output.

Over the year’s first six weeks, he averaged 76.5 in SuperCoach and 71 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam. Since round seven, he’s posted seven SuperCoach tons, including 144, 152 & 177. During this stretch of games, he’s been averaging 106.5. While in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam, he’s posted five tons, four of which were over 120 and averaged 96. It might not be the biggest ‘pop’ of all players in this article, but he’s had arguably the best ceiling of all our premium defenders.

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Jordan Dawson | Trade In | Round Seven

In hindsight, what a critical week of trading round seven appears to have been, with many teams being potentially able to make season-defining trades. Without a doubt, Jordan Dawson is having a career best season at his new club. He’s not been ‘poor’ to own at any point of the season. At the end of round six, he’d delivered two tons across the formats and averaged 92 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 99 in SuperCoach. It’s good scoring, but he’s been going better!

Over the past fourteen games since round seven, he’s been an unstoppable force! In AFLFantasy/DreamTeam, he’s gone at an average of 104, including nine tons and just one score under 85. While in SuperCoach, he’s averaged 113, scored ten tons, five of which have been over 130, and Dawson has dipped his scoring under 90 in just one game.

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Patrick Cripps | Trade Out | Round Eight

No player started the 2022 fantasy football season stronger than Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps. Even with a hamstring related injury early in round four and missing the subsequent match, he was still fire and a season defining selection. If you include his injury affected game, he still averaged 116 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 125 in SuperCoach. Using the power of hindsight, coaches that jumped off here not only maxed out his value and points scoring but also gave themselves some considerable better sleep at night.

From round eight and over the next twelve games, he’s averaged 95 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 101 in SuperCoach. These are far from ‘poor’ scores, but when coaches were paying for him to be a 110-120 premium midfielder and getting scores well below. So perhaps there are some lessons for coaches to ponder for future seasons. 

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Braydon Preuss | Trade Out | Round 10

Sigh! Every week since January, I’ve spoken about Braydon Preuss this year in a podcast or an article for the Coaches Panel. So at least my decision to place him inside the top ten of the fifty most relevant seems justified now. To say owning Preuss in 2022 created some headaches might be an understatement, but the reality is the entire ruck division this season has been a dumpster fire.

He was one of the most relevant players from round three and the following seven weeks. During this stretch (yes, he missed round five with a suspension), he averaged 98 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 110 in SuperCoach. At round ten, when he was out of the side with illness. Any coach who jumped off him would have been rewarded. This ‘sick’ week was followed up by an additional week of him missing with covid, the bye and then being overlooked. By the time he did get back into the side in round fourteen, he was subbed out of the game early in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Preuss didn’t make it back into the Giants side again until round nineteen.

Safe to say, if coaches took the first ‘exit’ on Preuss and pocketed his cash, they would’ve saved themselves plenty of heartaches.

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Stephen Coniglio | Trade In | Round Thirteen

Many coaches started with Stephen Coniglio. He loomed as one of the best value picks in our starting squads in 2022. With multiple 80+ scores, including a few tons in the opening seven weeks, ‘Cogs’ was doing exactly what he expected. However, in rounds eight & nine, he played heavily as a forward and returned multiple poor scores. As a result, a high volume of fantasy footballers traded him out, especially with his bye break just around the corner.

Over rounds ten and eleventh, we saw him spike back into the midfield, and unsurprisingly the scoring returned to where it had been for the year. While holding Cogs was the right call at round thirteen after the bye, he was ripe for the picking. In SuperCoach, he would’ve set you back just over $430k, AFLFantasy $704,000 and DreamTeam just under $670k. From the bye, he’s averaged 110 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 115 in SuperCoach.

If you traded back into Cogs at this time, well done. Even more so if you ‘kept the faith’ and held him.

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Harry Himmelberg | Trade In | Round Thirteen

What a crazy season 2022 has been! When players like Harry Himmelberg are among the most vital trade moves of the year. That’s not having a go at Harry, but rather stating that before his flip into the backline, he’s been someone even draft coaches in deep leagues haven’t even considered. The scoring run of Himmelberg did start in round eleven against Brisbane. It’s here when he was deployed across the backline and scored 101 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 126 in SuperCoach.

After the GWS bye rounds, Himmelberg was ripe for picking. A risky pick, no doubt, but triple nonetheless. He’d have set you back $350k in SuperCoach, $472k in AFLFantasy and $511k in AFLDreamTeam. The nine game stretch has had some monster high scoring matches (north of 150+). In addition to some games, he struggled to get to 70. However, he’s averaged 101 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 115 in SuperCoach. Additionally, he’s gained DEF status and has become a helpful linkman in creating squad versatility as injuries have hit teams.

Owning him has been a gauntlet to run most weeks, with interim coach Mark McVeigh constantly hinting at him returning to the forward line. However, for the most part, he’s been a phenomenally smart pick for the brave coaches that jumped on.

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Zach Merrett | Trade In | Round Fifteen

Until a week ago, nobody would’ve questioned Zach Merrett’s inclusion in the list. But, as disappointing as his scores last week may have been, the reality is that he’s been among the top scoring premiums across the formats. After the bye rounds, Merrett was a popular buy low premium, but it wasn’t until round fifteen that he started to turn the scoring on. These past seven weeks, he has averaged 125 in SuperCoach and 121 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam.

Entering round fifteen in AFLFantasy, he’d have set you back $774,000 for SuperCoach it was $529,600 and DreamTeam $774,900. So getting him now will cost you almost $200k more in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and over $100k in SuperCoach. So not only has he been scoring phenomenally, but he’s also returning sensational value for money!

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Possible DPP’s | Round 18

Before rounds 6, 12 and 18, the gang at Champion Data add some new DPP into the game. After round 18 concludes on Sunday, the first list of names and positions will be released. Historically, players need a minimum of 35% to be considered for a new allocation in a new position. So, we have in-season DPP additions for the first time in SuperCoach & DreamTeam history. For AFLFantasy coaches, you are an old hand at these. So let’s see which players are locks, close or no chance of getting DPP.

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ADD DEFENDER

Harry Himmelberg

I never thought I’d do a ‘DPP’ write-up for Harry Himmelberg; he seemed destined to always be a tall target inside the Giants forward line. However, in rounds 10 & 11, he was thrown into a key defensive position under a new coaching regime. To his credit, he’s looked very good there, and his scoring has taken a considerable bump. Even the return of Nick Haynes and Phil Davis has done little to move him from the role. He looks a genuine premium and is someone you can lock in for DEF/FWD status.

Brady Hough

He’s likely no longer in your classic team and even less likely in your draft team, so many won’t get too excited by this addition. However, with the Eagles cavalry starting to return, it won’t shock me to see Brady Hough squeezed out of the West Coast lineup. But keeper and dynasty league coaches might be paying a little more attention. Hough has looked at home across the Eagles halfback flank, and his round 11 score of 99 against the Bulldogs shows that he can score well within the teams structure and style. So depending on the depth of ‘keepers’, be may be worth a stash on your list.

Andy McGrath

During the preseason, Andrew McGrath was one of the most hyped players. As a midfielder, his average in the mid to high 80’s is less than ideal in drafts, let alone in classic. However, with the potential inclusion of defensive DPP being added, he does become a player of interest in drafting formats. His run off the halfback before some injuries hit was starting to look like a promising fantasy footy role.

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ADD MIDFIELD

Tom Atkins

The role change of Tom Atkins has been sudden and obvious at Geelong over the past six matches. Over this stretch of games, he’s attended 29%, 73%, 73%, 83%, 77% & 54% of centre bounces for the Cats. Tom’s hard at it contested nature has thrived as a centre bounce midfielder, and his scoring has increased as a direct result. The addition of midfield status might not help you on field scoring in drafts, but if he holds this role, he will be selected on the field in your backline given the good scores. 

Bailey Williams

What a surprise, but Luke Beveridge has given a player a role change! All jokes aside, Bailey Williams has taken his opportunity on the wing. With the absence of Lachie Hunter, he has owned the wing for the past few months. His true value to his owners is he can be played as a backman. However, squad versatility is always helpful, and so should this DPP land; it’ll be another layer of potential versatility within your team.

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ADD RUCK

Jeremy Finlayson

Two things. First, the addition of ruck status for Jeremy Finlayson is an absolute lock to happen. Since round 11, he’s been the primary ruckman for the pear and had multiple games where he’s attended north of 70% centre bounces. Second, how the Power continues to use him over Sam Hayes is beyond me. Hayes has his shortfalls, but so does Finlayson in the ruck. Port Adelaide has been lucky that the decision to play Jeremy over Hayes hasn’t cost them a game… yet! 

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Mason Cox

Ever since his debut as a Magpie, Mason Cox has spent some game time in the ruck. But over the past six weeks, it’s been increasingly evident. In the past four weeks, he’s attended an average of 44% of Collingwood’s centre bounces. Even without the impending return of Brodie Grundy within the next week or two, he’s not someone to consider trading into in classic or draft formats. 

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ADD FORWARD

Wayne Milera

It’s been a tough run over the past few seasons for Wayne Milera, but he seems to have finally gotten confidence and strength back into his body. Since getting back into Crows side over the past month, he’s been deployed as a half-forward. I like this role and the use of his skill set. With Jordan Dawson and Brodie Smith playing the primary ball users across half-back and Jake Soligo and Jackson Hately holding down the wings, it’s as a forward the greatest opportunity for his skills can shine. So much has been made about Adelaide’s poor inside 50 entries over the past few years; by having Wayne as a half-forward, we should see this increase in better entries. He’s only played 6 games for the year, so while the positional data os sufficient he hasn’t played enough games to qualify.

Griffin Logue

A DPP gain that’s not fantasy relevant for us but is a warranted add if the gang at Champion Data feel inclined. Griffin Logue was initially deployed as a forward after the Dockers underwent a calamity of injuries to their key position forwards. However, he did a good job bringing the ball to the ground and applying defensive pressure on the opposition’s best interceptor he’s been given a great opportunity in the role. Again, it’s not a beneficial fantasy gain but a factual one.

Lachie Jones

Port Adelaide fans have been calling for Lachie Jones to get a strong run at the AFL level for a while. The pear has found the best place to give him this opportunity has been to use him as a forward. His trademark physicality has been on display, and while he’s not scoring massively, it is a DPP gain that’s warranted. 

Nat Fyfe

Plenty will be calling for it, but Nat Fyfe has played just three games, and the minimum qualifying amount is ten at this stage of the season. He won’t get it as much as Fyfe is certainly being used as a primary forward. 

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Sam Walsh

Fantasy coaches have come to understand more in 2022 that players starting position at centre bounces play a significant role in a player being DPP eligible. Sometimes without being at the games to watch the ground and how players have been coached to set up, it’s hard to notice this. However, the TV stations covering his games have quickly said that Walsh is starting inside the forward 50 under the 6-6-6 rule and then pushing up into the contest as an extra midfielder.
Over the year, Walsh is averaging 54% of centre bounce attendances and just 47% in the last seven weeks. What’s not factored into CBA’s is when a player starts on the wing, which Walsh has done, especially in the first few months of the season. So I’d suggest it’s more doubtful than probable that it gets MID/FWD status. But if he does, it’ll be a positional change that will shake up the team’s ideal best on-field forwards.

Jack Billings

Much like Fyfe above, Jack Billings is spending plenty of time forward but won’t be eligible due to him playing insufficient games.

UltimateFooty | Possible DPP Additions | Round Fifteen

After rounds 3, 6, 12 & 15, the drafting format of Ultimate Footy awards additional player positions to players that have had a role change in the 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. So, for the final time this season, let’s look at who they are and their relevance to your draft sides and leagues.

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Elliot Yeo | ADD BACK

It’s been a tough few seasons if you’ve owned Elliot Yeo. Injuries have sadly got the best of him. However, in the limited games that he has played, he’s been deployed into the backline as an interceptor. The role isn’t unfamiliar to him as it’s where he played when he first got traded to the Eagles. Adding back status is a huge boost to his owners potential scoring. In the past two weeks, he’s scored 84 & 80. As a centre only, that’s just in contention to be on the field. Now, he’s an absolute lock to play on the ground as a defender. 

Harry Himmelberg | ADD BACK

Some positional moves come out of the blue and pay massive dividends for coaches every year. In 2022 the move down back Harry Himmerlberg is in contention for that mantle. He was drafted in just 18% of teams with an ADP of 293. However, since the move, he’s been an animal playing the intercepting and key position defensive role. To his credit, he’s looked very good there, and his scoring has taken a considerable bump. After having just one score over 70 between rounds 1-9, he’s scored a 74, 101, 161, 99 & 117 in this new role. Even the return of Nick Haynes and Phil Davis has done little to move him from the role. 

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Jayden Short | ADD CENTRE

Normally when a player gets some heavy midfield time, we see a spike in scoring. Sadly for Jayden Short owners, that hasn’t been the case. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still been very good, but he hasn’t entered the uber scoring that owners might have been hoping for with the role shift. Since round six, Short has been attending an average of 52% of centre bounces for the Tigers. An obvious and easy addition for the gang at UF!

Tom Atkins | ADD CENTRE

The role change of Tom Atkins has been sudden and obvious at Geelong over the past five matches. Over this stretch of games, he’s attended 29%, 73%, 73%, 83% & 77% of centre bounces for the Cats. Tom’s hard at it contested nature has thrived as a centre bounce midfielder, and his scoring has increased as a direct result. The addition of centre status might not help you on field centre line scoring, but if he holds this role, he will be selected on the field in your backline given the good scores. 

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Bailey Williams | ADD CENTRE

What a surprise, but Luke Beveridge has given a player a role change! All jokes aside, Bailey Williams has taken his opportunity on the wing. With the absence recent absence of Lachie Hunter, he has owned the wing for the past few months. His true value to his owners is he can be played as a backman. However, squad versatility is always helpful, and so like Atkins above, it’s just adding versatility to your team

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Jeremy Finlayson | ADD RUCK

Since round 11, Jeremy Finlayson has been the primary ruckman for the pear and had multiple games where he’s attended north of 70% centre bounces. He’s delivered a couple of scores in the high 70s in this role and has been a handy player pool pick-up. Just be aware that first choice ruckmen Scott Lycett is due to return shortly.

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Wayne Milera | ADD FWD

It’s been a tough run over the past few seasons for Wayne Milera, but he seems to have finally gotten confidence and strength back into his body. Since getting back into Crows side over the past month, he’s been deployed as a half-forward. I like this role and the use of his skill set. With Jordan Dawson and Brodie Smith playing the primary ball users across half-back and Jake Soligo and Jackson Hately holding down the wings, it’s as a forward the greatest opportunity for his skills can shine. So much has been made about Adelaide’s poor inside 50 entries over the past few years; by having Wayne as a half-forward, we should see this increase in better entries. 

Lachlan Jones | ADD FWD

Port Adelaide fans have been calling for Lachie Jones to get a strong run at the AFL level for a while. The pear has found the best place to give him this opportunity has been to use him as a forward. His trademark physicality has been on display, and while he’s not scoring massively, it is a DPP gain that’s warranted. 

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Is It Too Late To Get Luke Jackson? | Patreon Exclusive

After a dominant first up performance as a solo ruck, many are looking at Luke Jackson as a trade target this week? But is it too late to get him?

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It’s the question that cash and trade strapped fantasy coaches are wrestling with throughout this week. In his first week without Max Gawn, Jackson delivered a 125 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 122 in SuperCoach. He’ll make some decent coin over the next few weeks and likely score well again this week against Reilly O’Brien. But is trading into Jackson the right move?

Giving generalised trading advice can be filled with danger at any time of the season. But it’s even more so in the final third of the year. The reason being is teams are all in varying shapes with the variables of injuries and bullets teams have copped throughout the year. Despite this, I’m happy to make a ‘sweeping statement’ across teams.

In SuperCoach and DreamTeam, I cannot advocate for trading into Luke Jackson! All the news from Melbourne is that Max will be back next week. As a result, coaches will likely only get one more week of maximum output before his scoring returns to something that resembles his prior scoring trend. Which, for the record, is low 70’s in AFLFantasy and low 80’s in SuperCoach. Even with the flexibility of long-term structure support as a RUC/FWD DPP, it was a move that needed to be made last week to capitalise on the maximum games of Gawn’s absence. By getting him now, your chasing points missed and have lost the trade’s full value. A vast majority of teams in the limited trade formats aren’t in the luxurious position of trading into bench depth, which, based on his scoring history, you’ll need Jackson to become.

Ultimately, in these formats, it was a last week trade!

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In AFLFantasy, it’s a little more team dependent. The weekly ‘use or lose‘ two trades mean that coaches can play a slightly different strategy. Should Jackson score 90 this round, he’ll increase his value by approximately $43,000. Should Gawn return the following week and Jackson returns to scoring a 70 he’ll still make a further $21k. One more week beyond that of a 70, he’ll increase his value by just $3,000.

I highlight this to ask one question? Is the forecast scoring of 160 points over two weeks and $64,000 generated the best moves for your team? After that, you’ll likely want to trade him out.

For some teams, it’s how they can get a cash cow off the ground and make some money simultaneously. So for those scenarios, I don’t hate the move. However, most teams can do better over a three week period from a cash generation and points on-field perspective.

So is it too late to trade into Luke Jackson? Unfortunately, for most coaches and their teams, the answer is yes.

UltimateFooty | Possible DPP Additions | Round Fifteen

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 the season. On Wednesday, 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.

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Harry Himmelberg | ADD BACK

I never thought I’d do a ‘DPP’ write-up for Harry Himmelberg; he seemed destined to always be a tall target inside the Giants forward line. However, in rounds 10 & 11, he was thrown into a key defensive position under a new coaching regime. To his credit, he’s looked very good there, and his scoring has taken a considerable bump. After having just one score over 70 between rounds 1-9, he’s scored a 74, 101, 161, 99 & 117 in this new role. Even the return of Nick Haynes and Phil Davis has done little to move him from the role. Lock him in for BACK/FWD status!

Elliot Yeo | ADD BACK

It’s been a tough few seasons if you’ve owned Elliot Yeo. Injuries have sadly got the best of him. However, in the limited games he has played, he’s been deployed into the backline as an interceptor. The role isn’t unfamiliar to him as it’s where he played when he first got traded to the Eagles. Unfortunately, he’s only played four games, and one of those was an injury-affected match. Regardless, he hits the criteria of the game to earn DPP and should be a name that the boffins at UltimateFooty consider allocating back status. If he does, it’ll be a huge boost for his owners. 

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Tom Atkins | ADD CENTRE

The role change of Tom Atkins has been sudden and obvious at Geelong over the past three weeks. Over this stretch of games, he’s attended 29%, 73% & 73% of centre bounces for the Cats. Tom’s hard at it contested nature has thrived as a centre bounce midfielder, and his scoring has increased directly. Between rounds 1-9, his top score was 81. However, in the previous three games, he’s posted an 87, 96 & 82. The likely addition of centre status might not help you on field centre line scoring, but if he holds this role, he will be selected on the field in your backline given the good scores. 

Bailey Williams | ADD CENTRE

What a surprise, but Luke Beveridge has given a player a role change! All jokes aside, Bailey Williams has taken his opportunity on the wing. With the absence of Lachie Hunter, he has owned the wing for the past few months. His true value to his owners is he can be played as a backman. However, squad versatility is always helpful, and so should this DPP land; it’ll be another layer of potential versatility within your team.

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Jeremy Finlayson | ADD RUCK

Two things. First, the addition of ruck status for Jeremy Finlayson is an absolute lock to happen. Since round 11, he’s been the primary ruckman for the pear and had multiple games where he’s attended north of 70% centre bounces. Second, how the Power continues to use him over a Sam Hayes is beyond me. Hayes has his shortfalls, but so does Finlayson in the ruck. Port Adelaide has been lucky that the decision to play Jeremy over Hayes hasn’t cost them a game… yet! 

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Wayne Milera | ADD FORWARD

It’s been a tough run over the past few seasons for Wayne Milera, but he seems to have finally gotten confidence and strength back into his body. Since getting back into Crows side over the past month, he’s been deployed as a half-forward. I like this role and the use of his skill set. With Jordan Dawson and Brodie Smith playing the primary ball users across half-back and Jake Soligo and Jackson Hately holding down the wings, it’s as a forward the greatest opportunity for his skills can shine. So much has been made about Adelaide’s poor inside 50 entries over the past few years; by having Wayne as a half-forward, we should see this increase in better entries. 

Lachie Jones | ADD FORWARD

Port Adelaide fans have been calling for Lachie Jones to get a strong run at the AFL level for a while. The pear has found the best place to give him this opportunity has been to use him as a forward. His trademark physicality has been on display, and while he’s not scoring massively, it is a DPP gain that’s warranted. 

Nat Fyfe | ADD FORWARD

Plenty will be calling for it, but Nat Fyfe has played just two games, and the minimum qualifying amount is three. He won’t get it as much as Fyfe is certainly being used as a primary forward. 

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Upgrade Targets After The Bye | Round 14

The multi-bye rounds are over. We now have six teams that have no more scheduled rests for the remainder of the season. Here’s a club-by-club breakdown of potential upgrade targets who have had their bye round.

During the preseason, I ranked Lachie Neale as the #2 most relevant player in fantasy footy, and to date, he’s delivered! Arguably, he’s had a better football season than his Brownlow medal year of 2020. Neale is one of the highly owned premiums across the fantasy, and that’s because he was priced with a discount due to an injury affected 2021. He’s currently ranked second overall in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam for total points and first in SuperCoach. If you don’t have him by now, the damage is done, and you’re well out of contention this year. The best scenario for you is to keep going against him and hope for an injury. If you haven’t got him now, you can’t get him in now at the top price. Go and look for some value elsewhere. 

There is only one format you’re considering a trade into Daniel Rich as an upgrade, and that’s SuperCoach. Off the back of averaging 107 last year, he’s seen a drop of 14 points pre-game. As a result, he’s gone from being one of the clear top options to now being ranked 15th among defenders by average and 10th for total points. He’s posted seven tons from thirteen matches but is in a hard space to consider him. He’s not a value buy, he’s not a clear top-tier defender, and at 9% ownership, he isn’t super rare even. It’s why for me, I’d probably look elsewhere.

The club has already confirmed that Dayne Zorko will miss this week. He’s been a rollercoaster to own this year, and even when back, he’s shown a combination of injury and positional volatility. So I couldn’t advocate for anyone to jump onto owning him.

Hugh McCluggae continues to be close but not a premium scorer enough to be someone I’d advocate trading into. We’ve got some super value across the formats, and as good as he is, I think there are cheaper options that will outperform him. Pass

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One of the best purchases this year has been getting Darcy Cameron. And crazily enough, he probably presents as the ruck with the best matchup this week with him coming up against a ruckless GWS. If you owned him, it’s happy days for another month until Brodie Grundy returns. To trade into him outside of AFLFantasy, it’s not a play I feel confident in. Because in the limited trade formats, you shouldn’t be looking at a short-term move but rather something that holds until the end of the year. As good as he’s been, the addition of Grundy back into the team will create chaos on his scoring ceiling. 

Jack Crisp is the most reliable and consistent player. He might not boast the ceiling of other players in this line, but his durability and consistency make him a joy to own. In his past eight games, he’s just posted one score over 120 across the formats. Unless you are trading into him as a defensive move, I’d probably look to be aggressive and chase some cheaper options with the ceiling—players such as Lachie Whitfield or Aaron Hall, who are high-risk, high-reward guys. 

It’s more of a legacy-driven purchase, but Scott Pendlebury still holds a special place in long-time coaches hearts. But his average in the low 80’s in AFLFantasy and low 90’s in SuperCoach just isn’t enough. Even if Jordan De Goey is absent for a significant time, I think his time as a desirable fantasy option has passed him by. 

It was only a matter of time before Andrew Brayshaw became a bonafide fantasy star. As we turn for the final few months of the year, he’s currently the #1 ranked player in AFLFaantasy/Dreameam by averages and total points. In SuperCoach, he’s ranked 12th for averages and 9th for total points. On a current three-game trend, he’s ranked 20th by averages in SuperCoach and 4th in AFLFantasy. It’s never a bad move to bring in a player of his calibre. However, the coach’s challenge will be balancing the value of trades to get up to him and the cash required to get him. My only red flag is that his dockers have a much harder fixture to end the season than the start. Over the next month, they play Carlton, Port Adelaide, St Kilda and Sydney. These teams have sometimes used negating / defensive-minded midfielders, and Andy is certainly a target to receive some attention. 

Luke Ryan continues to fly under the radar as a premium defensive option in people’s minds. His seasonal average is down slightly on what he delivered last year, but in his past three, he’s ranked 8th in SuperCoach for defenders going at 114.7 and 5th in AFLFantasy, going at 106.7. If you believe that trend is a sign of things to come and not just a ‘hot steak’, then Luke’s one to target seriously. Historically, it’ll be a stretch to argue that, but he’s certainly a solid pick if nothing else. 

There was plenty of love for Caleb Serong in the preseason. In the last five games of 2022 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam, he scored 94, 75, 118, 117 & 116. That’s an average of 104 in that stretch, but he went at 117 in the final three. The trend is similar in SuperCoach. He ended the year with 103, 82, 115, 135 & 103. Again, that’s a five-game average of 107 and a last three of 117. However, an early-season knee injury affected some early season form and some games of footy as a result were missed. However, in the past six weeks, he’s averaged 102 in AFLFantasy and 109 in SuperCoach. He’s still some value, and if he can hold scoring like that, he’ll be a solid selection. 

One of the bargains of the year to date has been James Sicily. An average of 96.6 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 116.8 in SuperCoach has been a phenomenal return from an ACL injury. He’s one of the most highly owned defenders across the formats, and if you don’t own him as good as he has been, I’d be telling you to look elsewhere. However, the damage has been done; if you’ve gone this far without him, you must hold that course. As good as he’s been and will likely continue being, you need to keep going against the crowd and hope for some luck to slide your way.

If you’re looking at Tom Mitchell as an option, your probably tricking yourself into it. Under Sam Mitchell, the Hawks game style has evolved, and he’s no longer required to play a role in the midfield. ‘Titch’ is still getting his fair share of centre bounces, but his consistent scoring isn’t there. He’s averaging more than 30 points per game, less than last year in SuperCoach and 20 points in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam. I’m all about taking a leap of faith on a player, but I’ve seen nothing that would give me any confidence in leaping at him. There are better options than him.

When I looked at the most popular traded-out players last week and saw Christian Petracca in some formats, I nearly fell off my chair. Yes, he’s had a poor three games with an average of 74 in SuperCoach and 72 in AFLFantasy. But before that, he was going at 116 in SuperCoach and 111 in AFLFantasy. Whenever a player has a few poor weeks when historically they are a premium performer, the question coaches have to ask is WHY? In one of these matches, he was ill and was reportedly close to not playing. The following week he was still shaking off the flu. That leaves us with just the one game that needs an explanation. On the Queen’s Birthday clash, he had 32 touches and scored 99 in SuperCoach and 86 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam. That’s hardly a disaster. For me, CP5 is one of the best value buys after the bye. He’s not unique, but he’s terrific value. You could even place the VC on him tonight if you wish. 

Cast your mind back to the 50 most relevant series we do every preseason; I made this comment about Clayton Oliver. “Start him and reap the benefit or be prepared to pay for him because he never has a bad game.” That call seems to have held, given he’s had just one score in SuperCoach under 99 and one under 91 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam all year. He’s also turned the lack of ceiling talk in AFLFantasy into the myth. He’s scored over 110 in eight games, including a season-high of 151. Trading into Oliver is never a bad choice, but it’s not a value-for-money selection. 

Looking for some value to finish off your backlines? Then Christian Salem should be on your radar. A round one sub-affected single-digit score has affected not just his seasonal average but also his current price. Since his return from injury in the previous two games, he’s posted 91 & 94 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 83 & 104. These scores reflect how he scored in 2021 when he averaged in the low 90s across the formats. The premier format to pick him this week would be in AFLFantasy due to the weekly adjustments, he’s already had three price changes and has dropped $124k. Salem is now just $15k more expensive than Nick Daicos. He’s unlikely to average 95+ over the next few months, but he’s got the capacity to be close enough and save you over $100k to place that cash onto another player upgrade. 

With the absence of Braydon Preuss and Tim English this week, coaches are scampering for a solution to the ongoing headache of the ruck division. Enter Luke Jackson, the fantasy community’s RUC/FWD great hope. The challenge is that he’s not had the ‘breakout’ season that many had forecast. In his ruck sharing role with Max Gawn, it’s been eight weeks since his last ton, and in the previous four matches and he’s had just one score over 80. However, he will ruck solo over the coming weeks, so it’s safe to assume he should score more than his current output.

But what can he do? Tonight he comes up against arguably one of the most restrictive ruckmen in Oscar McInerney. The weeks after, it’s Reilly O’Brien and should Max miss the again; he’ll ruck solo against Mark Blicavs/Rhys Stanley combo. I don’t hate it as a trade option in AFLFantasy, but in SuperCoach and DreamTeam, with trades starting to dry up you want to make sure that the moves you make are season long plays, not just a few week fix.

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Have we all forgotten about Aaron Hall? He was the must-have premium of 2021, and he started the year averaging 99.5 in AFLFantasy and 105 in SuperCoach over the opening month of the year before injuries hit. He returned from his layoff in round 13, and while he wasn’t at his regular scoring proficiency, he showed plenty of his trademark dash and aggressive ball movement. Hall is considerably cheaper than his starting price and has the scoring legacy to be someone who could genuinely be the top-scoring defender over the season’s final few months. The football will spend plenty of time in the Roos backline, his ownership percentage is low, and his scoring upside is as good as any. Aaron holds all elements needed for coaches to make a late-season run, but are you brave enough to pick him? 

How risk averse are you? Jed Anderson is the ultimate risk vs reward option. He’s played just thirteen games of AFL in the past 18 months, and this year alone has put up scores under 40 and scores over 140. In his past three matches in AFLFantasy, he scored two tons, averaging 107.7 and going along at104 in SuperCoach. He’s the significant value forward play when you contrast his price vs potential output, at just over $460k in SuperCoach and under $740K In AFLFantasy. If you can’t get up to the big dog premiums in the forward line, he’s a cheaper option that could match it with some of them on the run home. 

With all the issues we’ve had in the ruck department, it feels odd to be considering Todd Goldstein as an option in SuperCoach, but he legitimately could be the right play for some teams. Since Tristan Xerri went down injured in that format, he’s averaged 111. Even once Xerri has re-joined the team, he’s maintained the #1 ruck status and been going at 103. The additional bonus is that he has RUC/FWD status, so he will enable genuine versatility within your squad, especially if you own Tim English or Brynn Teakle. 

The leap into genuine premium status for Jy Simpkin is still yet to happen. In his final eleven games last year, he went at an average of 105 across the formats. However, so far in 2022, he’s managed just the four tons and is seemingly well off the pace from his potential. Although thankfully for non-owners, his current season performance hasn’t hurt you, the question is now, what can he do in the next few months. If you’re low on cash but happy to put some blind faith into someone with the upside potential, Jy could be the guy. 

Breakevens | Round 15

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.

PlayerPositionPriceAverageBreakeven
P. ParnellDEF$261,00065.5-15
L. ClearyDEF$261,00063-10
L. StrnadicaRUC$248,00054.5-1
C. HamiltonMID/FWD$291,00056.31
J. WehrDEF$366,00065.33
L. KeeffeDEF$297,00037.37
K. BaldwinFWD$231,000359
M. CoxFWD$402,00052.711
J. McEnteeMID/FWD$227,0004211
C. GrahamDEF/RUC$276,0003311
J. CallowFWD$226,00036.311
M. FrederickFWD$455,00056.512
M. D’AmbrosioDEF$204,0004412
J. SoligoMID$403,0005212
J. ClarkeMID/FWD$280,0005214
T. BerryFWD$279,0006314
J. BoydDEF$296,00042.314
F. EvansFWD$250,00037.815
T. BedfordFWD$293,00046.515
S. SkinnerDEF/FWD$208,0003316
S. NealeFWD$198,0003616
J. MeadMID/FWD$339,00048.216
B. McCreeryFWD$345,00045.616
R. BazzoDEF/FWD$227,0004119
J. HamlingDEF$202,0003319
D. MountfordDEF/MID$217,00034.520
S. DurdinDEF$201,0003320
B. HoughMID$376,00049.720
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PlayerPositionPriceAverageBreakeven
L. StrnadicaRUC$102,40066-72
L. ClearyDEF$117,30068-67
J. ClarkeMID/FWD$117,30054-39
P. ParnellDEF$123,90055.5-38
M. OwensMID$139,30039-33
C. HamiltonMID/FWD$156,80060.7-22
S. SkinnerDEF/FWD$123,90046.5-20
O. DempseyFWD$102,40038.5-17
D. MountfordDEF/MID$102,40036.5-13
K. BaldwinFWD$157,10039.2-11
M. FrederickFWD$333,90064.5-7
B. McCreeryFWD$256,10057.8-7
J. WehrDEF$211,40060.5-6
M. CoxFWD$306,20059-4
M. KnevittMID$117,30036.5-4
J. BoydDEF$217,90049.8-4
K. LohmannFWD$121,80038-4
J. McEnteeMID/FWD$123,90038-3
B. BanfieldFWD$229,80044.5-2
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PlayerPositionPriceAverageBreakeven
P. ParnellDEF$182,80066-63
L. ClearyDEF$172,90063-62
L. StrnadicaRUC$150,90055-53
J. ClarkeMID/FWD$172,90052-40
M. KnivettMID$172,90045-26
M. OwnesMID$218,60043-25
M. FredrickFWD$459,50057-20
C. HamiltonMID/FWD$230,00056-20
K. StrachanRUC$313,40067-17
J. McEnteeMID/FWD$182,80042-16
J. WehrDEF$344,00065-11
B. McCreeryFWD$343,20046-7
J. CallowFWD$212,70036-7
L. KeeffeDEF$299,90037-6
D. StephensMID$333,60059-3
O. DempseyFWD$150,90030-3
K. BaldwinFWD$225,70035-2
Upgrade Targets After Their Bye | Round 12

One week of the multi bye rounds is over. We now have six teams that have no more scheduled rests for the remainder of the season. Here’s a club by club breakdown of potential upgrade targets who have had their bye round.

Arguably the season’s feel-good story has been Sam Docherty’s comeback. Throw in that he’s having a career-best season in possession stats, and it’s clear to see why he’s many coaches #1 defensive premium target this week. So far, he’s had eight SuperCoach tons and just the one score under 87. While in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam, he’s had seven tons and just one score beneath 89. His scoring is so rounded and pure, so while he won’t be a value buy, he will be one of the best backs until the end of the season. 

 Currently, Sam Walsh is in under 10% of teams and on form of the past three games is ranked third among all SuperCoach and eighth in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam. Whenever you can get a high-end scoring premium with low ownership, you need to consider them seriously. Many coaches will chase the value of a Merrett or Wines or go for the flavour of the month, Kelly. None are wrong picks, but Sam could be the best premium over the final ten weeks of the year. 

It’s been tough to have been successful so far this year without owning George Hewett. The stepping stone has outdone our wildest expectations and has probably been the best starting squad selection for 2022. By average, he’s ranked as the clear number one defender and tenth in SuperCoach. It’s this format that if you don’t own, he’s seriously hurting you. For AFLFantasy, he’s still been excellent as one of the top few defenders, but what he’s currently not done is hurt you with his ceiling. As yet, he’s still yet to score over 120. All this to be said if you don’t own in SuperCoach, I don’t believe you can be successful without him. In AFLFantasy/DreamTeam, if you want to own him, then absolutely get him, but I think he’d be someone I’d encourage non-owners to try and take on. It may hurt to miss, but we haven’t seen the Blues ‘fab five midfielders’. Perhaps we see him slide a little, and non-owners get a slight advantage. 

The year couldn’t have started any better for Patrick Cripps. Beyond a one-week hammy, he was unstoppable over the season’s first two months. However, in the past three weeks, he’s struggled to reach these heights for a combination of reasons. Cripps has gone at just 79 in AFLFantasy and 92 in SuperCoach. The combination of a week off to freshen up and the likely return of Harry McKay should enable him to be back towards averaging 100+ across the formats. He’s fine to hold if you still own him, but I think there are better options priced around him. 

There is only one Richmond player I have fantasy footy interest in, Jayden Short. On average, he’s ranked second in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and seventh in SuperCoach among all defenders. He’s been one of the best early-season options, and despite just one ton in his past three weeks, I believe he’ll be among the top of the backline picks. He’s not unique, nor is he cheap, but he is bloody good to own!

We don’t have a lot of ‘premium’ forward options available to trade into from this group of six teams. But if you are desperate to bring one in, then Dustin Martin is someone to consider. Since coming back into the Tigers lineup in round eight, he’s averaged 90 in SuperCoach & 81 in AFLFantasy. That’s well below his capabilities, and if you believe he (and his Tigers) can have another hot run of form, he might be worth a punt.

A month can be a long time in football. Just four weeks ago, Stephen Coniglio was someone that coaches were eagerly looking to trade after scoring a 49 in AFLFantasy and 37 in SuperCoach against the Blues in round nine. Since then, the club’s coaching has undergone a major overhaul, and as a result, he’s been thrown right back into the midfield and scored a 145 & 85 in SuperCoach and 120 & 108 in AFLFantasy. The club has confirmed that he’ll maintain this midfield role, and with Tim Taranto still potentially weeks away, he looks like finally being the premium forward we all hoped he could be. If you don’t own him, he’s legitimately one of the best value buys of the week. 

One of the most attractive options coaches consider is GWS skipper Josh Kelly, and understandably so. Multiple times over his career, he’s the ability to average 110+ for a full season across all fantasy formats. In AFLFantasy, he’s the form player in the game with the highest three-round average, with him rolling an average of 126. While in SuperCoach, he’s going at 137 in the previous three games, with only Clayton Oliver going better. He’s no longer a value pick, but if his current scoring trend holds, he’ll be among the top eight scoring midfielders for the final few months of the season. 

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Mark my words, Isaac Cumming is a star and will become one of the best premium defenders in the game. His elite combination of foot skills, intercepting and footy IQ make him phenomenally fun to own. The question is whether or not it happens, but rather will these next ten weeks see him average enough to compete with the best backs in the game. I’d look elsewhere, but he’s a premium gun for the future. 

It’d take a brave coach to reach blind and trade into Lachie Whitfield. He’s been played out of position and been sore for chunks of the 2022 season. As a result, his fantasy footy scores have seen more ‘lows’ than ‘highs.’ But historically, Lachie’s got the capabilities to be the top-scoring defensive option in the game. It’s a risk vs rewards decision for coaches. The encouraging sign is that we’ve seen the correction of both Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio under the new coaching regime back to their strongest roles, and the premium scoring has followed them. Will the same happen for Whitfield? Let’s hope so. 

Over the preseason, arguably the most hyped player was Zak Butters and his evolution into the midfield. While the midfield minutes are there, his inconsistency in scoring is still like a rollercoaster, with nearly 100 points the variation between his highest and lowest scores of the year. A three-round average of 108 in SuperCoach and 90 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam is good, but I’d be hesitant to want to bring him into my side. He’s got the capacity to be a top tier forward on the run home, but he’s just as likely to disappoint coaches on the run home. He’s fine to hold if you own, but it might be wise to continue on that path if you’ve avoided him to date. 

You’ve got to admire what Travis Boak has done over the past few seasons. He’s been one of the most reliable 100+ performers across all game formats. This year he’s still been good with some monster scores, including a 150+ performance back in round two. He’s dropped about $100k across the formats, so he does represent value. But this year, more than recently, Port is spreading the load away from the heavy dependency on himself and Ollie Wines. The Power fixture does look quite tricky over the next six weeks for midfielders. After tonight’s clash with the Tigers, they play Sydney, Gold Coast, Fremantle, GWS and Melbourne. He’s certainly an option, but I like others more, including his Brownlow winning teammate.

When Port Adelaide drafted RUC/FWD Brynn Teakle last week, it was a huge win for coaches. This is for two reasons! Firstly, he’s a RUC/FWD DPP, which enables coaches to move Tim English easily into either of these positions should coverage be needed. Second, he’s also at a team where he’s a genuine chance to pinch a game or two. Sam Hayes has been left out of the side this week, while Scott Lycett is still four weeks away. If you have Sam Hayes at R3, even if Teakle doesn’t play, it’s quite a good trade move. It opens up cash for upgrades and squad versatility. #Winning

Over the past 18 months, the top fantasy selection from Port Adelaide has been Ollie Wines. His seasonal average is down significantly compared to last year, but that’s due to an injury affected game against Melbourne in round four where he got subbed out. Excluding that game, he’s averaging 105 in AFLFantasy & 110 in SuperCoach. He presents value given his non-injury affected average & is someone to seriously consider if you believe he and the pear can get back to previous seasons performances. 

When the round 12 lockouts lifted, plenty of coaches went straight into their midfield and traded into Zach Merrett. And with good reason to, for the better part of his career, he’s been one of the safest 110+ averaging players in the game. A sub 60 score in round nine against the Swans is the primary driver behind his current price point. Outside of that game, his lowest score in AFLFantasy is 92 & SuperCoach it’s 99. The fixture ahead isn’t easy for the Dons, but of all their midfielders, he’s the most bulletproof for scoring and has the best scoring basement. A perfect example of ‘buy low’ on premiums and get an outperforming return on investment.

It feels odd to say this after his breakout year in 2021, but people are sleeping on Darcy Parish this year. He’s currently on a run of eight consecutive SuperCoach hundreds, with the lowest being a 109. The 10% of coaches currently owning have loved his season, given he also hasn’t dropped his scores under 97. In AFLFantasy, he’s had some more lowly basement games but still hasn’t fallen under 80 all season. Of his eight tons this year, six have been over 110, including a 131 & 146. It might be tough to pay up to him when his teammate listed above is of insane value. But he’s a prospect to consider for those with no salary cap worries. 

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Some potential value might tempt some with Mason Redman. He’s scored two tons and an extra over 90 across the formats in his past three. However, as good as his form has been, I wouldn’t be targeting him in classic. The potential volatility of Essendon gives me no confidence in trading into him.

You want premiums to be captaincy candidates when you pay the top price for a midfielder. Brad Crouch has had a strong season; in SuperCoach, he’s scored six tons and has had one score under 96 all season. In AFLFantasy, he’s also posted six tons and dropped his scoring below 87 just once. However, despite his good season to date, he’s still just averaging 104-105 across the formats. So as good as he’s been, he’s not a captain option, nor is he a value pickup. Therefore, it’s hard to get behind it. 

If there’s one St Kilda player you want to trade into, it’s Jack Sinclair. The running machine is ranked fourth in SuperCoach and fifth in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam for defenders. But it’s his more recent form that’s got coaches salivating at the possibility of trading into him. Over the past three matches, he’s got the highest average among all defenders across the formats. He’s been running at an average of 128 in SuperCoach and 118 in AFLFantasy. He’s not cheap, but he’s been an absolute beast this year. 

Ever since Paddy Ryder became a Saint, it’s been well documented that Rowan Marshall’s scores are heavily impacted when Ryder plays versus when he misses. This year he’s averaging 17.2 points per game less in AFLFantasy and 21.3 in SuperCoach when Ryder plays. So unless Paddy is missing major chunks of the run home, I cannot advocate for trading into Rowan Marshall. 

From the current reports, Jack Steele is still a few weeks off from returning. You should have completed your midfield by the time he’s ripe and ready. Perhaps a luxury trade target later on or if a premium cops an injury or suspension.