THERE IS less than a month until the AFLW season kicks off for 2023, but this year, players will be representing something bigger than just the guernsey they wear.

Your favourite AFLW stars will be hand-picked by fantasy coaches across the country, and for the likes of Kiara Bowers and Ebony Marinoff, this means lining up in the teams of more than half of AFLW Fantasy fanatics so far.

PLAY AFLW FANTASY Pick your team NOW

So, who else are your competitors locking in ahead of the upcoming season?

Let's see which players are shaping up to be the most popular picks to date.

DEFENDERS

It's good news from a backline perspective as the most expensive option, Emma Kearney, is valued below $1m. A member of 51 per cent of coaches’ teams so far, she is an ideal D1 pick. Jordyn Allen’s popularity reflects both her scoring power last season and her ability to rise to even greater heights, whilst Natalie Grider’s price is more than reasonable for a player who averaged the highest score for a defender - 67.7 - in the last three rounds of Season Seven. Eliza Vale and Harriet Cordner present as great bottom-price picks, whilst Yasmin Duursma will provide great value if she can put together a full season.

MIDFIELDERS

With most scoring power coming from the midfield, these players are rightfully worth an arm and a leg. Despite her price, Kiara Bowers appears to be the premium player of choice. Georgie Prespakis and Charlie Rowbottom’s prices should rise even further this year if they continue improving their game, so while valued at the higher end, they are worth every cent. Taylor Ortlepp and Georgia Nanscawen will have all eyes on them during match simulation as coaches look for value, whilst Brianna Davey is priced generously following her return from an ACL injury.

RUCKS

It's shaping up to be a year where we’ll see one premium and one rookie as the most popular ruck combination. Breann Moody boasts the highest season seven average, but it's Alice Edmond who is coming off a three round average of 90.7 points - 15 points higher than fellow premium pick Gabrielle Seymour. Erin Hoare is a great value pick following her return to the game, whilst young prospect Fleur Davies has major upside with her marking prowess perfect for a Fantasy star-on-the-rise. 

FORWARDS

Fifty per cent of coaches agree that Chelsea Randall is a certain starting pick. Isabel Huntington will provide incredible value, with the All-Australian starting at only $300k following her return from an ACL injury and move to the Giants. Chloe Molloy’s numbers are also set to improve at the Swans as she too returns from injury, while Kate Hore will step up following her newly gained captaincy in the absence of Daisy Pearce.

TEAM VANILLA

Based on these numbers, here is a 'vanilla team' made up of the players locked in by keen coaches.

A decent mix of debutants, premium players, value picks and cash cows normally does the trick. Yes, that could unfortunately leave you to choose between Bowers and Marinoff.

Structurally, the value picks are quite light on - so a few of these players, sprinkled with some bottom-priced picks and well-priced premiums is the recipe for success.

Isabel Huntington, Erin Hoare and Yasmin Duursma can’t be overlooked for their value, whilst Georgia Nanscawen, Taylor Ortlepp and Harriet Cordner can be locked in for now ahead of match simulation and re-evaluated once their role is clear.

Building these players in around two premiums in each line, bar the ruck, is a good starting point.

Personally, I prefer caramel … but this vanilla team could change my mind.