FINALS are kicking off for AFLW Fantasy this week, with preliminary finals set for top four teams in most Fantasy leagues. With everything on the line, now is no time for caution – it's time to make the big calls.

Round 10 was a challenging minefield to navigate – injuries to Maddi Gay, Bre Koenen, Piper Window, Lauren Young and Chloe Molloy set an early challenge for coaches, but late outs to Lucy Wales and Courtney Hodder left some with donuts on field. Thankfully, the usual suspects stepped up in our time of need. Jasmine Garner (140) top scored for the round, while Ash Riddell (126), Laura Gardiner (123) and Mim Strom (123) gave most coaches a solid captain score for the round. Niamh McLaughlin (102) and Shelley Heath (91) were incredible defender trade ins, while Charlie Mullins (82) stepped up in the absence of Hodder to be one of the best forward options this round. Finally, some big last-quarter efforts saved Ebony Marinoff (115) and Kiara Bowers (101), setting the scene for some massive Fantasy scores.

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With just two rounds to go, it's getting tougher to find the unique pieces that set our sides apart. Brit Bonnici (116), Tarni White (104), Nina Morrison (103) and Gabby Newton (102) were the only players under 15 per cent ownership to score over 100. But whether you are trying to win your home league or climb the ranks into the top 100, finding a unique high scorer (or avoiding a common low score) is the way to set your team apart. Most teams have very little value left of their bench, if any, so this week's trade targets are focused on some of the cheaper players that might pop up with a great score over the final two rounds. This may help you fund upgrades to the top players you know you want. 

But remember – unique players come with risk. Now is the time to back in your calls and hope for the best, and pray that you don't end up stranded with a tough late out or poor score alone.

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Top five price rises

1. Sarah Hosking (FWD, $531,000): +$158,000
2. Charlotte Mullins (FWD, $802,000): +$147,000
3. Jasmine Garner (MID, $1,434,000): +$140,000
4. Mackenzie Eardley (FWD, $639,000): +$140,000
5. Eloise Jones (FWD, $705,000): +$127,000

Top five price falls

1. Lily Mithen (MID, $669,000): -$148,000
2. Jenna Richardson (DEF, $688,000): -$142,000
3. Alicia Eva (FWD, $385,000): -$135,000
4. Kellie Gibson (FWD, $491,000): -$130,000
5. Anne Hatchard (MID, $775,000): -$125,000

Top targets

Katie Lynch (DEF, $669,000, avg 64.5)
Lynch has endured a horrid injury run over the years, facing problems with her Achilles, calves and ankles that leave her missing games and restrained in those played. But in the last fortnight, Lynch has brought herself off the sidelines and started playing excellent defence for Gold Coast. Averaging 3.5 rebound 50s and 5.5 marks per game, Lynch has managed to post consecutive Fantasy scores over 60. The Suns' next two games are against Collingwood and Richmond, rating the third best run for defenders across the League. For those struggling for cash generation, Lynch could be a savior in the backline.

Maddy Guerin (MID, $571,000, avg 48.6)
The midfield may not be the best place to be experimenting, given the ceiling of our premium players this season. But Guerin is building a convincing case for anyone who can't afford the top-line players. After a brief absence from the Blues' starting line-up, Guerin put in her best performance of 2025, with 24 disposals, five clearances and notably three coaches' votes. With Mimi Hill sidelined for another week, Guerin's role should hold against Greater Western Sydney this week – a team that is the third best for midfielders to score against. During 2024, Guerin averaged 87.6 Fantasy points in that role, including scores of 116, 106 and 105 throughout the year. For the low, low price of just $571k, even a repeat of her 92 points like last week would be incredible value and create options elsewhere for cash-strapped coaches.

Kim Rennie (RUC, $708,000, avg 58.3)
A left-field option for sure, but Rennie has one of the softest draws to finish the year. Both St Kilda (Rebecca Ott) and Hawthorn (Lucy Wales) have just lost their first-choice rucks for the season, leaving Rennie in the box seat. Rennie has been in great form, scoring 66 and 68 in her last two games. Recent comments from Darren Crocker that North may be resting players over the coming weeks could work both ways – Rennie is an obvious risk of being rested, but after just 71 per cent ruck time, she could be primed for longer minutes while others get rested themselves. Watch out for team sheets on Thursday night if you decide you want to pursue this route.

Mackenzie Eardley (FWD, $639,000, avg 50.9)
The Hawks' hopes to push deep into November's finals series have taken a serious hit, with Lucy Wales sidelined with appendicitis. But in her absence and with Jess Vukic recovering from concussion, the Hawks have turned to Eardley to fill the void. The 21-year-old started round one as a key forward and then swung back to defence after injuries to Ainslie Kemp (ACL), Najwa Allen (hamstring) and Emily Everist (concussion) left the Hawks in need. In the Hawks' loss to Port Adelaide, Eardley fought hard against a top-line ruck to scrap to 15 touches, three marks, 11 tackles and eight hitouts. Her 98 Fantasy points made her the top-scoring forward for round 10, and she should continue in that role for the final two weeks of the season. At a smidge over $600k, Eardley is not only a bargain forward this week, but a genuine chance to be a top-five forward from here on.

Sell

Sarah Goodwin (DEF, $804,000, avg 64.8)
After a month of 70-plus scores, the alarm bells had started to ring on Goodwin's run as a premium defender in round nine when she managed only 64 against West Coast. Those alarm bells have turned into max volume alarm klaxons after Goodwin scored a measly 42 on the weekend. While you can argue that it was against the dominant North Melbourne so should be discounted, Goodwin saw her CBA role dwindle through the game on top of lower time on ground in the last fortnight (78 per cent and 73 per cent). With the Crows needing to win, and win big, against the Dockers this week, Goodwin's role is looking shaky alongside her value – a 65ish score sees her priced below $750k next week. There are very few positives for this young Crows midfielder, so a trade should be prioritised.

Charlie Thomas (DEF, $678,000, avg 62.9)
For someone that the Fantasy community had (rightfully) heralded as the most consistent premium defender, Thomas has shown little of that premium scoring capability in the last month of the season. Averaging only 54 across the last four rounds, Thomas' spot as the predominant marking option behind the ball for the Eagles has all but completely disappeared, averaging only 2.5 marks per game (v 4.6 in the first five games). Owners should be counting themselves extraordinarily lucky that Thomas takes nearly 100 per cent of the Eagles' kick-ins, otherwise they likely would have stared down the barrel of some brutal sub-40 scores. As much as it hurts to trade out someone who has lost $233k in value, Thomas' scoring cannot be trusted, so a trade to defender with a better role is a must for these final two weeks.

Georgie Prespakis (MID, $989,000, avg 92.5)
Prespakis' start to the year, scoring 100-plus in five of the first seven games, had coaches questioning whether she was finally breaking into the uber-premium tier of AFLW Fantasy midfielders. Sadly, the last three average of 75 answers that question, at least for the time being. What has made life difficult for this young Cat is her 'tag magnetism', which was fully on display in round nine when West Coast made it its mission to quell the impact of Prespakis. On the horizon this week are the Western Bulldogs, who rank fourth in the AFLW for fewest Fantasy points conceded by their opposition in 2025. While it won't be a complete shock if Prespakis manages a ceiling score in the next fortnight, the stats and form line certainly points towards less than premium level scoring.

Imogen Barnett (FWD, $800,000, avg 71.2)
In a tale of two halves, Barnett's game against Richmond should have all coaches rapidly considering whether her status as a premium needs reconsidering. In the first half, Barnett scored 35 Fantasy points, looking on track to post her typical low-mid 70s, built off her standard role in the ruck (for the hitouts and tackles) and then moving to sit a kick behind the ball once the ball moves forward (for the intercept marks). The second half was a disaster as Collingwood coach Sam Wright flipped the magnets, moving Sabrina Frederick into the ruck, and consigning Barnett to a role as the Pies' deepest marking forward. Unsurprisingly, the scoring dried up completely (it's quite hard to take intercept marks playing as a full-forward surprisingly). The even more alarming issue with this role shift is that it seemingly came without an injury to force the swap, unlike her move to the forward 50 against the Bulldogs. If this forward role is going to become a bigger part of the Pies' gameplan, Barnett is a must trade, notwithstanding a match-up against Gold Coast.

Top rookies

Some brutal late outs this round were a timely reminder of the importance of bench cover. If you have a red dot loop for your captaincy options already, prioritising a playing bench option could save you if the worst comes. You may be best served by the following players under $400k:

1. Grace Baba (MID, $388k)
2. Caitlin Tipping (RUC, $309k)
3. Daisy Walker (DEF, $324k)
4. Kellyann Hoan (FWD, $301k)
5. Zoe Besanko (RUC, $300k)

Captains

All of last week's top captaincy options managed to score over 100, with Jasmine Garner's 41-disposal 140 standing out as the superior option among the group. This week, picking either of Garner or Riddell as a captaincy option is going to be fraught with danger, after Crocker spoke openly about his desire to find ways to rest his superstars across the next fortnight before another deep run in the finals. As a result, the two safest options for the captaincy and vice-captaincy are Ebony Marinoff and Kiara Bowers – the two best AFLW Fantasy scorers in the League's history. Marinoff in particular stands out as an enticing option given (a) she plays the first game of the weekend, and (b) said game is against the tackle / contested possession heavy Port Adelaide, conditions which should suit the high tackling Crows mid. Laura Gardiner and Mim Strom are both unlucky to miss the top five, but both have match-ups which give cause for concern, and are bumped down by the first appearance of Bonnici in the top five this year, given her game against the Suns.

No.1: Ebony Marinoff (v Port Adelaide)*
No.2: Kiara Bowers (v Richmond)
No.3: Ash Riddell (v St Kilda)
No.4: Brit Bonnici (v Gold Coast)
No.5: Jasmine Garner (v St Kilda)

* = VC option

Other options to consider: Laura Gardiner (v West Coast)*, Mim Strom (v Richmond), Mon Conti (v Fremantle), Charlie Rowbottom (v Collingwood)*, Gabby Newton (v Richmond), Abbey Dowrick (v Adelaide)*

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