RUCKS have always been a hot commodity in AFL Fantasy Draft… despite most leagues only needing one big man per team.

The addition of the Flex position in the revamped platform where commissioners can choose for their league to have the extra slot(s) where players can be selected from any nominated position means rucks could be hot targets.

Last season three rucks averaged more than 110. Rowan Marshall topped the table with Tristan Xerri's breakout season seeing him land in second place. Fantasy stalwart Max Gawn was the fourth highest averaging player overall.

There was a gap between the top tier rucks with Tim English and Toby Nankervis the only other players to average more than 100. There were five players to average in the 90s.

Over the years coaches have taken the first couple of rucks early on Draft Day.

This year is likely to follow suit with Xerri tipped to go at No.1 in plenty of leagues. If you miss out on that top tier, the 'punt rucks' strategy is generally adopted. In a 10-team league, you should get a 90-plus averaging ruck, so leaving (or punting) your rucks until late in the draft should still net you a decent selection.

For example, Lloyd Meek in the latter rounds should still be a winner.

Also consider drafting your ruck's understudy if you have a big enough bench. If your big man goes down, you'll need cover and they're usually the best to use as your emergency (that is, of course, if there isn't a recognised ruck left in the pool).

The addition of the Flex position (or if leagues have two rucks in the line-up) may see coaches target rucks earlier than usual. Rucks are often the most reliable scorers in Fantasy. Those who are the main ruck without a recognised big man to swap with are the players to target.

Gawn enjoyed his first season for quite some time without either Brodie Grundy or Luke Jackson by his side. He returned his best average since the shortened quarters in 2020.

On the flipside, Essendon has often run with dual ruck setups. Sam Draper was partnered with Todd Goldstein and/or Nick Bryan last season. This caps output for the big men. It's not just the one point for the hitout in Fantasy, they are around the ball and can be involved in the play.

All other rucks can learn from Xerri. The big Roo had solid hitout numbers, but his 18 disposals and 7.5 tackles per game help make him an elite ruck in the game, and especially Fantasy.

>>The new AFL Fantasy Draft App is now available via the App Store and Google Play

Warnie's top 15 rucks

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