NEXT up in our 2026 Fantasy preview series is Carlton.
What happened last season?
Average points ranking: Ninth
Top three averaging players: George Hewett (98.9), Adam Cerra (95.1), Sam Walsh (93.1)
Biggest price increase: Matt Carroll (+$239,000)
Biggest price drop: Sam Walsh (-$212,000)
>> See the full list of players, positions and prices
List changes
IN
Ben Ainsworth (trade, Gold Coast), Talor Byrne (No.45 draft pick), Campbell Chesser (trade, West Coast), Harry Dean (No.3 draft pick, father-son), Oliver Florent (trade, Sydney), Will Hayward (trade, Sydney), Jack Ison (No.47 draft pick, Academy), Liam Reidy (trade, Fremantle)
OUT
Jaxon Binns (delisted), Alex Cincotta (delisted), Charlie Curnow (trade, Sydney), Tom De Koning (free agent, St Kilda), Sam Docherty (retired), Corey Durdin (trade, Port Adelaide), Orazio Fantasia (delisted), Elijah Hollands (delisted), Harry Lemmey (delisted), Jack Silvagni (free agent, St Kilda), Will White (delisted)
Fixture watch
Unfortunately the Blues are faced with an early bye in round two which makes them a hard sell in Classic, unless we see some irresistible value following an Opening Round match up with the Swans and want to make the most of that cash generation given a mouth watering round one fixture against the Tigers, who were one of the easiest opponents to score against last season.
A deeper dive also sees the Blues' favourable match-ups continue against the Dees and Roos on the other side of their round two bye which means they will play three 'Green teams' on the trot, making them a happy hunting ground for cash cows and under-priced premiums who may take full advantage of the easy run to start the season while making you some easy coin.
So, who should coaches be considering in 2026?
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Lock them in
After averaging triple figures three times in his career to date, Sam Walsh (MID, $977,000) was once again held back from his best due to injury, managing an average of just 93.1, his lowest since 2019.
In positive news however, it makes him under priced and a value selection in all formats if he gets a good run at it this pre season. We got a reminder in round four and five last year that his best is as good as anyone in the game with scores of 137 and 126.
You only need to look back to 2024 where the hard nosed ball winner averaged 106.1 to see what he is capable of, an average that would place him as the 6th highest averaging midfielder entering this season.
Track their pre-season
Accumulating defender Nic Newman (DEF, $753,000) was coming off a career season where he quickly became a 'must have' defender with an average of 102.1 before suffering an injury that prevented the 32 year old from taking the field last season. The good news is, he is back and for a heavily discounted price.
The Blues desperately missed his services last season and we missed his Fantasy output. Thankfully, we both get him back this year and as Fantasy coaches, why wouldn't we want a guy who averaged 120.7 in his last six games for the price of an average of 71.8.
Bargain basement
Jagga Smith (MID, $230,000) is the easiest starting pick of the season: elite scoring potential, job security, and he is basement price after missing his debut season with injury.
He's a ball magnet who averaged 113.1 from 34 disposals in the Coates Talent League and he showed his ball winning ability in one of those games when he racked up 50 possessions. That year, he proved he is ready to play with the bigger bodies when he scored 104 on debut for the Richmond reserves where he went on to average 27 disposals across his three games. Lock and load.
Draft sleeper
When sorted by average, new Blues Oliver Florent (MID, $629,000) and Ben Ainsworth (FWD, $615,000) will be ranked well below their best with averages of 60 and 58.6 when both are capable of scoring well into the 70's. Although Florent will only be relevant in deep leagues as a depth player given his MID status, Ainsworth's 2023 average of 74.1 would have him ranked in the top 30 scorers for this years crop.
Custom stat star
If your league loves to look after the big forwards with an inflated reward for goals, Harry McKay (FWD, $821,000) is a great option considering he managed to average 78.3 last season with default scoring and that was with Charlie Curnow demanding a high percentage of inside 50 ball. In a forward line that drops off quickly, big Harry has the ability to kick a bag and pump out some match winning performances.
Buyer beware
Despite being my favourite player, inspirational skipper Patrick Cripps (MID, $931,000) was showing signs of carrying the team on his back last year, taking a scoring hit with just three hundreds at an average of 84.5 per game following the bye. It started to become a hard slog out there and it was a steep drop from the 100 he averaged in 2024.
On paper, it's a bargain and if Walsh is fit and some teammates can step up to support him there will be nothing to stop him returning to triple figures but on the wrong side of 30, he can't be expected to do everything himself and dominate for the whole season.
Catch up on every club preview
ADELAIDE Still value in breakout gun, will youngster get his chance?
BRISBANE Young guns shape as options, eyes on defender again
COLLINGWOOD The Daicos to watch, star has plenty of upside
FREMANTLE Gun duo may offer value, keep an eye on rucks
GEELONG Consider impressive forward, beware of star veteran
GOLD COAST Star recruit one to watch, rookie an option
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Must-have defender, keep an eye on former Demon
HAWTHORN All eyes on star mid again, can captain recapture best?
SYDNEY Lock in star ruck, is Gulden a bargain?
WESTERN BULLDOGS Don't sleep on ruck, can Bont continue hot streak?
With an all-new platform, AFL Fantasy Classic will launch in late January. Fantasy Draft is already available on web, but the app will also launch in the new year.
Get expert advice from The Traders during the pre-season in the Fantasy Hub. Follow AFL Fantasy on X and Instagram and 'like' the Facebook page to join in the conversation.
