BEING 'Royactionary' has been a bit on our podcast in recent years. That is, reacting to every piece of pre-season news, scores in practice matches and adjusting teams at the drop of a hat.

We joke about it. We preach that we shouldn't do it. Yet here we are.

The AAMI Community Series wrapped up and the business end of the Fantasy pre-season is here. We've got Opening Round to keep tinkering with our teams – and decisions will be made off the back of scores that are posted – so plenty will change.

Plenty changed over the last week.

I won't call it 'Royactionary', I will call it validating previous thoughts. Most of the players have been under consideration in my team since the game launched in January.

Tinkering with my squad following the practice matches – which may or may not have included hitting the clear team button to build it from scratch again – has seen the Warne Dawgs come out a slightly different unit than it was a week ago.

We saw some huge performances over the AAMI Community Series. Zak Butters (MID, $1,047,000) top scored with 152, beating all-comers in Port Adelaide's thumping win over West Coast to finish the weekend. His teammate Connor Rozee (DEF/MID, $1,092,000) was the equal second best with 149.

They have both been in the team from day dot.

No pre-season hype about it! Port Adelaide's early fixture and the potential upside has me, and plenty of others, very bullish about both as starting picks.

On the flipside, some made their way into the squad off the back of their practice match showing. Let's unpack it.

The locks

Rozee in defence and Butters in the midfield have been there all pre-season. They're not going anywhere.

Providing Colby McKercher (DEF, $823,000) is playing round one following his finger surgery, he is someone who can take his 78.5 average from last season into the 90s at half-back. Also selected in the backline is Lachlan Blakiston (DEF, $399,000). He should get a good run at being Essendon's No.1 ruck and should just share with Peter Wright. He's too cheap in that role to miss out on.

Jack Steele (MID, $1,006,000) will be the first magnet on the board in Melbourne's midfield and should return to a triple-figure average. While I'd love the same result for Darcy Parish (MID, $759,000), his breakeven of 72 is well under his potential return considering he has twice averaged 106-plus. Oh, and don't forget Jagga Smith (MID, $230,000). He is the most popular selection with good reason! Our rookie lock on field.

He's a lock, but where he ends up is still up in the air. Lachlan McAndrew (RUC, $286,000) is a must-have as a rookie-priced option who is super likely to be the Crows' first-choice ruck. But does he offer the most value on field as he should score better than most other cash cow options? You don't want that wasted on your bench.

Up forward, Harry Sheezel (FWD/MID, $1,145,000) is top dollar and while I've considered not starting him, the fact that 67 per cent of coaches are currently doing it makes the decision an easy one. Some game theory might suggest that this could be a reason to 'take him on' and fade, but I see a world where Sheezel goes 110-plus and I don't know when I would get him if I didn't start him.

As most know, Sam Flanders (FWD, $716,000) is playing through St Kilda's midfield (and slotting behind the ball in that juicy Saints system). No one should be overthinking this one. The AAMI Community Series also validated Mattaes Phillipou (FWD, $610,000) as a bargain play, running through the midfield as a key member of St Kilda's engine room.

Listen to the AFL Fantasy Podcast with The Traders at Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The probables

I've been super keen on Caleb Windsor (DEF, $565,000) since I heard about his midfield role and seeing it through an intraclub game (yes, I watched a whole stream of the Dees running around), the match simulation and the abandoned game in Ballarat. The role is real and it would take a lot for me to drop him at that price.

Opening Round scores will dictate some selections. Errol Gulden (MID, $1,073,000) could be close to the top averaging midfielder as he has the perfect mix of being an inside/outside midfielder. If the Swan is sweet after his minor ankle injury, he's in as my most expensive midfielder. Sam Walsh (MID, $977,000) will be too cheap to ignore if he busts out a 100-plus score while mid-priced players Harry Rowston (MID, $544,000) and Tanner Bruhn (MID, $517,000) can lock themselves in based on their roles and scores over the weekend.

Maybe a little AAMI hype there.

Another Opening Round watch will be Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $948,000). I have only just come around to the former Dee being part of my starting squad. The early bye worries me, the upside may not quite be what I want but the Suns play West Coast and Richmond in the first two Fantasy rounds.

The rookies

With Jagga Smith and Lachlan McAndrew locks, I have confidence to structure the squad with Josh Lindsay (DEF, $278,000) and Deven Robertson (FWD, $232,000) on field in defence and up forward.

Sam Grlj (DEF/MID, $322,000) looks classy at half-back for the Tigers, Jai Serong (DEF, $274,000) performed better than expected for the Swans and second-year Dog Lachie Jaques (DEF, $230,000) looks to have a spot in the backline rotation.

I'm on the fence with the midfielders, mostly due to price, but I'm not sure there are better options for our bench. Willem Duursma (MID, $350,000) and Dyson Sharp (MID, $302,000) should play. If Tom Blamires (MID, $230,000) is selected by North Melbourne, he's in after his 92-point game just days after being picked up via the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP).

Lachy Dovaston (FWD, $290,000) and Leo Lombard (FWD, $230,000) are the best of the forward cash cows, despite questions over their cash generation. They could be slow burns.

The rest who are in the mix

I'm not ashamed to say that Archie Roberts (DEF, $901,000) came into my side after watching his role in the two practice matches. I didn't see heaps of upside earlier in the pre-season, but after scoring 106 from 55 per cent CBAs, maybe he can go 95-plus and be a great pick?

Jack Sinclair (DEF, $1,057,000) could post a big Opening Round score against the Pies that may force my hand instead. I think he could be in for a big year with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera moving to the midfield.

The rucks have dominated discussion this pre-season. We were in the dark as to what they would do. Would scoring go down? Are we better to look for value to mitigate risk? Tim English (RUC, $1,162,000) is worth a lot of coin, but his 131 in the AAMI Community Series told us that maybe he'll be OK … and if I have McAndrew at R2, one set and forget would be nice. The early bye is a slight concern.

Connor Macdonald (FWD, $714,000) is looking like he'll be a midfielder. If he can get 40 per cent CBAs as the Hawks' third or fourth banana in the middle, there's enough upside. He joins a range of players who could hold down a mid-priced position up forward. I'm not ruling out Sam Lalor (FWD, $567,000), Murphy Reid (FWD, $581,000) or Connor Budarick (FWD, $506,000), who could put up a good Opening Round score to slot himself in as a bargain.

Maybe I need to fit in some more of the value forwards?

The byes

This current make-up of the Warne Dawgs goes against my initial thoughts about players with the early bye.

Value picks are OK, but I'd want to limit the 'premiums'. Errol Gulden, Tim English and Christian Petracca share the round three bye. Add in there Connor Macdonald, it's a worry.

Some dual-position players may help cover the round two bye when Sam Walsh, Tanner Bruhn and Jagga Smith are on field, but it would mean more rookies on field – not ideal. This could limit scoring despite the best 18.

Something that may need to be rectified.

Anyone who thinks they've locked in their team now is kidding themselves. Or at least I want to tell myself that.

Rookies dictate structure. Where they fall when round one teams are announced may decide who are the best to play and where. Opening Round scores will also give us plenty of food for thought on who should or shouldn't be selected and whether they're worth having despite an early bye.

Ahhh, Fantasy, we love it! Bring on the next week, and the season ahead.

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.