A HUGE weekend of footy is upon us but this week it has all been about the great Scott Pendlebury.

Whether you love the gold number or not, it's time to celebrate one of the greatest players to play the game and from an AFL Fantasy perspective, it's time to reflect on the many times you might have coached the great man over his 21-year career.

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Since 2012, Pendlebury's AFL Fantasy profile reads as follows:

Highest Fantasy score: 153 in 2013 v Adelaide and 153 in 2026 v Essendon
Lowest Fantasy score: 0 in 2025 v Brisbane (Preliminary Final)
Favourite team to score against:
North Melbourne, averaging 105 from 12 games
Worst team to score against: Port Adelaide, averaging 86 from 17 games
Highest averaging ground: Accor Stadium (NSW) where he averaged 125 from four games
Lowest averaging ground: Optus Stadium where he averaged 80 from nine games

On behalf of the AFL Fantasy community – congrats SP10, good luck and enjoy the weekend!

06:33

The Traders' Fantasy preview: Round 11

Calvin, Roy and Warnie talk you through all the news, captains and more

Published on May 20, 2026

Trap or treat?

Here are some of the traps to avoid and some treats worth considering for the round ahead.

Zach Merrett (MID, $1,018,000) - TREAT
One of the best midfielders in the competition is about to embark on a green run journey. With Richmond and Waalitj Marawar in the coming weeks, Merrett is set to take his game to another level after averaging 106 in his past five games.

John Noble (DEF, $991,000) TRAP
Noble has averaged 135 over the past three games but the match-ups were as easy as it gets. Not only does he have a bye next week, his run of games coming up are much harder than previous weeks and those scores will not continue.

Callum Wilkie (DEF, $956,000) – TREAT
If you're looking for a unique player to climb the rankings then Wilkie is your man. He sits in six per cent of teams, and has averaged 112 this season when you exclude his injured score of 21.

Callum Wilkie during the round 10 match between Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) and Richmond at Marvel Stadium, on May 17, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $900,000) – TRAP
Rankine is a popular member of ‘trap or treat' but this time you need to listen. Over 1100 coaches have traded Rankine in this week, not seeing his tricky match-up on Thursday night against the Hawks, which is followed by his bye and then another meeting with Oisin Mullin.

Sullivan Robey (MID/FWD, $491,000) - TREAT
This is your last chance to trade in Robey before he will be ‘too expensive'. Even though he has gone up $173,000 from his starting price, his recent scores of 89 and 79 are just too good to ignore. However, after this week – you've missed the boat.

Most traded in

  • Jack Ison (MID, $264,000)
  • Charlie Banfield (MID/FWD, $259,000)
  • Brodie Grundy (RUCK, $1,093,000)
  • Harrison Oliver (DEF, $254,000)
  • Bailey Smith (MID, $1,164,000)

Fantasy coaches are once again on the money and are targeting the right rookies. Jack Ison (MID, $264,000) is the pick of the bunch after he scored 67 last week in Carlton's win. He is now a cult hero at the club and should remain in the team for weeks to come.

Euro-Yroke have already announced that Charlie Banfield (MID/FWD, $259,000) will hold his spot in the team after his 11 disposals and a goal last week. He scored 60 and with multiple injuries to the Euro-Yroke forward line, his job security also appears strong.

Jack Ison during the round 10 match between Carlton and Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, on May 16, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Most traded out

  • Lachie McAndrew (RUCK, $752,000)
  • Tom Blamires (DEF/MID, $579,000)
  • Will Duursma (MID, $745,000)
  • Milan Murdock (MID, $657,000)
  • Oscar Steene (RUCK, $414,000)

Rookies have nowhere to hide this week, and Fantasy coaches are trading them out, left, right and centre.

The rookies this year have been sensational and if you still have Lachie McAndrew (RUCK, $752,000) then now could be the time to move him on to bigger and better things. McAndrew has gone up $466,000 this season (second-highest to Jagga Smith) and has averaged 83 across his 10 games. With a tough match-up and a bye next week, trading him out is certainly a good move. 

Brodie Grundy or Luke Jackson are the obvious prime targets, however, a move to Darcy Cameron (now he's back as Collingwood's No.1 ruck) will only cost you $48,000.

Lachlan McAndrew during the round six match between Adelaide and St Kilda at Adelaide Oval, April 18, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Draft: One-week wonders

A strategy in draft is to find one-week streaming options. This means, finding a player who has low ownership (most likely in the free agents) and an option for a one-week play. You may require a player like this to fill any holes in your team while you wait for an injured player to return or for one of your players to gain dual-position status.

Here are some players with low ownership that might be worth a punt on for this week.

Liam Duggan (DEF) v Collingwood After scores of 99 and 86 in the last two weeks, Duggan has hit form at the right time. He sits is 30 per cent of draft leagues and plays the easiest team for defenders to score against.

Oliver Florent (DEF/MID) v Yartapuulti – A new coach and a score of 127 is Florent's highest score in two years – a coincidence? I think not! He was super-impressive with 11 marks last week, and this could a be a sign of things to come.

Max Hall (FWD) v Walyalup – Hall's stocks have risen in recent weeks where he has averaged 99 in his last three games. Smart draft coaches have already snapped him up, but it's still worth check the wavier wire in your draft league ... he still might be there.

Max Hall during the R9 match between St Kilda and Gold Coast at TIO Stadium on May 9, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Live Teams Show

The Traders will be live from 6.15pm AEST on Thursday to cover all the important ins and outs as teams are announced. They break down the popular trades, discuss captains and answer all your burning questions. Watch the Live Teams Show every Thursday night via AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App and ask your questions in the comments.

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

Calvin's best captains

Your captain scores you double points and as always, we need all the points we can get. Make sure you tune in tonight when the Traders go live at 6:15pm on AFL.com.au or via the AFL Live Official App to see who Calvin has in his top five and who the Traders are locking in as their captain options for the round ahead.

Get expert advice from The Traders during the season in the Fantasy Hub. Follow AFL Fantasy on X and Instagram and 'like' the Facebook page to join in the conversation.