IT'S RAINING rookies! There is no rookie crisis in round 14 – but which ones do you pick?

The most obvious rookie to select this week is Adelaide's Hugo Hall-Kahan (DEF/MID, $252,000). Not only has he had his bye, the mature-aged recruit was awesome last week and scored 51 on debut from just 56 per cent game due to a head knock.

If you are hunting more players who have had their bye then lock in Port Adelaide's Tom Cochrane (FWD, $291,000) who scored 60 in round 13 and laid an impressive six tackles. He will be joined by teammate Xavier Bamert (MID, $230,000) this Saturday night as he will make his debut after scoring 69 in the SANFL last weekend.

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Even though they have a bye coming up, you could still go early on Luker Kentfield (FWD, $249,000) and Luke Kennedy (MID, $230,000).

Melbourne's Kentfield scored 47 on debut last week and should stay in the team over the coming weeks off the back of the horrible injury to Brody Mihocek.

Depending on the position you need and your bye structure moving forward ... there are plenty of rookies with their hands up high for selection in your team this week.

Fantasy reminder: This week is the third week of the mid-season bye rounds and it's Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle and Hawthorn on the sidelines this week. During this time, Fantasy coaches will have three trades a week, with their best-18 on field scores counting towards their overall total.

05:16

The Traders' Fantasy preview: Round 14

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

Published on Jun 11, 2026

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

Trap or treat?

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

Jordan Dawson (MID, $1,114,000) – TREAT
We still need to be targeting players coming off their bye, even if they are worth over $1.1M. Dawson has now averaged 123 in his last five games ranking him second overall during that time, just behind John Noble.

Luke Parker (DEF/MID, $892,000) – TREAT
While others are grabbing Ash and Whitfield you could save some money and grab Parker who has the Eagles, Richmond and Essendon over the next three weeks - a patch that could see him average 105-plus.

Luke Parker in action during the match between North Melbourne and Fremantle at Hands Oval in round 13, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Brent Daniels (MID/FWD, $711,000) – TREAT
For two weeks leading into his bye, Daniels received a role change that saw him attended 55 of the team's centre-bounces to average 93. He's the perfect player to hide away in the 'Fraud-line' and capable of big scores.

Sam Durham (MID/FWD, $692,000) – TRAP
Trap this week ... a treat coming up. You just can't trade in someone who has their bye next week. Durham scored 132 last week in a role change that saw him attended 18 CBAs. Be patient, grab him in round 16.

Daniel Curtin (MID, $595,000) – TRAP
Curtin was great last week scoring 95 without anytime in the middle. The issue is, before that great score he had only averaged 52 across the four games prior. A little risky for a guy who can only be selected as a MID.

Most traded in

  • Lachie Ash (DEF, $994,000)
  • Hugo Hall-Kahan (DEF/MID, $252,000)
  • Tom Cochrane (FWD, $291,000)
  • Jordan Dawson (MID, $1,114,000)
  • Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $998,000)

It's no surprise to see the Giants duo sitting in the most traded in players this week, fresh off their round 13 bye. Lachie Ash (DEF, $994,000) tops the list, and he should offer instant reward against the Saints this Sunday. Ash has scored 137, 109, 113, 99 and 113 in his last five games against St Kilda and loves playing under the Marvel Stadium roof.

If you already have Ash, then you might as well grab Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $998,000) too. Whitfield's form has been a little hit and miss this year. However, he is under a million dollars and is going to be as cheap as he'll get.

Lachie Whitfield kicks the ball during Greater Western Sydney's clash against Melbourne in round 12, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Most traded out

  • Dan Houston (DEF, $783,000)
  • Jagga Smith (MID/FWD, $738,000)
  • Angus Anderson (MID, $502,000)
  • Josh Lindsay (DEF, $681,000)
  • Justin McInerney (MID/FWD, $753,000)

Collingwood and Carlton are on the bye this week and that's why it's the perfect time to thank Jagga Smith (MID/FWD, $738,000) and Angus Anderson (MID, $502,000) for their services and move them on.

Smith has gone up $508,000 this season, the most of all players. He has now averaged 77 for the year and despite scoring 57 last week, he has hit some form in recent weeks scoring 91 and 90 in his last four games.

Jagga Smith with fans after the Round 12 match between Carlton and Geelong at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 29, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Most popular trade

Dan Houston (DEF, $783,000) to Lachie Ash (DEF, $994,000)

Over 8000 Fantasy coaches have made this and it's easy to see why.

Cast your mind back to round nine - Dan Houston (DEF, $783,000) was averaging 102 and priced at just over $900,000. A 'must-have' were the words used by the Fantasy community, but the pressure was too much for Houston, who has only averaged 71 since.

Dan Houston handballs during Collingwood's clash against Waalitj Marawar in round 11, 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.

Connor Idun (DEF) v St Kilda – Before his bye, Idun had his best game of the season with 29 disposals and 14 marks. The Saints do give up points to defenders and Idun could be the one cashing in.

Harvey Langford (MID) v Essendon – Match-ups are everything in Fantasy and Langford has the easiest one in town after scoring 102 last week against the Magpies. He sits in just 12 per cent of leagues.

Harvey Langford celebrates kicking a goal during the match between Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG in round 13, 2026. Pictures: Getty Images

Logan Morris (FWD) v Richmond – Sitting in just 25 per cent of leagues, maybe Morris is still there in yours. He scored 128 last week from 7.4 goals and should have a day out against the Tigers.

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-5 and who the Traders are locking in as their captain options for the round ahead.

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