THE BYES are done. The safety net is gone and it's officially go time in AFL Fantasy!
With one-third of the season remaining, the equation is simple ... you're either hunting greatness or falling behind. Whether your eyes are locked on the Toyota Tundra Platinum like Jacob, Adam, and Chris, or you're just desperate to destroy your mates in your league, now is the time to strike.
No more three-trade luxuries. No more best-18s. The real game starts this week.
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We've officially entered the "completed team" season. While most coaches are in a panic trying to get rookies off their field, others are happy to keep rolling with a few, like Adelaide's Hugo Hall-Kahan ($469,000) as a short-term play.
The clock is ticking: Four weeks until Fantasy Finals. Eight weeks until you pack your bags for the end-of-season trip.
How will your season end?
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Trap or treat?
Here are some of the traps to avoid and some treats worth considering for the round ahead.
Josh Daicos (DEF, $899,000) – TRAP
Nearly 1000 coaches are trading in Daicos this week, but you've missed his 120 from round 16. He has a terrible draw for defenders coming up and at this price, there are way better options.
Callum Wilkie (DEF, $867,000) - TREAT
Prior to getting injured in round nine on 21 points, Wilkie was averaging 112. He has been a little up and down in recent weeks, but he returned to his best last weekend with 123 points with 14 marks.
Sam Durham (MID/FWD, $766,000) – TREAT
Durham has now averaged 112 over the last three weeks in a role change that has seen him attend more centre-bounces than any other Essendon midfielder. He has a break even of 40 and a great pick this week.
Marcus Herbert (MID, $312,000) – TREAT
Cash generation is still important for the run home and with a break even of -11, Herbet is set to make bulk coin over the next few weeks. Coming off scores of 67 and 61, he'll be $500k in no time.
Josh Goater (DEF, $265,000) – TREAT
Need a rookie 'baa-ck'? Then this goat is the cash cow to grab. The 23-year-old scored 64 in his 13th game at the Kangaroos last week. He went up $30k last week and his job security appears strong.
Most traded in
- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (DEF/MID, $1,049,000)
- Rowan Marshall (RUCK/FWD, $748,000)
- Josh Goater (DEF, $265,000)
- Sam Durham (MID/FWD, $766,000)
- Marcus Herbert (MID, $312,000)
You can’t go wrong picking Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (DEF/MID, $1,049,000) this week after averaging 117 in his last three games leading into his bye. A juicy Essendon match-up awaits, a team Harry Sheezel dominated last week with the highest Fantasy score for 2026. Sheezel scored 173 from 43 disposals, 12 marks and eight tackles – something for Wanganeen-Milera to chase this week.
Most traded out
- Brent Daniels (MID/FWD, $730,000)
- Jai Serong (DEF/MID, $740,000)
- Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $809,000)
- Jack Sinclair (DEF, $910,000)
- Darcy Cameron (RUCK, $806,000)
It's that time of the year when Fantasy coaches are getting tired and grumpy. When Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $809,000) drops his lowest score of the year (54), phones are thrown, and seasons are officially ruined. Petracca has only managed to score over 85, in one of his last four games and his coaches have seen enough.
Even though Jai Serong (DEF/MID, $740,000) has been one of the cash cows of the year, his score of 39 last week has left his owners scratching their heads. Serong now has a breakeven of 98 and needs to be traded ... and definitely can not be trusted as an on-field option.
Most popular trade
Brent Daniels (MID/FWD, $730,000) to Rowan Marshall (RUCK/FWD, $748,000)
A calf injury to the man former known as 'Brent' and a move to Marshall is basically a straight swap!
With Tom De Koning on the sidelines for a minimum of four weeks, it's time for Marshall to turn back the clock. Marshall averaged 116 and 117 respectively over seasons 2023/24 in the No.1 ruck role at the Saints.
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.
Billy Wilson (DEF) v Richmond – Wilson has strung together some good games over the last four weeks with scores of 101, 52, 82 and 90. Could take double-figures marks in this match-up.
Mason Wood (MID/FWD) v Essendon – In round 15, Wood scored 108 from 11 marks, doing as he pleased on a wing for the Saints. Great match-up this week and sits in just 12 per cent of leagues.
Cooper Harvey (FWD) v Port Adelaide – A role across half-back has seen Harvey's Fantasy scores climb in recent weeks. He had 81 last weekend from 10 marks and six tackles. Sneaky FWD option.
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.
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