FOR THE first time in weeks, most Fantasy coaches don't have a forced trade - which means it's back to the traditional 'one-up, one-down' trading strategy.
With only three rounds to go, coaches are targeting underperforming players to upgrade them to someone with a great run home. Based on this, Geelong is a team to target.
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Over the next three weeks, Geelong faces Essendon, North Melbourne and Richmond. Targeting players for these match-ups is a great way to maximise your points.
It's the business end of the season, so use those final six trades wisely!
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Trap or treat?
Here are some of the traps to avoid and some treats worth considering for the round ahead.
Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $970,000) – TRAP
Horne-Francis has now averaged 105 after his bye, however, this hot form can attract the attention of taggers. James Jordon and Koltyn Tholstrup could be his next two opponents if the tag is deployed.
Chad Warner (MID/FWD, $952,000) – TREAT
A picture of consistency. Warner carries a lowest score of just 93 in his past nine games and has a great run of games on the horizon with Port Adelaide, Essendon and the Kangaroos rounding out the season.
John Noble (DEF, $924,000) – TRAP
Fantasy fact: This year, Noble has averaged 88 when playing away and 115 in games at home. With his next three games 'away', this is a small concern for those coaches bringing him in this week.
Dayne Zorko (DEF, $882,000) – TREAT
After being managed last week, expect Zorko to play out the remainder of the season. He scored 130 in round 20, and plays the Hawks, Suns and Magpies in his final three games of the season. Get on!
Oscar Ryan (DEF, $268,000) – TREAT
Here is the most traded in player for the week and Ryan is certainly the cash cow to grab. He scored 75 on debut last week for the Crows, and should hold his spot when teams drop.
Most traded in
- Oscar Ryan (DEF, $268,000)
- Errol Gulden (MID, $974,000)
- Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $929,000)
- Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $913,000)
- Brad Hill (DEF/MID/FWD, $1,050,000)
According to Cal's Scale of Hardness, Sydney has the second-best run home to end the season and during that time we should see Errol Gulden (MID, $974,000) fill the stat sheet. Coming off scores of 104 and 137, Gulden is back to his very best.
Brad Hill (DEF/MID/FWD, $1,050,000) is a popular move this week for those coaches who are looking to offload Christian Petracca and it's easy to see why. Since Jack Sinclair's injury, Hill has averaged 122 from six games and with the Tigers coming up next week, he's a great pick.
Most traded out
- Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $706,000)
- Hugo Hall-Kahan (DEF/MID, $636,000)
- Wayne Milera (DEF, $926,000)
- Oliver Francou (MID, $484,000)
- Jordan De Goey (MID/FWD, $862,000)
Here we go again ... Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $706,000) sits as the most traded out player for the week after letting his coaches down once again with a score of 50 in round 21.
Jordan De Goey (MID/FWD, $862,000) also finds himself on the chopping block as he races the clock to play on Sunday after suffering some glute soreness. Playing in the second-last game of the round, coaches are not taking any chances and making the move today.
Most popular trade
Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $706,000) to Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $929,000)
Rankine has now averaged 109 in his past five games and has taken full advantage of his increased time in the middle. Rankine scored a career-high 162 against the Tigers in round nine and should provide his coaches with an instant reward on Saturday night.
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.
Oscar McDonald (DEF) v Melbourne – McDonald made the most of the easy match-up last week against the Bulldogs and scored 103 from 12 marks. Another 'easy' match-up awaits.
Stephen Coniglio (MID/FWD) v Gold Coast – One of our Fantasy favourites has found his feet once again and is coming off scores of 99 and 82. Check those waivers ... he's most likely still there.
Dan McStay (FWD) v West Coast – McStay has scored 118 and 90 in his past two games and should kick a bag against the Eagles, a team Tom Lynch kicked 2.4 goals for 87 points against last week.
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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