BIG NAME... big problem! The Fantasy community had their head in their hands last week as Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (DEF/MID, $1,074,000) went down with a hamstring injury, but this is nothing new for Fantasy coaches – forced trades have been the flavour of the season.
With only four trades in our pocket and preliminary finals on the cards, it's getting to the pointy end of the season for those coaches who have pushed through the challenges of 2026.
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Whether you're a hat hunter, a car chaser or battling your mates for an important league win – now is the time to make those trades with the aim to maximise points over the two remaining rounds.
Targeting teams with great match-ups is certainly the right thing to do this week and here are the teams you should be looking at based on their next two opponents.
Geelong: North Melbourne (Marvel Stadium) and Richmond (GMHBA Stadium)
St Kilda: Richmond (MCG) and Gold Coast (Marvel Stadium)
Sydney: Essendon (MCG) and North Melbourne (SCG)
Melbourne: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval) and the Western Bulldogs (MCG)
Treat or treat?
Here are some of the traps to avoid and some treats worth considering for the round ahead.
No time for traps this week – here are some treats worth considering for the round ahead.
Errol Gulden (MID, $1,010,000) – TREAT
Essendon and the Kangaroos await Gulden who is in hot form after scores of 135, 104 and 137. He rates very high in Calvin's Captains this week and the only thing to slow him down could be an in-game rest.
Chad Warner (MID/FWD, $961,000) – TREAT
Warner scored 110 last week, his highest score in his last six games. There are no easier match-ups than this one at the MCG, a ground Sydney needs to conquer if it is going to push for premiership glory.
Max Hall (MID/FWD, $910,000) – TREAT
Hall attended the most centre ball-ups for the Saints last week and dominated with 115. He bashed up the Bombers for 152 in round 17 and could do the same to the Tigers on Saturday afternoon.
Nick Blakey (DEF, $840,000) – TREAT
After a unique defender? Then consider the 'Lizard'. Even though he's not renowned for his ceiling scores, he did have 146 against Collingwood this year, which... like Essendon is deemed 'easy' for defenders.
Oliver Florent (DEF/MID, $750,000) – TREAT
Florent is one of Roy's hidden gems and finds himself coming off two good scores of 109 and 92. He has the 'Newman role' and with the Bulldogs coming up this week, so another 100-plus score is on the cards.
Most traded in
- Dayne Zorko (DEF, $888,000)
- Brad Hill (DEF/MID/FWD, $1,040,000)
- Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $937,000)
- Errol Gulden (MID, $1,010,000)
- Chad Warner (MID/FWD, $961,000)
Since taking over from Jack Sinclair down back, Brad Hill (DEF/MID/FWD, $1,040,000) has averaged 118 in his last seven games. During that time, he has made the most of 'easy' match-ups, scoring 159 against Essendon and 134 against the Power. Richmond provides him with the opportunity to hit those heights again.
Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $937,000) - Trap or treat?
Picking up Whitfield is always a great move... but will he be tagged by Milan Murdock like he was earlier this year when he scored 59? In a position where we have multiple defenders to choose from, this one comes with an element of risk.
Most traded out
- Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (DEF/MID, $1,074,000)
- Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $665,000)
- Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $965,000)
- Murphy Reid (MID/FWD, $708,000)
- Sam Durham (FWD, $745,000)
Teams drop on Thursday night and thousands of Fantasy coaches will be waiting anxiously to hear the names of Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $965,000) and Murphy Reid (MID/FWD, $708,000). Both players are in doubt for their respective games this week after battling injuries from round 21. Clubs are expected to be cautious with the young stars, so make sure you have a back-up plan to fall back on.
Most popular trade
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (DEF/MID, $1,074,000) to Dayne Zorko (DEF, $888,000)
"Get some Zork on your fork" – this is the most popular chant for Fantasy coaches this week who are looking to offload Wanganeen-Milera.
Zorko is coming off a solid 97 and heads back to the Gabba this week. He'll meet the Suns who he has a great record against before playing Collingwood in the final round of the year, a team he has previously scored 116 and 131 against. The match-ups are there for the 37-year-old who should end the season in style.
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.
Nick Haynes (DEF) v Western Bulldogs – Haynes has taken double-figure marks in three of his last four games and in this match-up, he'll do it again. Currently available in 82 per cent of leagues.
Jai Serong (DEF/MID) v Essendon – Don't expect 119 like last week, but Serong has the easiest match-up in town and is unique to most draft leagues. Check those waivers, he might be there.
Francis Evans (FWD) v Western Bulldogs – Top-scored for the Blues last week with 110 and features in just three per cent of Draft leagues. The Bulldogs give up plenty and hopefully Evans can cash in again.
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
No.1 - Errol Gulden v Essendon @ the MCG, SUN 4.40pm AEST
Even though it's round 23, the formula hasn't changed – focus on those teams that give up plenty of points. Gulden is coming off 135, 104 and 137, and should feast against a team he scored 114 against last year.
No.2 - Brad Hill v Richmond @ the MCG, SAT 12.35pm AEST
Hill has the ability to hit big scores and this week, he has the match-up to do it again. Against the five teams that are deemed 'easy' on Cal's Scale of Hardness for defenders – Hill has averaged 126 this year. Up next: the Tigers.
No.3 - Nick Daicos v Hawthorn @ the MCG, SAT 7.40pm AEST
Daicos hasn't scored over 120 in his last six games but that changes here. He had 124 on the Hawks in round eight and last week against the Hawks, Lachie Neale and Will Ashcroft both dominated for scores of 147 and 122 respectively.
No.4 – Tristan Xerri v Geelong @ Marvel Stadium, SAT 3.45pm AEST
Consider the big man as a VC option if you're a lucky owner this week. Rucks score with ease against Geelong and Xerri proved that to be the case with 131 earlier this year and 156 in 2025. A monster score could be on the way.
No.5 – Will Ashcroft v Gold Coast @ the Gabba, SAT 4.15pm AEST
Ashcroft has now averaged 126 in his last eight games and heads back to the Gabba where he has averaged 131 in his last four. He just keeps getting the job done each and every week and he won't be slowing down anytime soon.
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