For the last time in season 2026... it’s time to get Fantasy Ready!

It has certainly been a tough year for AFL Fantasy but that hasn’t stopped the top coaches from powering through.

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Tyler sits in pole position for the Toyota Tundra Platinum with 49,179 points with Patrick and Jacob hot on his heels. However, with the number of issues that round 24 has presented, there are multiple teams within 200 points of the leader and as we know... anything can happen.

For others, it’s all about Grand Final week and securing a win and bragging rights against your mates. Or maybe you’re like me, Calvin, limping to the line with a huge ranking waiting for a new season when everything resets.

Either way, 2026 has been one for the ages, and although at times it feels like we have been putting out fire with petrol, we’re still here in round 24, ready for one last roll of the dice.

Treat or treat?

No time for traps – so here are some of the treats worth considering for the round ahead.

Errol Gulden (MID, $1,061,000) – TREAT
If you don’t have Gulden – get him! He has now averaged 131 in his last four games and will meet the Roos at home on Sunday afternoon. He loves playing at the SCG and should have this one all his own way.

Tom Sparrow (MID/FWD, $975,000) – TREAT
Sparrow has hit 100-plus on eight occasions this year, and against the Bulldogs this week he should hit his ninth. The Blues had three players score 125-plus against the Dogs last week and now it’s Sparrow’s turn to cash in.

Jase Burgoyne (DEF/MID, $933,000) – TREAT
The son of Peter has the Bombers match-up this week and finds himself coming off scores of 92, 140 and 104. Burgoyne has made the most of his time in the middle and will thrive under the roof on Sunday.

Oliver Dempsey (MID, $835,000) – TREAT
From the cheaper bracket, Dempsey is one to consider. Last week we saw Hall 161, Hill 145 and Garcia 130 dominate the Tigers, and before that it was Rankine with 138 and Dawson 128. A great unique option.

Joe Richards (FWD, $816,000) – TREAT
From the Port Adelaide midfielders, Richards was used the most last week at centre-bounce and scored a solid 103 on his return from injury. He has the match-up this week to hit 100-plus once again.

Most traded in

•       Max Hall (MID/FWD, $987,000)
•       Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $1,057,000)
•       Brad Hill (DEF/MID/FWD, $1,055,000)
•       Tom Sparrow (MID/FWD, $975,000)
•       Errol Gulden (MID, $1,061,000)

When it comes to replacing Sheezel this week, there are two names that need to be on your radar.... Brad Hill (DEF/MID/FWD, $1,055,000) and Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $1,057,000).

Hill has been fantastic for a long period and has now averaged 121 in his last eight games. He plays under the Marvel Stadium roof tonight in his 300th AFL appearance. He’s a great vice-captain option capable of hitting 150, which when doubled is... 300!

Then we have Rankine who, over the last three weeks, has quickly become one of the best and most dangerous midfielders in the game. He’s on fire and is coming off scores of 164, 138 and 121 to lead all scorers across all positions during this time.

Most traded out

•       Harry Sheezel (MID/FWD, $1,126,000)
•       Chad Warner (MID/FWD, $968,000)
•       Isaac Heeney (MID, $952,000)
•       Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $946,000)
•       Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $625,000)

The silver lining of Harry Sheezel (MID/FWD, $1,126,000) missing this week is the amount of money he is worth. This means that you can move the young star to anyone you like.

Injuries to Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $625,000) and Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $946,000) also means they need to be traded as well... and hopefully your two trades can make that happen.

Most popular trade

Harry Sheezel (MID/FWD, $1,126,000M) to Max Hall (MID/FWD, $987,000)

After an eye-catching 161 last week, coaches have quickly made the move from the injured Harry Sheezel to the in-form Max Hall.

A permanent move to the St Kilda midfield has seen Hall attend 77 per cent of the team’s centre-bounces over the last two weeks for scores of 161 and 115.

Hall plays tonight, so if you want to join the gang make sure that trade is locked away before the first bounce at 7:30pm AEST.

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.

Koltyn Tholstrup (DEF/FWD) v Western Bulldogs – Tholstrup scored 77 last week, but what caught my eye was his game-high eight marks. The Dogs give up plenty and if Tholstrup is keen to take marks – look out!

Mark Blicavs (RUCK/MID) v Richmond – The match-up is obvious, but Blicavs has now put together two good scores of 98 and 86. It only gets easier this week and against the Tigers we could see triple-figures.

Shannon Neale (FWD) v Richmond – When this game gets ugly... Neale might be the guy to fill his pockets with a big bag of goals. He has averaged three goals over the last four weeks and could 'bag-out' on Saturday night.

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.

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.