Josh Kelly celebrates a goal for Greater Western Sydney against Brisbane in round 11, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

The second round of the byes are here and that means teams have dropped and round 13 is underway. Richmond and Port Adelaide kicked off the round last night and although the Tigers got the win, Karl Amon (MID, $719,000) led all scorers with 122.

Basic Fantasy bye strategy 101: Trade players who have their bye or their bye coming up, to someone who is coming off their bye.

>> Check the latest Fantasy scores LIVE in the AFL Live Official App

Targeting players from Carlton, Essendon, Greater Western Sydney, Port Adelaide, Richmond and St Kilda is the ‘right’ thing to do this week. This maximises the players you have playing over the remaining bye rounds and hopefully strengthens your team for the final rounds.

05:36

The Traders' Fantasy preview: round 13

Zach Merrett is the flavour of the week for Roy, Calvin and Warnie as they like his value following Essendon's bye

Bye rounds explained

Yep… the bye rounds have finally arrived. With six teams sitting out the week, only your best-18 on field players count towards your overall score. Make sure you check out Warnie’s hot tips to get you through the next three rounds.

Roy’s best buys

How will you use your two trades this week? Here are Roy’s best buys for round 13.

Josh Kelly (MID, $908,000) – Expensive but worth it. Kelly has averaged 126 in his last three games and has his bye behind him which makes him the perfect player to pick this week.

Sam Walsh (MID, $875,000) – After averaging 114 in his last three games, Walsh is prime for the picking coming off his bye and can save you around $75k compared to some other top-priced players.

Zach Merrett (MID, $790,000) – Due to a score of 51 in round nine, Merrett is now as cheap as he’ll ever be. Especially when you consider he started at $925,000.

Mitch Owens (MID, $266,000) – Easiest pick of the week if you are after a cheap downgrade target. Coming off his bye and after a score of 95 in round 11 he is a popular trade option for a reason. 

ALL THE TEAMS Check them out

Live Teams Show

The Traders are back live and cover all about 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 the Facebook page from 6:15pm AEST and ask your questions in the comments.

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

Most traded in

  • Mitch Owens (MID, $266,000) – 16.8k
  • Judson Clarke (MID/FWD, $232,000) – 14.3k
  • Josh Kelly (MID, $908,000) – 6.5k
  • Zach Merrett (MID, $790,000) – 6k
  • Jack Sinclair (DEF/MID, $819,000) – 5.5k

Did you do it? Were you one of the thousands that bought in Judson Clarke (MID/FWD, $232,000) last night for his score of 64? If so, give yourself a pat on the back. After averaging 65 in the VFL, Clarke wasn’t expected to score over 50 but came out firing, kicking two goals from 11 disposals.

Jack Sinclair (DEF/MID, $819,000) is one of the form players in the game, averaging 118 in his last three. Coming off a career-best 133, he has kept his amazing breakout season going after starting at $665k.

Jack Sinclair in action during the R3 clash between St Kilda and Richmond at Marvel Stadium on April 3, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

Most traded out

  • Bailey Smith (MID/FWD, $872,000) – 13.7k
  • Sam De Koning (DEF/FWD, $433,000) – 11.8k
  • Greg Clark (MID, $448,000) – 10.6k
  • Robbie McComb (MID/FWD, $396,000) – 8.7k
  • Sam Hayes (RUC, $408,000) – 5.4k

Bailey Smith (MID/FWD, $872,000) was the highest averaging player in the game. He then got forward status and then he got suspended and now must be traded. With his price tag right up there with the best of them, his coaches have plenty of options.

Calvin’s best captains

In AFL Fantasy your captain scores you double points for that week. Here are Calvin’s top five picks for you to consider.

No.1 – Andrew Brayshaw v Hawthorn
At home this year Brayshaw has been outstanding with an average of 125. He meets one of the easiest teams to score against and when he played them last year he was awesome for 114. Coming off 131 a similar score is well and truly on the cards.

No.2 – Josh Kelly v North Melbourne 
He is the No.1 man based on form, averaging 126 in his last three games and now meets a team he has dominated in the past. He had 152 against them last year and in recent weeks, Touk Miller (135), Sinclair (133), Brad Hill (127) and Jade Gresham (119) all had a day out.

No.3 – Max Gawn v Collingwood
A massive 149 last week has caught my attention. Max is back! He has dominated the Queen's Birthday game last year with 119, but this time it’s not against the mighty Brodie Grundy. Look out Darcy Cameron!

No.4 – Sam Walsh v Essendon
Walsh has now hit top gear scoring 120, 113 and 110 in the last three weeks. He scored 127 on the Bombers last year and should score 120+ without breaking a sweat.

No.5 – Lachie Neale v St Kilda
At home, Neale has averaged 116 this year and even had 116 against the Saints in 2021. He has been in great form but expect a little tag from Owens, who went to Simpkin (99) two weeks ago.

Get expert advice from The Traders throughout the season in the Fantasy Hub. Follow AFL Fantasy on Twitter and 'like' the Facebook page to join in the conversation.