IT'S FINALS time in AFL Fantasy and teams have dropped for round 21.

Essendon will finally debut Elijah Tsatas (MID, $292,000) who was picked at No.5 in the NAB AFL Draft. He has been dominating in the VFL where he has averaged 92 from 25 possessions a game. In his last three games he has scored 93, 104 and 131… enough to catch the eye of the Essendon selectors.

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Late last night, Touk Miller (MID, $800,000) accepted a one match suspension. If he is in your draft team or in your trade plans for this week… you better think again and make the necessary adjustments.

Make sure you have your teams ready to fire and if you’re in finals this week… good luck.

07:26

The Traders' Fantasy preview: round 21

Calvin, Roy and Warnie talk you through all the team news, trades, captains and more

Published on Aug 3, 2023

Roy's best buys

How will you use your two trades this week? Here are Roy's best buys for the round ahead.

Darcy Parish (MID, $910,000) – If you are after a unique option, then consider Parish who sits in just six per cent of teams. He plays West Coast and the Kangaroos over the next two weeks… from a Fantasy aspect, it doesn’t get any easier than that.

Nic Newman (DEF, $782,000) – Newman is coming off 123 and meets the Saints, the easiest team for defenders to score against. He had 119 against them in round six and showed off his ceiling a week later with 164. Another unique option.

Matt Crouch (MID, $703,000) – With so many coaches looking to offload Callum Mills and Lachie Neale, Matt Crouch is shaping up as a great replacement. Crouch has slotted back into the Crows’ midfield and scored 105 last week.

Sam Flanders (MID/FWD, $681,000) – Ignore that fact that he was priced at $474,000 after his bye and focus on the fact that Flanders still offers great value. He has now averaged 111 over his last three games, ranking him at No. 3 for forwards.

Taylor Walker and Matt Crouch celebrate a goal during Adelaide's clash against Port Adelaide in round 20, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

ALL THE TEAMS Check them out

Live teams show

The Traders are back live and 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 on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App and ask your questions in the comments.

Most traded in

  • Josh Dunkley (MID/FWD, $960,000)
  • Sam Flanders (MID/FWD, $729,000)
  • Luke Nankervis (MIDFWD, $275,000)
  • Dante Visentini (RUC/FWD, $205,000)
  • Zach Merrett (MID, $960,000)

Since returning from injury, Josh Dunkley (MID/FWD, $960,000) hasn’t put a foot wrong scoring 137 and 112. He travels to play the Dockers this week, a team he scored 115 against in round seven.

One of the best downgrade options this week is Port Adelaide’s Dante Visentini (RUC/FWD, $205,000). He will once again take the No. 1 ruck role at the Port Adelaide after Scott Lycett failed to make the team to play Geelong. He scored 55 last week and is a handy bench option with dual position flexibility.

Josh Dunkley in action during Brisbane's clash against Gold Coast in round 20, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

Most traded out

  • Callum Mills (MID, $660,000)
  • Ben Keays (MID/FWD, $751,000)
  • Lachie Neale (MID, $860,000)
  • Campbell Chesser (DEF/MID, $381,000)
  • Ryan Maric (FWD, $379,000)

Callum Mills (MID, $660,000) has now averaged 76 in his last three games and his coaches have seen enough. Mills joins Ben Keays (MID/FWD, $751,000) and Lachie Neale (MID, $860,000) as the three most traded out players for round 21.

Lachie Neale was tagged out of the game last week and held to 60 points by Touk Miller. Neale now has a break-even of 143 and is destined to receive more attention over the next four weeks.

Callum Mills in action during the R16 clash between Sydney and Geelong at the SCG on June 30, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

Calvin's best captains

In AFL Fantasy, your captain's score, doubles for that week. Here are Calvin's top five picks for you to consider.

No.1 – Zach Merrett v West Coast @ Marvel Stadium, SAT 1:45pm AEST

Anyone who plays the Eagles always needs to be considered with captaincy duties. Merrett is coming off a score of 140 and finds himself back under the roof where he has previous scores of 140, 88, 150 and 155.

Zach Merrett celebrates a goal during the R17 match between Essendon and Adelaide at Marvel Stadium on July 9, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

No. 2 – Marcus Bontempelli v Richmond @ Marvel Stadium, FRI 7:50pm AEST

Even though Bontempelli was tagged to just 86 last week, we need to remember was coming off scores of 128, 142 and 114. Bontempelli has averaged 124 in his last five games at Marvel and is always a great VC option.

No. 3 – Jordan Dawson v Gold Coast @ Adelaide Oval, SAT 2:10pm AEST

Since his bye, Dawson has averaged an impressive 132. He has an amazing record against the Suns with scores of 128 (round 12), 118 and 158 in his last three games against them.

No. 4 – Tim English v Richmond @ Marvel Stadium, FRI 7:50pm AEST

English was outstanding last week with 153 and even scored 145 against the Tigers earlier this year. He should be great again, but this year…. English has averaged 22 points less at Marvel compared to other grounds.

No. 5 – Max Gawn v Kangaroos @ Blundstone Arena, SUN 1:10pm AEST

Over the last three weeks as Melbourne’s No.1 ruck, Gawn has averaged 136. The Kangaroos will once again be using Xerri and Goldstein, but that didn’t stop Williams (104) and Marshall (123) scoring well against them over the last two weeks.

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