WHOA! What a round that was! Round 18 was one of the most eventful we have seen in a while and as always in AFL Fantasy - it's on to the next!

Today, I would like to share with you a story about perseverance - a reminder that no matter how dire a situation may be, we must keep fighting and never give up.

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Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse gave up and drowned. The second mouse wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out.

Ladies and gentlemen, as of this moment, we are that second mouse. Dust yourself off, get back on your feet and let's tackle this round ahead.

Trap or treat?

Here are some of the traps to avoid and some treats worth considering for the round ahead.

Brodie Grundy (RUCK, $1.19M) - TREAT
We don't care how you do it or what limb you need to sell ... Grundy is a must-have and the best replacement for Xerri. He has now averaged 124 in his last nine games and meets the Kangaroos this week - without Xerri!

Tim English (RUCK, $1.12M) – TREAT
Sitting in just 12 per cent of teams and averaging 109 this season, English is the forgotten man and he's doing nothing wrong. He has now averaged 115 in his last 10 games and needs to be considered as an option.

Rowan Marshall (RUCK, $1.08M) - TRAP
Only attended 65 per cent of the ruck contests last week as Marshall shared the ruck role with Max Heath. You don't want a million-dollar ruckman scoring 70 and sharing duties in the middle. You need to shop elsewhere.

Jack Macrae (MID/FWD, $947,000) - TREAT
All week we've rated the No.1 replacement for Nic Martin as Jack Macrae. He's at a nice price and has a nice run home. Macrae rates as one of the best forwards in the game with a midfield role that won't be changing.

Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $922,000) - TREAT
Last week's ‘treat' is now even cheaper. Whitfield scored 120 on his return and if you can get him this week ... do it. However, if you have bigger fish to fry, then don't stress, he has a breakeven of 114. Grab him next week.

Most traded in

• Brodie Grundy (RUCK, $1.19M)
• Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $922,000)
• Lloyd Meek (RUCK, $988,000)
• Jack Macrae (MID/FWD, $947,000)
• Max Gawn (RUCK, $1.09M)

Finding a replacement ruck for Xerri has certainly been at the front of our minds this week and it's interesting to see where coaches are heading.

After back-to-back scores of 130-plus, Lloyd Meek (RUCK, $988,000) is on the radar with a great match-up this week. He's been tackling his way to huge scores, but his run home gets much harder after this week's clash against Port Adelaide.

Max Gawn (RUCK, $1.09M) has also found his way back into teams after a poor three weeks where he has only averaged 89. He does have a dream run home, if he can regain his form from earlier this season.

Most traded out

• Tristan Xerri (RUCK, $949,000)
• Nic Martin (DEF/FWD, $941,000)
• Connor Rozee (MID/DEF, $1.02M)
• Jason Horne Francis (MID/FWD, $747,000)
• Matthew Kennedy (MID/FWD, $966,000)

Injuries were the hot topic last round and sadly, a knee injury to Nic Martin (DEF/FWD, $941,000) has ended his season while a foot injury to Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $747,000) will most likely will have the same outcome. His teammate Connor Rozee (MID/DEF, $1.02M) also suffered a hand injury and although we don't know the full extent of the injury, Fantasy coaches are expecting the worst and nearly 10,000 coaches have made the trade.

You think that's it?

Think again because the biggest news from the week came from the suspension of Tristan Xerri (RUCK, $949,000) who will miss the next three weeks. He's the most traded out player for the week as he was sitting in 92 per cent of the top 10,000 teams.

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 on the waiver wire) and is 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.

Darcy Wilmot (DEF) v Western Bulldogs – Wilmot scored a career-high 144 last week and now meets the Bulldogs. If the Lions' defenders play a high-possession game style, another big score could be in play.

Marcus Windhager (MID) v Geelong – Off the back of 128 and 108, the secret is out and Windhager is now in 32 per cent of leagues. Better check those wavier wires because he might still be there.

Jack Hutchinson (MID/FWD) v Richmond – Hutchinson is coming off 92 from 20 disposals. He collected most of the ball in the defensive-half last week and is only found in six per cent of leagues.

Draft: Captain smokies

In Draft, every player is unique so it's important to think outside the box when it comes to finding a captain. Here are some options to consider if you're a lucky owner.

Zak Butters v Hawthorn @ Utas Stadium, SAT 1:20pm AEST
The forecast is wet and windy in Launceston on Saturday and Butters will be in his element. He scored 125 last week and averages six tackles a game against the Hawks – the most of all the teams.

Lloyd Meek v Port Adelaide @ Utas Stadium, SAT 1:20pm AEST
Thirteen tackles last week got Meek his second 130-plus score in as many weeks. He's starting to show signs of Xerri from last year and finds himself up against Sweet this week. Has the ability to be huge again.

Josh Daicos v Fremantle @ the MCG, SUN 3:15pm AEST
Some say "you're only as good as your last quarter"- Daicos moved into the midfield last week in the final term and scored a huge 82. He needs to be considered ... if you think the role will remain?

Live Teams Show

The Traders will be live tonight 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 – Brodie Grundy v Kangaroos @ the SCG, SAT 4.15pm AEST
The in-form player in the Fantasy game meets the Tristan Xerri-less Roos on Saturday and should be huge. Grundy has now averaged 124 in his last nine games and will be the most popular captain this weekend.

No.2 – Errol Gulden v Kangaroos @ the SCG, SAT 4.15pm AEST
Are you after a unique captain option other than Grundy? The Kangaroos are the easiest team for midfielders to score against and Gulden found that to be the case last year when he had 151 against them.

No.3 – Jordan Dawson v Gold Coast @ Adelaide Oval, SUN 4.40pm AEST
Over the last four weeks, the Suns have allowed two scores over 140 to their opposition midfielders. Dawson scored 118 against them in round four and returns home where he has hit 120-plus in four of his last nine games.

No.4 – Andrew Brayshaw v Collingwood @ the MCG, SUN 3.15pm AEST
The Magpies are tough to score against... but Brayshaw disagrees. He has scored 119, 109, 110, 127 and 111 in his last five against them and finds himself back at the MCG, where he has scored 100-plus seven consecutive times. 

No.5 – Lachie Whitfield v Essendon @ Marvel Stadium, THURS 7.30pm AEST
Whitfield doesn't have a great history against the Bombers with previous scores of 77, 102 and 100. Essendon is struggling at the moment and is the second easiest for defenders to score against. Coming off 120... Whitfield should be fine.

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