THE Fantasy semi-finals are played across round 21 and while we saw a record number of changes for the year when teams were announced, the carnage was limited.
West Coast will be without Andrew Gaff (suspension) for the remainder of the season and he leads the list as the most traded out player this week. The midfielder has posted the best Fantasy return of his career, averaging 110.7. The good news for his owners is that his price allows coaches to get almost any player they want.
ALL THE TEAMS Get 'em in
Fantasy Draft coaches will be looking to cover big Tiger Toby Nankervis (quad) with a bench player. Giants pair Toby Greene (hamstring) and Brett Deledio (calf) have added to the frustration for coaches who have rode them on the bench for a lot of rounds this year.
The omission of Sam Powell-Pepper may boost the scoring of some of Port Adelaide’s midfielders, such as Tom Rockliff and Ollie Wines, as the trio’s time on ground last week was limited.
Dion Prestia and Bachar Houli return for Richmond as they take on the Suns; the team that leaks the most Fantasy points. Expect points to flow.
Other players to make their comeback this week that will have Draft coaches breathing a sigh of relief include Jordan De Goey, Jarryd Lyons, Dylan Shiel, Tim Taranto and Matthew Kreuzer.
If you’re looking for some ruck bench cover, Lewis Pierce (RUC, $170,000) looks likely to play out the season for the Saints with Tom Hickey (hamstring) and Billy Longer (ankle) on the sidelines.
With Joel Smith (shoulder) a popular bench cash cow in the backline, Ben Paton (DEF, $180,000) could be a downgrade target and emergency as he plays his first game for St Kilda on Friday night.
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Get them in
Jack Macrae (MID, $713,000) is the No.1 traded in player this week and rightfully so. He is having a career-best year that currently places him at No.3 in the rolling 22 midfielders. Due to injury, his price has bottomed out at just over $700K on the back on an impressive 132 last week. He is not a player you want to go without for the remaining finals.
Josh Dunkley (FWD/MID, $664,000) Finally the people are listening, and Dunks is the third most traded in player this week. He is a perfect unique option for the finals, owned by just three per cent prior to this round. Since moving to the midfield, he has absolutely dominated and as a result is carrying a five-game average of 111 and three-game average of 116.
Nathan Freeman (MID, $187,000) is everyone's favourite cash cow and in awesome news he got through last week's game unscathed. So naturally, coaches want him on board for the players' trip and due to only scoring 57 last week, he is still very reasonably priced as a downgrade option.
Move them on
Andrew Gaff (MID, $433,000) is predictably the most traded out player with 10,492 coaches parting ways with the suspended star. Prior to copping eight weeks for his brutal hit on Andrew Brayshaw, he was having a sensational season, averaging 111. Thankfully for coaches, his form is such that his price allows for plenty of flexibility at the trade table.
Paul Ahern (MID/FWD, $319,000) hurt coaches last week after a breakout performance the previous week which left many coaches giving him a run on the ground. His score of 39 will be the last for many coaches after they have decided to take his impressive price rise of $283,000 and run.
Stefan Martin (RUC, $642,000) is the fifth most traded out player this week as coaches work hard to bring in the best big man in the game, Brodie Grundy. Although Stef had had a sensational year, averaging 101, there is growing concern that Oscar McInerney is having an increased run in the ruck, which has resulted in a growing drought of hundreds for Stef.
WATCH: Roy’s Fantasy trades: round 21
Calvin’s Captains
1. Tom Mitchell - A nice 146 last week has the Pig averaging 164 in his last three games and meets the Cats this week. He scored 137 against them earlier this year and was tagged, and most likely will cop some attention again. Despite this, he should be fine this week at the MCG.
2. Gary Ablett - His record against the Hawks has to be seen to be believed. Ablett only managed 76 last week, but for some reason against the Hawks he goes bananas. Those last 10 scores look something like this: 138, 153, 138, 129, 157, 132, 139, 175, 147 and 135.
3. Jack Macrae - Back at Etihad Stadium, Macrae hasn’t scored under 107 there in his last eight games. Coming off 132, Macrae’s record against the Kangaroos is very impressive with scores of 137, 102, 114 and 116 in his last four games.
4. Brodie Grundy - Grundy scored his third 150 last week and will battle Stef Martin and Brisbane, a team he scored 111 against earlier this year.
5. Max Gawn - If Grundy can score 150 against Sinclair and Sydney, surely Gawn can be huge as well. He only managed 81 against them last year but is playing much better than he was in 2017. Be careful though, because the man with the beard is said to be carrying a calf injury.
WATCH: Calvin’s Fantasy captains: round 21