AFL FANTASY launched earlier than expected and thousands of coaches have already registered for the new season, including the 2023 champion Darren Carr.

The coach of the victorious Wise Ocean PODs couldn't wait to get back into the game that saw him drive away in a Toyota HiLux and pop the coveted No.1 hat on his head.

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Darren shared some of his picks for his initial squad, which includes looking for value. First picked was Sam Walsh. The Carlton gun is priced well under what Darren is projecting for the new year while Walsh's teammate Zac Williams is too cheap to ignore.

The ruck combination of Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy is the set-and-forget of yesteryear. Although the Wise Ocean PODs are likely to start with this set up, Tristan Xerri is another option worth considering as the price is right for North Melbourne's No.1 ruck.

Calvin shares the first cut of his squad as Roy and Warnie analyse his selections and provide appropriate feedback.

Plenty of your questions are answered for this Christmas special episode of the Official AFL Fantasy Podcast as the content starts ramping up! Stay tuned for a lot from Roy, Calvin and Warnie this pre-season.

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

In this week’s episode …

0:50 - AFL Fantasy is open!
2:30 - Recap of the rules for 2024
5:00 - Calvin has locked Nick Daicos in his initial squad
9:25 - Is Tristian Xerri a legitimate value option in the ruck?
12:05 - Who has Calvin selected over Taylor Adams?
17:00 - The most popular Fantasy Classic selections so far
22:55 - Darren Carr, coach of Wise Ocean PODs, joins the show
25:55 - 'I'm not treating them like the regular byes'
28:25 - Zac Williams has 20-plus points upside, according to the 2023 champion
31:00 - Who makes Darren's ruck line up?
32:30 - What are The Traders' Christmas wishes?
37:10 - Does Sam Walsh's early price rises counter his early bye?
40:20 - How do we feel about $800k players filling out top midfield spots?
47:55 - Who goes after consensus No.1 pick Tim English on Draft day?
51:45 - When do you open your Christmas presents?

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