Tristan Xerri, Bo Allan and Bailey Smith. Pictures: AFL Photos

EVER since the official Fantasy game of the AFL opened as an early Christmas present in December, almost 50,000 coaches have started piecing together their teams in a quest to gain bragging rights over their mates.

The popular salary cap game, AFL Fantasy Classic, gives coaches the chance to pick a squad of 30 players under the $17.8 million budget that mirrors the salary cap the clubs are limited to in the real thing! Players range from $230,000 all the way to last season's No.1 Fantasy player, Rowan Marshall, at $1,201,000.

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Eager Fantasy players have started picking their teams, trying to find the best value throughout the six weeks since the game launched. With practice matches just around the corner and half-a-dozen weeks before round one, looking at the popular picks from the astute coaches who signed up early gives us a good look at the potential best pre-season picks.

Let's have a look at the most selected in each position.

Ownership figures can be accessed via Coaches Choice for Fantasy Coach subscribers.

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

Defenders

Fantasy coaches have commented on social media that the backline is a challenging position and the ownership numbers back that up. Rookie-priced value in Bo Allan and Saad El-Hawli will help keep the budget in good shape, but it doesn't end there.

A fit Keidean Coleman offers plenty of value, but the number of teams he's selected in may fluctuate depending on practice matches and Opening Round. Callum Mills is priced well below his best. He shares the same early bye as Coleman and it might be a matter of picking just one of them.

Harry Sheezel is the player coaches have been happy to pay up for down back. While his scoring dipped when he moved into the midfield last year, there's plenty to like about the third-year player, as there is with Jack Sinclair. He does some of his best work on half-back which is where he's likely to spend most of his time.

PLAYER

CLUB

POSITION

PRICE

OWNERSHIP

Bo Allan

WCE

DEF/MID

$295,000

56%

Saad El-Hawli

ESS

DEF/MID

$230,000

50%

Tobie Travaglia

STK

DEF/MID

$319,000

46%

Keidean Coleman

BRL

DEF

$521,000

45%

Harry Sheezel

NTH

DEF

$1,151,000

42%

Callum Mills

SYD

DEF

$759,000

38%

Jayden Short

RIC

DEF

$825,000

30%

Zach Reid

ESS

DEF

$230,000

25%

Jack Sinclair

STK

DEF/MID

$1,046,000

22%

Josh Gibcus

RIC

DEF

$230,000

20%

Bo Allan poses for a photo after being drafted by West Coast at the Telstra AFL Draft on November 20, 2024. Picture: Getty Images

Midfielders

The most owned midfielders are the draftees. Five of the top six selected were picked up in November's national draft. Levi Ashcroft, Jagga Smith and Sid Draper are being backed in to play in round one, with each carrying more than 50 per cent ownership.

Clayton Oliver is the value pick of the year in the midfield. His history suggests he's closer to the 110 average mark than his sub-80 performance last season. Oliver is looking fit and should deliver an output greater than his starting price.

Other value options include Will Ashcroft heading into his third season off the back of the Norm Smith Medal, new Crows Isaac Cumming and James Peatling who look set for greater opportunity and Will Day who many are hoping claws back the 20 points his average dropped last season.

Naturally, Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli have plenty of love early doors as two of the best players in the competition.

PLAYER

CLUB

POSITION

PRICE

OWNERSHIP

Levi Ashcroft

BRL

MID

$328,000

56%

Jagga Smith

CAR

MID

$334,000

52%

Sid Draper

ADE

MID

$331,000

50%

Clayton Oliver

MEL

MID

$797,000

43%

Sam Lalor

RIC

MID

$340,000

41%

Josh Smillie

RIC

MID

$322,000

38%

Will Ashcroft

BRL

MID

$843,000

28%

Will Day

HAW

MID

$760,000

25%

Nick Daicos

COL

MID

$1,074,000

25%

Isaac Cumming

ADE

MID

$575,000

19%

Finn O’Sullivan

NTH

MID

$337,000

17%

Marcus Bontempelli

WBD

MID

$1,101,000

17%

James Peatling

ADE

MID

$634,000

17%

Tom Green

GWS

MID

$1,025,000

17%

Sam Docherty

CAR

MID

$782,000

14%

Levi Ashcroft poses for a photo after being drafted by Brisbane at the Telstra AFL Draft on November 20, 2024. Picture: Getty Images

Rucks

Initially coaches were keen to set and forget, but with Rowan Marshall's stress fracture in his pelvis putting him in doubt for round one, coaches are jumping off.

Tristan Xerri is the main choice as the top ruck with the value of Tom De Koning sitting beside him.

Watch for Saints SSP signing Harry Boyd to become the consensus bench ruck.

PLAYER

CLUB

POSITION

PRICE

OWNERSHIP

Tristan Xerri

NTH

RUCK

$1,175,000

54%

Tom De Koning

CAR

RUCK

$900,000

27%

Max Heath

STK

RUCK/FWD

$230,000

25%

Rowan Marshall

STK

RUCK

$1,201,000

24%

Coen Livingstone

WCE

RUCK/FWD

$230,000

13%

Tristan Xerri and Rowan Marshall in action during the match between St Kilda and North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium in round eight, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

Forwards

The most selected player in Fantasy Classic is ex-Dog and new Cat Bailey Smith. Not only does his discount make him extreme value, his role as an inside midfielder has coaches salivating at what he can offer. An easy selection!

His former teammates who found new clubs, Caleb Daniel and Jack Macrae, make up the ex-Dog trifecta as their roles are tracking towards being much better under new coaches.

Mattaes Phillipou was in around 50 per cent of teams earlier this week but with news that he will miss the early part of the season, his ownership is plummeting. Ryley Sanders has been a popular replacement so far.

PLAYER

CLUB

POSITION

PRICE

OWNERSHIP

Bailey Smith

GEE

MID/FWD

$598,000

70%

Caleb Daniel

NTH

MID/FWD

$514,000

61%

Jack Macrae

STK

FWD

$732,000

54%

Elijah Hewett

WCE

MID/FWD

$332,000

49%

Jason Horne-Francis

PTA

MID/FWD

$919,000

39%

Isaac Kako

ESS

MID/FWD

$304,000

37%

Daniel Curtin

ADL

FWD

$300,000

35%

Mattaes Phillipou

STK

MID/FWD

$656,000

31%

Joe Berry

PTA

FWD

$298,000

14%

Ryley Sanders

WBD

MID/FWD

$656,000

12%

Bailey Smith at Geelong after joining from the Western Bulldogs. Picture: Geelong FC

Team Vanilla

This consensus team is made up of 30 of the 34 most selected players. $60,000 remains in the salary cap.

Coaches who have signed up early doors have come up with the consensus forward line. Bailey Smith, Caleb Daniel and Jack Macrae are common with Jason Horne-Francis leading the way in F1 and a rookie such as Elijah Hewett in F6.

Ryley Sanders has moved into the forward line for Mattaes Phillipou whose stocks are plummeting.

This structure – with these names specifically – is the preferred method.

The midfield has been built from the ground up. Rookies and value selections everywhere. Coaches have shown here, and across the lines, they are happy to pay up for the cash cows. Benches aren't just full of $230,000 basement-priced players. Clayton Oliver and three rookies on field looks to be the bones of midfields. As we see through ownership numbers, there are a mix of players to fill out the other four on-field positions in the midfield.

Defenders are arguably the position where coaches have the fewest 'locks'. Question marks surround Keidean Coleman's availability, Callum Mills has the round three bye and is there a lot of upside for Jayden Short in Richmond's system?

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There's still plenty to think about.

Tapping the bye detector on this squad sees six on-field players with an early bye, but of most concern is the round three bye. This team features five players, six if you include Levi Ashcroft on the bench, with the round three bye. It wouldn't be advised to go in with this structure!

All in all, this 'hype' squad looks solid and there's plenty of big scorers together with value selections and 2025’' likely best cash cows.

Maybe you will start with a selection of these vanilla players and sprinkle some hundreds and thousands to give it something a bit extra?

Get expert advice from The Traders during the pre-season in the Fantasy Hub. Follow AFL Fantasy on X and Instagram and 'like' the Facebook page to join in the conversation.