TO THE uninitiated, AFL Fantasy can seem a bit like a foreign language. But really, it's a simple game of high scores and smart trades. Pick the ball-magnets and the rising young stars, and you'll be fine.
In an effort to help you decode the vernacular, The Traders have put together a complete Fantasy glossary to help you sort the loopholes from the lock-outs. Enjoy.
ADP (Average Draft Position): A number that indicates where a player has been drafted, based on the drafts from previous years.
Best 18: A term used over the bye rounds where only your highest 18 scoring players on the ground count towards your score.
Break-even: The number a player must reach to maintain their price. For example, Elliot Yeo’s break-even in round one is 98 - if he reaches this, his price will increase and if he doesn’t, he’ll drop in value.
Break out: A player who has a 'break-out season' will boost their average considerably from the year before. Clayton Oliver did this in 2017, lifting his average from 69 to 102.
The Traders' first Fantasy team
Burning up the track: An overused term during the pre-season.
Captain: Usually your best player. Their score is doubled and you can select a different captain each week.
Cash cow: A cheap player whose price grows substantially, before he is sold to make money.
Ceiling: A player’s best score. Bryce Gibbs has a huge ceiling as he demonstrated in round 13 with 194 points.
Chasing points: Trading in someone who scored well the week before. You chase their score hoping they can replicate it for you. However, this rarely happens.
Cover: An emergency who is set to play, and provides you with cover if an on-field player is a late withdrawal.
Who's trending early in Fantasy?
Cuddle: A tackle. Worth four points.
Donut: When you can’t field a full team due to injuries or poor management. A player on your ground may score a zero … a donut.
Downgrade: The term used when trading one player for a cheaper player to make some cash.
DPP: Dual-positon player. A player who carries two positions next to their name. Michael Barlow (MID/FWD) can therefore be selected as a forward or a midfielder and moved from position to position when needed, as long as he is swapped with a player of the same position.
Emergency: A player selected on your bench to cover an on-field player in case they are a late withdrawal.
Fantasy Pig: The highest and most prestigious status awarded to a player who goes above and beyond to feast on points. Currently, only the great Dane Swan, Tom Rockliff and the newly crowned Tom Mitchell hold the mantle.
Fantasy Piglet: A potential pig in the making who is serving their apprenticeship, such as Zach Merrett.
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Free agent: A player who hasn't been selected in a Draft team who can selected from the waiver wire.
Green Vest: The lowest scorer from The Traders each week wears the horrid green vest.
Guns and rookies: A strategy used by Fantasy coaches where they only pick premium players and rookies, totally avoiding the mid-priced options.
Horsed: When John Longmire makes promises around selection and breaks them. Can also be known as 'Rossed'.
Interchange: The bench. You’ll have two players in each position here in when playing Fantasy Classic.
Interrupted pre-season: A player who hasn’t been fully training over the pre-season due to complications, such as Dan Hannebery this year.
Junk time: A term that refers to the closing stages of a game, when a player might get busy with lots of kick-to-kick and uncontested ball boosting their score. A Fantasy coach's dream.
Karma bus: An imaginary vehicle that will run down those who brag. Be careful not to boast to your mates about league victories before all games are completed.
Kissed: When a Fantasy coach gets mega lucky and receives a 'kiss' from the Fantasy fairy. Think a 100-point game from Karl Amon, for example.
Late withdrawal: A last-minute change to the original 22 players who were selected when teams were announced. A term dreaded and feared by Fantasy coaches, particularly those without bench cover.
Lock: A player who is cemented into your side from the first day you made your team. His name is Tom Mitchell.
Tom Mitchell is the ultimate lock for your Fantasy team. Picture: AFL Photos
Lock-out: The term used when the round begins and your team can no longer be changed.
Loophole: A term used when Fantasy coaches try to gain a double chance when selecting a captain. This can only be done during partial lock-outs when you select a player as a vice-captain on the Thursday game, then if you like their score you select a non-playing player as your captain. They will score a zero and the vice-captain’s score will be doubled. If the score of the vice-captain isn’t any good, select a captain as you usually would. Can confuse many!
Mid-priced: Players who are valued between $300,000 and $500,000.
More midfield time: A promise made to players from AFL coaches that never comes true.
Par: Stolen from golf, it's the score that would be deemed as average for the week.
Partial lock-out: When there is a Thursday night game (like round one), only players in that game are 'locked'. Full lock-out will then commence at the first bounce of the Friday night game.
Pocketing: A term used when selecting rucks and sometimes referred to as 'handcuffing'. For example, selecting Stefan Martin and 'pocketing' him with his potential back-up, Archie Smith. If Martin misses a game, the Lions may call up Smith to replace him, and you would too. A good strategy to use when playing Draft.
POD: Point of difference. A unique player not selected by many coaches. Usually under five per cent ownership.
Rage trade: What all good coaches do on early in the week, trading out under-performing players to send a message and then reversing the trades on Friday.
Relton Roberts: A term used when a Fantasy coach panics at the last minute prior to the first lock-out. They ignore all their pre-season research and jump on a random rookie they’ve never heard of, just because they’re named. Don’t be tricked.
Reverse trade: A button that can be hit to change any trades you have made leading into lock-out.
Scrapheap: Also known as the waiver wire. A term used in Fantasy Draft to describe a pool of free agents.
Set and forget: Selecting a player with confidence, knowing they will be a season-long keeper without causing any frustration.
Sideways trade: When you straight swap a player for another player of equal value. Often used over the bye period to prevent your team from scoring zeroes.
Sleeper or slider: Terms that refer to players who may get forgotten about on draft day and selected as a steal in late rounds.
Snout: A word associated with a player who has shown Fantasy Pig tendencies.
Spud: A bad player who scores poorly.
Ton up: A term used when a player scores 100.
Upgrade: Describes the process of trading a cheaper player for a better, more valuable option.
Vice-captain: Very rarely used and heaven forbid you’ll need it. A vice-captain’s score will be doubled if you selected captain is a late-withdrawal.
