THE TOP five Fantasy forwards in 2020 will not be able to be selected as FWDs in the game next season … but there are some worthy replacements as the new positions have been revealed by Champion Data.
Last season Christian Petracca topped the scoring for all available forwards, followed by Lachie Whitfield, Hugh Greenwood, Andrew Brayshaw and Jy Simpkin. All but Whitfield will be listed as MID only in the 2021 version of the game.
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Champion Data, the official data provider for the AFL, assigns positions to all players based on their roles in the previous season. A lot of the information comes from where the players line up.
For a player to be eligible in a position, they must have spent more than 35 per cent of their game in that role. Some are named as dual-position players (aka DPPs) where they have two positions that have tallied above the 35 per cent threshold.
Big names in the forward line
Last season Steele Sidebottom, Dayne Zorko and Isaac Smith added forward status in the rollout of the mid-season DPP additions. They will start 2021 as MID/FWDs.
Dustin Martin also retains the eligibility.
No strangers to FWD status in the past are Patrick Dangerfield and Josh Dunkley who will be early targets in Fantasy Draft as well as top-priced premium options in Fantasy Classic.
New Hawk Tom Phillips gained FWD status in the round six DPP additions. Highlight his name as you start creating your shortlist.
Other positions of note
Versatile Giant Lachie Whitfield will be available as a DEF next season. He will be every chance to be the top-ranked defender when it comes to initial Fantasy Draft rankings.
Alongside the top-scoring 2020 forwards who are now MID only, Fantasy coaches will only be able to select Bailey Smith, Devon Smith and Blake Acres in the midfield.
Ben McEvoy will carry RUC/DEF status.
Draftee positions
Some Fantasy Classic cash cows come from the new crop of players selected in the NAB AFL Draft. Quite a few who may be relevant in the new year carry DPP, making them valuable when trying to pick your team under the salary cap.
Essendon's Archie Perkins will be available as a MID/FWD as will Braeden Campbell, Jake Bowey and Corey Durdin.
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Adelaide's first selection Riley Thilthorpe (pictured below) can be selected as a RUC/FWD. The flexibility he has as a rookie may make him an attractive target in Fantasy Classic despite his higher price tag as the No.2 selection in the draft.
Stay up to date this pre-season in the Fantasy Hub as information drops about the Official Fantasy game of the AFL. Follow AFL Fantasy on Twitter and 'like' the Facebook page to join the conversation.
