FOR THE first time in the history of the game, player values have exceeded $1 million with two stars starting the 2022 AFL Fantasy Classic season with seven figures next to their name.

Last year's top-scoring players, Touk Miller and Jack Steele, produced career-high numbers and will be the highest-priced players in Fantasy Classic.

A new salary cap of $14,800,000 (up from $13 million), which is in line with the actual AFL salary cap, has called for a bump in prices. The basement price of $190,000 is a $20k increase for the cheapest players in the competition. The top-priced players are more expensive than they were at the start of last season.

How it all works

Players are priced according to their 2021 output. The highest-averaging players will therefore cost you an arm and a leg. However, players who under-performed or missed games through injury will be far cheaper.

Most players are priced at what they averaged in 2021. An exception to the pricing rule is if a player took part in fewer than 10 games, which triggers a discount clause.

Players who fit within this category will receive a discount of three per cent per game based on their highest average in the past two seasons. So, if for one reason or another they miss the full season, they can be discounted up to 30 per cent.

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From a salary cap of $14.8 million, you will need to spend your dollars wisely by selecting a mix of rookies who are priced at $290k to $190k, players of value and of course, some of the top-priced premiums.

Top defenders

The big three from 2021 are back as defenders this year, led by Aaron Hall (DEF, $914,000) who had an outstanding year. Hall is priced at his average of 109, which is dramatically reduced due to an injury score of 35 and an 11 from when he came on as the medical sub in round two. If you take those two scores out of the equation, he would have averaged 118.5.

Collingwood's Jack Crisp (DEF/MID, $854,000) and North Melbourne's Jack Ziebell (DEF, $839,000) are the only other players available in the backline who averaged more than 100 last season.

Crisp has now averaged 95+ in his past three seasons and is always one of the safest defenders going around.

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Top midfielders

In 2021 there were 29 players who averaged more than 100 and the majority of them can be found in the midfield.

Touk Miller (MID, $1,024,000) had a breakout season averaging 122, a huge increase from the 101 he averaged in 2020. At more than $1 million, acquiring his services will certainly dent the bank account, but might be worth it if are you confident he can back up such an amazing season.

After averaging 90+ for three years running and then 114 in 2020, many thought Jack Steele (MID, $1,018,000) had hit his peak. They were wrong. Steele is the second-most expensive player you can select after he dominated last season with 121 points per game.

Jarryd Lyons (MID, $982,000) is the third-most expensive player and is one of the 11 players from 2021 who averaged more than 110+. Lyons averaged 124 after his bye in round 13 and finds himself priced at his career-best average of 117.

Top rucks

A new year means nothing when it comes to the ruck department and once again there are no surprises here.

Max Gawn (RUC, $911,000) and Brodie Grundy (RUC, $893,000) topped the list again in 2021, averaging 109 and 107 respectively.

Gawn performed at 15 points less per game than his 2020 season. However, he dominated the Toyota AFL Finals Series where he scored 101, 145 and 135 … scores that don't count towards his overall season average of 109.

Top forwards

In 2022, we have so many forwards to choose from. Even though only two players averaged more than 100 last year, we have players available who have been listed as premium midfielders in the past.

Western Bulldogs' Adam Treloar (MID/FWD, $731,000) only averaged 87 in his first year at his new club but as we all know, he is a Fantasy star who has a career-high average of 114.

Tim Taranto (MID/FWD, $904,000) and Mitch Duncan (MID/FWD, $841,000) have both averaged 113 before and are pretty much guaranteed to be top-six forwards by the end of the year.

From just 11 games last season, Josh Dunkley (MID/FWD, $767,000) had a quiet season by his standards averaging nearly 20 points less than his 111 in 2019.

Maybe 2022 is the season to spend up in the forward line with so many Fantasy guns who are all arguably under-priced.

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