THE MIDFIELD … the engine room of our Classic and Draft sides. We spend bucks there and often burn our early picks in the hope of nailing one of the biggest scorers in the competition. Due to always being around the ball, the mids often rack up the stats required to be the biggest scorers in the game, so we need to pick wisely.

Here is my current Rollin’ 22 where I predict who will be the highest scoring midfielders for the year.

Roy’s Rollin’ 22

Jack Steele (MID, $1,018,000)
Tom Mitchell (MID, $969,000)
Touk Miller (MID, $1,024,000)
Jack Macrae (MID, $972,000)
Sam Walsh (MID, $914,000)
Callum Mills (MID, $922,000)
Jarryd Lyons (MID, $982,000)
Zach Merrett (MID, $925,000)

In the mix: Rory Laird (MID, $937,000), Clayton Oliver (MID, $912,000), Christian Petracca (MID, $930,000), Oliver Wines (MID, $938,000), Josh Kelly (MID, $870,000)

There is plenty of value available for a lot less than the big boys. Here are some under-priced premiums to consider:

Caleb Serong (MID, $619,000) The writing is on the wall for a huge third-year breakout. After averaging 67 and 83 over his first two seasons, the hard-working midfielder is set to continue that trajectory. He scored 118, 117 and 116 in his last three games to show what he is capable of.

Lachie Neale (MID, $792,000) After leading the League with a whopping average of 123* in 2020, the Lion ball-magnet was hampered by injury last year, restricting him to 15 games and an average of 95. From all reports he is having a flawless pre-season and his injury woes are behind him, leaving him up to 10 points under-priced.

In the mix: Elliot Yeo (MID, $696,000), Patrick Cripps (MID, $686,000), Patrick Dangerfield (MID, $728,000)

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Here are some bargain priced players to keep an eye on:

Matt Rowell (MID, $464,000) After bursting on to the scene and scoring like a premium in his debut season until it was cut short, injuries have restricted the future star from returning to his best. Coming into his third year, he looks to be having the perfect pre-season to set him up for success … at a bargain price.

Jye Caldwell (MID, $488,000) After an impressive debut for the Bombers, collecting 22 possessions, taking four marks and laying an impressive nine tackles for 104, Caldwell showed he was a huge piece of the Bombers' midfield plans. Unfortunately he was injured in the second game of the season on just 49 points, leaving him hugely under-priced.

In the mix: Patrick Lipinski (MID, $606,000)

There are a number of rookies putting their hand up for selection this pre-season, but I can’t look past the two big boys for job security and scoring potential.

Nick Daicos (MID, $284,000) The father-son ball-magnet looks set to earn a spot in the Pies' initial 22 which is the first big tick. An added bonus, of course, is his Fantasy pedigree. The young gun absolutely dominated as a junior, having no issues finding the ball, averaging 36 possessions a game for Oakleigh while averaging 136 points per game.

Jason Horne-Francis (MID, $290,000) The No.1 pick might not come into the season with the scoring prowess of some of his fellow draftees but his class and ability make him a lock for the Roos' best 22 which will ensure his price increases every week. He played 20 games in the SANFL, including a huge preliminary final performance where he collected 24 possessions and kicked three goals for 112 points.

In the mix: Josh Ward (MID, $278,000), Greg Clark (MID, $190,000), Matt Roberts (MID, $224,000), Finn Callaghan (MID, $224,000), Jackson Mead (MID, $190,000)

Here is my current midfield line-up:

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