MOST of the talk this week has been around our mid-season saviour Darcy Cameron and what to do with him. His body of work this year has made him a fan favourite but his CBA count of just eight, compared to 18 the previous week and score of just 34 means he needs to be traded, especially as Brodie Grundy's return gets closer and we head into finals of default leagues this week.
The beauty of it is, there are multiple options across multiple lines, like the safe play to big Max Gawn or the cash grab … to, dare I say it, Braydon Preuss, which would allow coaches to put the downgraded money on the head of an under-performing injured premium like Christian Petracca or Dan Houston.
PLAY AFL FANTASY Make your trades now
It's an example of a safe play versus the definition of high risk/high reward. The highly owned Cameron is, predictably, the most traded out player this week.
Listen to the AFL Fantasy Podcast with The Traders at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
MOST TRADED IN
- Max Gawn (RUC, $778,000)
- Elijah Hollands (FWD/MID, $217,000)
- Jai Culley (FWD/MID, $289,000)
- Braydon Preuss (RUC, $650,000)
- Rowan Marshall (RUC/FWD, $759,000)
MOST TRADED OUT
- Darcy Cameron (FWD/RUC, $736,000)
- Luke Jackson (RUC/FWD, $598,000)
- Patrick Parnell (MID, $355,000)
- Dan Houston (DEF/MID, $665,000)
- Jade Gresham (FWD/MID, $633,000)
TOP FIVE PRICE RISES
- Jai Culley (FWD/MID, $289,000) +$65,000
- Noah Cumberland (FWD/MID, $331,000) +$63,000
- Robbie Fox (DEF, $583,000) +$58,000
- Josh Ward (MID, $530,000) +$47,000
- Josh Carmichael (FWD/MID, $324,000) +$46,000
TOP FIVE PRICE FALLS
- Tim Kelly (MID, $640,000) -$60,000
- Josh Bruce (FWD, $444,000) -$51,000
- Jack Billings (MID, $655,000) -$49,000
- Nat Fyfe (MID, $631,000) -$45,000
- Shane McAdam (FWD, $450,000) -$45,000
LOWEST BREAKEVENS
- Jai Culley (MID/FWD, $289,000) -28
- Noah Cumberland (MID/FWD, $331,000) -15
- Ash Johnson (FWD, $247,000) -3
- Elijah Hollands (MID/FWD, $217,000) -1
- Ben Miller (DEF, $279,000) 1
HIGHEST BREAKEVENS
- Clayton Oliver (MID, $934,000) 144
- Cam Guthrie (MID, $854,000) 141
- Darcy Cameron (FWD/RUC, $736,000) 136
- Tim Kelly (MID, $640,000) 135
- Jack Viney (MID, $850,000) 134
>> Check the latest Fantasy scores LIVE in the AFL Live Official App
BUY
Max Gawn
MELBOURNE
RUC, $778,000
All we needed to see was one big game back following his ankle injury which resulted in missing rounds 15 and 16. He was serviceable without being outstanding in his first two games back but he dominated against the Dogs with 25 possessions, eight marks and 40 hitouts for 133. He has a breakeven of 102 heading into his game against the Dockers which is an indication he is as cheap as you will get him for the rest of the season. Not a bad price for the best big man in the comp.
Rowan Marshall
ST KILDA
RUC/FWD, $759,000
The Saint big man is once again a popular selection this week given that he is likely to hold the No.1 ruck mantle at the Saints for the remainder of the year given Paddy Ryder's injury. He overcame illness though the week which likely accounts for his lower-than-usual time on ground but he still managed a whopping 49 hitouts and six tackles in his score of 108.
Braydon Preuss
GWS GIANTS
RUC, $650,000
You couldn't do it, could you?! It was only five weeks ago many coaches placed the Giant on their 'never again list' following his disastrous 14 and taking Tim English out in the process which caused many of us to waste two trades. He is, however, a tantalising prospect given his price and ability to score as we saw on the weekend against the Blues where he had a huge second half, eventually finishing on 105 with 19 touches, six marks and 36 hitouts.
Also consider: Jack Steele, Aaron Hall, Tim Taranto.
HOLD
Mitch Duncan
GEELONG
MID/FWD, $817,000
The star Cat has been one of the most reliable scorers over recent weeks, embracing his role across half-back with scores of 103, 118, 138 and 103 before going missing after a fast start against the Power. In the three games leading into this week's match-up he had recorded 14, 11 and nine marks before managing just four in his score of 62. The fourth quarter kick-to-kick wasn't available to give his score a late boost this week and there are role concerns with Tom Stewart returning.
Patrick Cripps
CARLTON
MID, $754,000
The Blues inspirational leader has been well below the form we witnessed at the beginning of the year where he was the best player in the competition. Since round nine, he has only managed to score over 90 on two occasions and that is with a top score of 106. Thankfully for his owners, he was back in beast mode against the Giants with 34 possessions and a goal for 121 and he has a run of favourable match-ups ahead.
Lachie Neale
BRISBANE
MID, $824,000
The Lions star has been below his best in recent times, averaging just 93 in his past five weeks which isn't what we want heading into Fantasy finals. However, he is a champion and proven scorer and with Neale, you know his big next score is just around the corner and given he has scored over 140 on three occasions already this year, hopefully it's a fourth this week.
Also consider: Clayton Oliver, Jarrod Witts, Jack Crisp.
SELL
Christian Petracca
MELBOURNE
MID, $811,000
A week out of finals, coaches need their big dogs firing and that certainly didn't happen for owners of the Norm Smith medallist. He continued a disappointing three-week stretch where he scored 96 and 100 leading into this week's disastrous performance where he had just eight kicks among his 24 possessions with one mark and two tackles for his second-lowest score of the year, registering just 69. He isn't getting the job done for a premium midfielder and needs to go.
Sean Darcy
FREMANTLE
RUC, $686,000
Rucks have been a massive issue this year for Fantasy coaches. In Classic, some landed on Darcy as their option in the ruck merry-go-round in recent weeks. His score of 68 was a hard watch when Max Gawn and Tim English enjoyed big tons. He has a breakeven of 103, a figure he has managed to achieve on just one occasion in the past eight rounds.
Darcy Cameron
COLLINGWOOD
RUC/FWD, $736,000
The Pies big man has been an absolute revelation for our teams this year, stepping up to fill the troubled ruck position at a time of need. Since round seven, he has contributed six hundreds with a high of 133 and his score of 34 on the weekend was his only score below 83 in that time. Trading him out for one bad game may seem reactionary, but there are plenty of good options.
Also consider: Patrick Parnell, Dan Houston, Jake Soligo.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Given his form and draw, he should have no trouble going 105+
Definitely not a must have.
I am a big fan of both, but it's Dawson by a nose. Given Stewart's draw however, I don't think you can go wrong.
I'm a big fan of both once again! I have Mills slightly ahead.
He certainly isn't a must have, but he is an option for that price!
It's a tough call… But I have English ahead by a nose in terms of points scored for the remainder of the season.
As long as you know the risk and can handle the disappointment when/if it happens. They are both bargains in terms of scoring potential.
I don't think it's ideal or a move I will make given his evolving role change by spending more time forward, but he could certainly bounce straight back… That is a possibility.
I am a big fan of Robbie Fox and the way he is playing. There is risk involved, but I do like him.
Get expert advice from The Traders during the pre-season in the Fantasy Hub. Follow AFL Fantasy on Twitter and 'like' the Facebook page to join in the conversation.