REVEALED: Fantasy salary cap, top prices, bargain buys

AN INCREASED salary cap for AFL clubs has meant for a changed budget for AFL Fantasy Classic coaches to pick their squads in 2023.

The official Fantasy game of the AFL will launch soon and coaches will have $15.5 million dollars to pick their starting squad.

Prices for players range from the most expensive player, Rory Laird, at $1,066,000 through to late draft selections and previously listed players who are yet to debut at the basement price of $200,000.

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How it works

Players are priced according to their 2022 output. The highest-averaging players from last season will cost the most while players who under-performed or missed games through injury will be much cheaper.

Most players will be priced based on their average score from the previous season. Andrew Brayshaw comes in at $995,000 after posting career-high numbers in 2022; his average of 112.4 has been multiplied by the 'magic number' to calculate his price.

This year the magic number is approximately 8850. The increase in the salary cap from $14.8 million to $15.5 million aligns with the actual AFL salary cap, with an increase of approximately five per cent. The magic number has risen accordingly.

Players have received a discount on their price if they played fewer than 10 games last season, with a discount of three per cent per game they played under 10. If they missed the whole season, they have received a 30 per cent discount on their price, which is applied to the higher average score of the past two seasons.

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For example, Josh Goater played just one game for North Melbourne at the end of the season. He scored 83 points and his price calculation therefore includes a 27 per cent discount. The second-year Kangaroo is priced at $537,000 rather than the $735,000 he would have been if a discount hadn't have applied.

As players with a discount get priced on the higher average of the past two years in order to not severely under-price a player, there are some players whose discount may price them higher than their output from last year.

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New Cat Jack Bowes is one of these examples. He averaged 55.4 from five games in 2022 and qualifies for a 15 per cent discount, but this is applied to his 2021 average of 80.6. He will start the season with a price of $607,000, which is the equivalent of him averaging 68.6.

Players who missed the full season, such as Bomber Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, have received a 30 per cent discount on their 2021 average. Former North Melbourne and Melbourne player Corey Wagner, who last played at AFL level in 2019, was picked up by the Dockers in the recent NAB AFL Draft and is back for 2023. He has been discounted by 40 per cent on his most recent average.

Top 25 priced players in AFL Fantasy Classic 2023

Top-priced players

In 2022, Adelaide on-baller Rory Laird (MID, $1,066,000) was the first player to break the million-dollar mark during a season and he starts 2023 as the only player to carry a seven-figure salary. Last season, Jack Steele (MID, $978,000) and Touk Miller (MID, $972,000) started the year as million-dollar players, but their output dropped and their starting salary is below $1,000,000 for the start of 2023.

Sam Docherty (DEF, $977,000) is the top-priced defender, one of four defenders to feature in the top 25. Meanwhile, just one player with forward eligibility features on the rich list; new Lion Josh Dunkley (MID/FWD, $963,000) ranks as the eighth player overall while Stephen Coniglio (MID/FWD, $871,000) at 27th, Tim Taranto (MID/FWD, $846,000) at 39th and Dylan Moore (FWD, $826,000) at 50th are the only players with FWD eligibility to rank in the top 50 and average more than 90 points last season.

Long-time Fantasy favourite Max Gawn (RUC, $914,000) starts as the highest-priced ruck with Tim English (RUC, $901,000) not far behind. Due to Gawn's new partnership with Brodie Grundy (RUC, $830,000), English is tipped to become Fantasy's No.1 big man during the season.

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Rookies and basement priced players

Draftees have been priced according to where they were selected in November's NAB AFL Draft.

No.1 pick Aaron Cadman (FWD, $300,000) has got the full rookie premium added to the basement price of $200,000 while second selection, Will Ashcroft (MID, $298,000), is slightly cheaper. The pricing scales down to pick 50, Hugh Bond (MID, $202,000), and subsequent selections – including the rookie draft – are at $200,000.

Players who have been on a list and are yet to debut are great options to consider if they're likely to get an opportunity in 2023. Melbourne's Jacob van Rooyen (FWD, $200,000) may get his chance next year as could West Coast's Campbell Chesser (DEF/MID, $200,000), and both start at the basement price.

Although he made his debut in the 2022 finals, Darcy Wilmot (DEF, $200,000) remains at the basement price. He scored 61 and 52 in Brisbane's finals campaign after averaging 65 in the VFL, so if he's playing in round one, lock him in!

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