NORTH Melbourne secured the unwanted double last year - the wooden spoon and being the lowest-ranked team overall for AFL Fantasy points.

The Kangaroos had three players average more than 90 points, but the rest were sub-80.

Some players regressed significantly. Jack Ziebell (FWD, $537,000) enjoyed a fantastic 2021 season, averaging 100.1 thanks to a Fantasy friendly role in the back half. He switched forward last season to see an almost 40-point drop-off.

>> Scroll down for all the North Melbourne prices and positions

New recruit Hugh Greenwood (MID, $645,000) and reliable veteran ruck Todd Goldstein (RUC, $634,000) had dropped their output after being 90-plus players in prior seasons.

After a season of lows, things are looking up for the Roos with the addition of one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game. Alastair Clarkson consistently had Hawthorn players combining for bulk Fantasy points throughout his tenure.

North Melbourne is likely to climb up the ladder – both actual ladder and Fantasy points for – in 2023.

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Lock them in

Some of the highest-ranking Fantasy Classic coaches have picked players who became premium stars of the game. We've seen plenty to like from Jy Simpkin (MID, $846,000) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (MID, $824,000) - North Melbourne's top two players from 2022. Simpkin finished the season strongly with scores of 110 or more in five of his last nine games. Davies-Uniacke has demonstrated the highest ceiling of the Kangaroos midfielders. He posted four scores over 120 with a season-high of 145 against Collingwood where he finished with 33 disposals and 11 tackles. Both should be considered to take their game to the next level with triple-figure averages not out of the question.

Track their pre-season

Many were hot on Tarryn Thomas (MID/FWD, $475,000) last year, but a mix of injuries and off-field issues saw him drop his average by almost 30 points compared to his breakout season in 2021. Thomas finished that year averaging 104 in his final six games but struggled to hit those heights last season. How Clarkson deploys Thomas will help tell a story of how his Fantasy numbers will go, there is a lot of upside with the Tasmanian with dual-position status as he heads into his fifth season.

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Dual-position tempter

Darcy Tucker (MID/FWD, $457,000) made the move to North Melbourne from Fremantle in the off-season. His role was sporadic, including stints in the backline and as a half-forward. In Fantasy, he has been listed with FWD status. Part of Tucker's decision to move to the Kangaroos was around role. With four games where he was Fremantle's substitute, his average and therefore price is lower than the output many pundits are expecting. Tucker averaged 100 in the WAFL last season which included scores of 142 and 178. Keep a close eye on him in the lead-up to round one.

Bargain basement

Heading into his third season, Will Phillips (MID, $270,000) is still basically rookie priced. He was struck down with glandular fever, limiting him to just three games. While he was unable to play in his draft year due to COVID, Phillips impressed in 2019 averaging 22 disposals and 77 Fantasy points. Fast-forward to his debut season, Phillips averaged a modest 43.6 from 14 games despite a positive average of 94 in the VFL that season. It's a big pre-season watch for the No.3 pick in the 2020 NAB AFL draft. If he's in the mix to crack the Roos' 22, there's money to be made in Classic.

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Draft sleeper

What a story Ben Cunnington (MID/FWD, $668,000) was last season! He returned to the game to play the final two matches after a battle with cancer. Cunnington has super-handy dual-position status this year, able to be selected as a forward. While he is priced well in Classic thanks to a discount, he will be ranked low in Draft as his average last year was just 52.5, placing him as the 136th-ranked FWD on average. Considering he enjoyed a career-best season in 2021 averaging 99.2, Cunnington could be a great pick late in your draft in a position that can be hit-and-miss in the latter parts of draft day.

Buyer beware

Since Aaron Hall (DEF, $797,000) made the switch to play as a defender, his numbers have gone through the roof. In 2021 he averaged a whopping 108.9 points to be the top defender in Fantasy. What was even more impressive was that he was going at a clip of 119 from round seven in that year. While this is all positive, firstly, we don't know if Clarkson will allow Hall the freedom that ranked him No.1 in the League for kicks and uncontested marks during that run in 2021. Also, hamstring and quadricep injuries saw him miss multiple weeks last year. While having a defender capable of taking double-figure marks and 120-plus scores in a game is great, a 32-year-old with a history of soft tissue injuries is a risk I'm not willing to take.

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