AFL Fantasy is back for another season, and the team at Footy Prophet will again be supplying NMFC.com.au with premium fantasy analysis and tips for the 2015 season.
In great news for fantasy coaches heading into the Preliminary Finals, Jack Ziebell ($500,000) returns from suspension to take on the Western Bulldogs. Ziebell is an important cog in the Kangaroos' midfield and a vital part of sides.
Ziebell’s last three scores have all been above 90, and while the last time he went large against the Bulldogs was in 2013, he will be keen to atone for his week off.
Todd Goldstein ($640,000) will also be keen to blow out the cobwebs after his tough battle against Aaron Sandilands last week.
The Bulldogs' ruck division is light on and Goldstein will be favoured both in the contest and around the ground.
Like Ziebell, Goldstein’s last big outing against the Doggies was in 2013, but there will be no Will Minson to hamper the Roo this time around.
Big things are expected from Shaun Higgins ($464,000) who after a quieter few weeks finally faces his old side.
There’s no previous games to judge how Higgins will deal with the occasion, but its hoped the former Bulldog will throw himself into the game with gusto.
2015 marks perhaps Higgins’ best fantasy year. He has finally accumulated both points and a consistent string of games. With a home Elimination Final beckoning, fantasy coaches will be backing Higgins in to use his football style and smarts over the next two weeks.
One Roo who we know doesn’t mind playing the Bulldogs at all is captain Andrew Swallow ($461,000). He scored a colossal 129 points against them last year.
Swallow also had a massive game against Fremantle last week, posting 111 points on the back of 21 possessions and 12 tackles, his best fantasy output since Round 15.
Much of Swallow’s fantasy fame comes from his tackling. Here’s hoping the pressure gets turned up a notch on the weekend and the North skipper gets a chance to make the most of the opportunity by chasing down his opponents.
Around the Grounds
Some big names have been ruled out of the fantasy finals, with Luke Hodge ($580,000) and Nathan Fyfe ($515,000) out for two weeks. Fortunately, there are some replacements on hand.
St Kilda’s Jack Steven ($543,000) is rocketing along this year and is only $28,000 more expensive than Fyfe. The Saint is the fourth-highest player by average so far this year, and is by far the cheapest option in the top 10 players.
Steven scored tons in his last two outings against Sydney, and the Saints will be keen to show that their strong performance against finals competitors Geelong was no fluke.
Also under-priced for what he can produce is Jordan Lewis ($555,000), who faces the beleaguered Brisbane Lions. With Dayne Beams and Jack Redden both out for the season, Brisbane are unlikely to trouble the dual-premiers much. Lewis scored 111 points against the Lions last year and is likely to go near that, even without the support of team mate Luke Hodge.
Those looking for a defender would be hard pressed to go past David Mundy ($559,000), who plays Melbourne in Perth this weekend. Fremantle are being seriously challenged for top spot after suffering two losses in a row.
Mundy has been extremely consistent this year. Prior to Round 21’s loss to the Kangaroos, the Docker had scored 90 points or more in every game since Round 10, and he has only three scores less than 90 all year.
Fremantle will be keen to lock in top spot and Mundy will be all important in that. He’s unlikely to suffer from a tag and should return to his scoring ways this week.
