We’ve enjoyed some cracking Friday night matches in the AFL over the last couple of weeks, but this Friday the fun is doubled with two matches for us to enjoy. The only downside is the two matches will overlap which is pretty frustrating!
First up, the Power will head to GMHBA Stadium to see if they can get a win against a top four team as the Cats look to bounce back from their first loss of the season last week. That one kicks off at 7:10pm AEST. We then head west where the Dockers will be out to prove they are the real deal as they host the top-of-the-table Swans from 8:20pm AEST.
Draftstars continue to offer massive prize pools with the Friday night main event offering a $60,000 prize pool for this one along with their usual variety of alternate contests:
- AFL $60,000+ Friday
- AFL $5,000+ Friday High Roller
- AFL $3,000+ Friday Mini
The AFL Star contest is back for 2024 and Draftstars are offering the biggest prize pool in Australian DFS history with a $1 million guaranteed final with $250,000 top prize! There are qualifiers and satellites running for every AFL match, while there will also be a sprinkling of qualifiers across other sports such as NRL and NBA.
Meanwhile the 1000 AFL Target contests are set to return to Draftstars for the first time since 2018. Enter the contest and hit the 1000-point barrier with your team to scoop the jackpot!
Betting Markets
Geelong ($1.28) vs Port Adelaide ($3.70)
Line: Geelong -23.5
Points: 174.5
Fremantle ($2.26) vs Sydney ($1.64)
Line: Sydney -6.5
Points: 156.5
If you’re looking to bet on the AFL this season, then you can bet with PlayUp by using the same account that you have at Draftstars. PlayUp are Australian owned and offer an strong range of AFL betting markets and offers, including Same Game Multis.
Additionally, we have a full AFL betting previews for both matches where we provide our best bet for the match as well as a great value Same Game Multi!
Weather
Geelong - Cloudy, small chance of showers, 18 degrees.
Perth - Chance of showers, 26 degrees.
The weather should be ok for both matches, with only a slight chance of some showers that shouldn’t interrupt things too much. Let’s play ball!
Where to Attack?
Two tough games on Friday night with four teams who are generally pretty solid when it comes to conceding AFL fantasy points to their opposition.
While Port Adelaide don’t have too many fantasy leaks, the Cats have been exploited through the middle to opposition inside mids this season. Missing Cam Guthrie and Patrick Dangerfield for large chunks of the season hasn’t helped that figure. However Port will be missing skipper Conor Rozee this week so perhaps there's opportunity for someone else to step up. The Cats have also struggled to contain opposition key forwards which is a little surprising as they always tend to pride themselves on their defence. The Power do have a number of good forward options, however they come into the match as significant underdogs.
In the other game, the only trend worth exploring might be Fremantle’s tendency to give up fantasy points to opposition defenders. The Swans can get into a chip-chip mode in the defensive 50 so there might be some opportunity for +3s and some upswings there.
Game script: Power inside mids, Swans defenders
VALUE PLAYS
Dante Visentini ($6,000) comes into the side for his first game of the season with Jordan Sweet missing through illness and Ivan Soldo still injured. Hasn’t set the world on fire in his first few AFL matches last season, but any time you can get the #1 ruck at minimum price, it’s worth exploring. Visentini gets a pretty good match up here against Rhys Stanley so should at least get his hands on the ball first to get a good floor of hitouts to ensure he hits value. Note that Jeremy Finlayson ($9,340) has also been named so there’s a chance that Visentini gets subbed if he’s struggling.
Dane Rampe ($8,470) returned to the Swans lineup last week and pumped out a very solid 87 in his return. With Fremantle conceding points to opposition defenders, Rampe loves nothing more than some cheap kick-to-kick action in the backline. The only concern here is with Tom McCartin ruled out with concussion, does Rampe have a larger defensive responsibility this week, or can he continue to float?
MID PRICED PLAYS
Luke Jackson ($10,720) is worth consideration on this slate as he reclaims the sole ruck duties following an injury to Sean Darcy. Yes, it’s a tough match up against Brodie Grundy, but in the first four matches this season as solo ruck, Jackson smashed out scores of 96, 108, 88 and 94. His current price reflects his recent form (65.3 average in last 3 matches) in a key forward role, so you’d think Jackson will enjoy being back in the ruck and can pump out a score that hits value.
Jake Lloyd ($11,810) has been very inconsistent this season and has floated between roles across half-back and pushing up to the wing. I think it’s pretty clear that half-back suits him best for AFL fantasy scoring at least, which is what we saw when he pumped out a 126 two weeks ago. If he can get back and get some cheap ball then we know that the ceiling is still there. It’s a good matchup and the price looks good. Worth a gamble in a big tournament.
PREMIUM PLAYS
Chad Warner ($14,200) is one of my favourites and he’s having a great season with a 99 average. He’s also super consistent with a low of 86 this season and four tons. Comes up against a talented Freo midfield, but with attention on Heeney and Gulden, perhaps there’s an opportunity for him to go large? Provides a bit of value compared to the price of the other premiums.
Zac Butters ($16,340) is going to have to play a big game if the Power has any chance at the Cattery. Without Connor Rozee, Butters is going to be the main man in the middle, and gets a good matchup with the Cats unlikely to have anyone who can run with him. Butters is averaging 105.1 this season, but we’d love to see him bust through his season high of 117.
I prefer paying up for Butters with Ollie Wines ($14,530) and Willem Drew ($13,450) a little harder to take at their respective prices.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup
Cheat Sheets
