Bring on another massive Thursday night of Draftstars with over $50,000 guaranteed in prize money to be won in their main contest and more tickets into the $1 million AFL Star!
Round 13’s feature matchup this Thursday night is another mega matchup between two Victorian clubs with big time finals aspirations. The Western Bulldogs will host Hawthorn at Marvel stadium in what has become a must win for both sides. The Bulldogs are currently sitting in 9th spot and one win behind the log jam of four teams on 7 wins. One of those teams is… you betcha the Hawks. The winner of this game will likely find themselves in the the top eight at the end of the round while the other will be looking on from the outstide - that is how big this contest is.
As always, this is all about the daily fantasy and this massive Thursday night game draws another massive $50,000 prize pool at Draftstars in their main contest. In addition, there are a variety of alternate contests:
AFL $50,000+ Bulldogs vs Hawks at Draftstars
AFL $5,000+ Bulldogs vs Hawks High Roller ($150 Entry) at Draftstars
AFL $3,000+ Bulldogs vs Hawks Mini ($2 Entry) at Draftstars
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AFL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round 13 Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn
AFL Bulldogs vs Hawks: Where to Attack?
Limited areas to attack for both sides in this matchup, especially with the Hawks who continue to be extremely stingy in giving up fantasy points. Over the last 10 games they have held teams to below average scoring across all positions apart from ruck and attacking half backs.
The Western Bulldogs don’t offer a lot more, however they do continue to follow the trend that has existed for years in conceding points to key forwards at over 3 points per game above league average. Interestingly they are giving up the second highest amount of points in the game to attacking half backs over the last 10 games and above average points to general defenders as well. This is another area that was a trend last season for the Bulldogs.
On the flip side, the Bulldogs give up the second fewest points in the league to inside midfielders, behind only Adelaide.
Game Script – Hawthorn backs, key forwards and Western Bulldogs midfielders
AFL Bulldogs vs Hawks: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Mabior Chol ($8,970)… I love taking advantage of the key forward play against the Western Bulldogs, especially on a singe game slate where we can get a value play. Chol has shown the ability to return huge value with a 114 point performance this year against West Coast who follow a trend of giving up points to key forwards (albeit a lot more than the Bulldogs). Alternatively you could switch this play to Jack Gunston ($9,450) for a slightly higher price who has had a resurgent season.
Lachlan McNeil ($6,700) is more of a speculative play than form related. The Hawks backline has look oversized this season, which has often meant the key forwards are well held but the smalls get off the leash. On a slate where it will be very challenging to find value to roster the midfield, I love taking a chance on McNeil who has shown upside of 79 points this year and three of the last four games topped 51 points.
AFL Bulldogs vs Hawks: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Josh Weddle ($10,780) / Massimo D’Ambrosio ($10,770)
Weddle has really been starting to live up to the much hyped potential in recent weeks and playing roles all over the ground. The play didn’t come off last week but he has posted 80+ in three of his last five games and this looks like a play suited to this matchup. Massimo is another player that should feast in this matchup. His form has been down in recent weeks but that leaves us with a favourable price. As noted in the top the Western Bulldogs have been giving up a massive amount of points to wings and attacking half backs and we have seen his upside this year of 120+ fantasy points. There are plenty of options to stack these plays up with on the Hawks in the mid price range.
AFL Bulldogs vs Hawks: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Tim English ($15,130) is a gimme premium play in this matchup. The Hawks have been giving up above average points to rucks all season and they will be going with a two headed attack with Max Ramsden ($6,000) coming in (the value flier alternative here if you would prefer another premium midfielder in your lineup). Not only will English have a significant advantage over Loyd Meek around the ground, especially on the fast deck of Marvel Stadium, he has also been much stronger in the ruck contests this year, which is why for the first time in memory he is holding opposition ruckman to below average fantasy scores.
Premium midfielders – the lean here is to go with the Western Bulldogs where you can afford it given how hard their middle has been to score against for two straight years. However, just note that Adam Treloar is back in, which may impact some of the rotations.
Heres our Suggested Draftstars Lineup for the Bulldogs vs Hawks
AFL Betting Markets Round 13: Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn
Western Bulldogs ($1.40) vs Hawthorn ($2.96)
Points: 172.5
Line: Western Bulldogs -16.5
Also, be sure to check out our full AFL Preview and Betting Tips for each match. Our experts break down each individual game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
