Four AFL games this Saturday afternoon for Round 20 action, with three big cross-town rivalry matches. These games are typically closely fought, but there are a number of big favourites on this slate which may open up favourable stacking opportunities for AFL Fantasy.
We kick things off with the Q-Clash between Suns and Lions in what is predicted to be the closest match of the day. It’s an important one for the Suns to remain inside the Top 8 on the ladder. We then head west for the Derby as the Dockers are massive favourites against the Eagles. After knocking off the top team last week, it’s hard to see the Dockers dropping a game to the team that’s last on the ladder. The two evening games are kicked off by the Kangaroos meeting Geelong, before the Showdown will see the Crows continue their premiership push against the Power.
As always, this is all about the daily fantasy and this Saturday slate draws another massive $50,000 prize pool at Draftstars in their main contest, plus more qualifiers for the $1 million AFL Star contest! In addition, there are a variety of alternate contests:
AFL $50,000+ Saturday at Draftstars
AFL $5,000+ Saturday High Roller ($150 Entry) at Draftstars
AFL $3,000+ Saturday Mini ($2 Entry) at Draftstars
If you're new to the Daily Fantasy Sports scene and want to join in on the fun, simply join Draftstars via this link!
AFL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round 20 Saturday
AFL Round 20 Saturday: Where to Attack?
An interesting Saturday slate and although the scheduling is questionable, there’s plenty of avenues to attack at Draftstars.
There are three one-sided matches forecast so stacks could be a popular option. Brisbane and Gold Coast is the closest match of the day, and both teams aren’t giving away much from a fantasy perspective with the Suns tightening up through the midfield recently.
Fremantle are the biggest favourites of the day so their forwards are expected to be busy. However West Coast concede league worst numbers to inside midfielders and the ruck so that is also an area to exploit.
For forwards, there’s no better match up than against the Roos who give up league worst fantasy points to opposition key forwards. The Cats have a number of viable options to target. The Roos are also poor against inside midfielders, with the second-worst in the league over the last ten matches. The Cats don’t give away much but they are above average for conceding to outside defenders and wings.
The Showdown is expected to favour the Crows, but there’s not any huge trends to lean into. The Crows are particularly restrictive across most positions on the ground.
Game Script: Fremantle inside mids and rucks, Geelong forwards and inside mids
AFL Round 20 Saturday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Connor Budarick ($8,420) had an excellent match last week with 92 fantasy points on the back of 24 disposals and 9 marks against a tough Adelaide team. This is not so much about the match up but the role. Budarick has been playing forward most of the season but shifted back last week with great success. With Daniel Rioli out with injury, there’s a spot there for a running defender/distributor so Budarick can certainly hit value again.
Shannon Neale ($9,580) has improved a bunch this season and draws the best match up in the league for key forwards against the Roos. Neale has a couple of bags of 5 goals this season, and we’ll be looking for the same again here. With all attention drawn to the presence of Jeremy Cameron ($13,700), Neale provides a nice pivot at a cheaper price. Also available as a ruck.
AFL Round 20 Saturday: Our Mid-Priced Fantasy Picks
Sean Darcy ($10,950) has the best matchup in the league for rucks against the West Coast Eagles on a slate where the rucks don’t exactly jump off the page. While the Dockers are still splitting ruck duties, Darcy has had more of the ruck load which provides him with a nice base of hit outs. Had a 92 last week in a tough matchup against Collingwood, so should enjoy another good day here.
Harley Reid ($12,870) rewarded us last week with a career-best 117 with 27 disposals, 6 tackles and 2 goals. Sure, it was only against the Tigers, but Reid has had three weeks of really strong performances and looks to have turned a corner with his performances. Will the Dockers put some close attention into him? Perhaps, but Reid is still at a cheap-enough price that he’s worth the gamble.
AFL Round 20 Saturday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Josh Dunkley ($15,650) has had a massive couple of weeks with back-to-back scores of 133 and 137. This includes 15 and 13 tackles, coincidentally fresh off the conversation about what constitutes a valid tackle. I expect Dunkley to play a negating role head-to-head with Matt Rowell, but that just means more tackles! It will be great to watch these two bulls go at it, and I’m looking to Dunkley to give us another big ton.
Caleb Serong ($15,960) might be a popular choice on this slate as the Dockers come up against the bottom-of-the-table Eagles. Serong was at his best last week with 37 disposals and 123 fantasy points against the Pies, and with the sniff of a Brownlow in the air, I expect Serong to give this his best for four quarters.
Heres our Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Round 20 Saturday
Weather Report Saturday July 26th 2025
Gold Coast - Late rain, 21 degrees.
Perth - Partly cloudy, 16 degrees.
Melbourne - Light rain, 13 degrees.
Adelaide - Light rain, 13 degrees.
There could be some light rain around but doesn't look like it will have much impact. Keep an eye on radars closer to the bounce.
AFL Betting Markets Round 20 Saturday
Gold Coast ($2.34) vs Brisbane ($1.61)
Line: Brisbane -7.5
Points: 155.5
Fremantle ($1.03) vs West Coast ($12.50)
Line: Fremantle -50.5
Points: 161.5
North Melbourne ($7.00) vs Geelong ($1.10)
Line: Geelong -40.5
Points: 177.5
Adelaide ($1.17) vs Port Adelaide ($5.10)
Line: Adelaide -29.5
Points: 158.5
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!
