Round 11 of the AFL season kicks off on Thursday night with a fascinating clash between Hawthorn and Adelaide, disappointingly tucked away down in the freezing conditions of Launceston. There is a massive $60,000 prize pool on offer in the main daily fantasy contest at Draftstars, alongside a stack of smaller tournaments catering to all bankroll sizes.
The teams are in and both sides have welcomed back some important names for this clash. The Hawks regain both Mabior Chol and Conor Nash, while the Crows have recalled Riley Thilthorpe and Callum Ah Chee among several changes. It is shaping as a brutally cold night in Tasmania and while there is no major rain forecast, the temperature combined with likely swirling wind could make this a genuine slog at times.
Draftstars are offering a number of different contests to suit your style, with the key tournaments including:
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AFL $60,000+ Hawks vs Crows
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AFL $5,000+ Hawks vs Crows ($150 Entry)
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AFL $3,000+ Hawks vs Crows ($2 Entry)
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AFL $2,000+ Hawks vs Crows (50c Entry)
Don’t forget the AFL Star is still running with a massive $1 million prize pool attached. You can win your way into the end-of-season final by securing a golden ticket in a range of qualifiers running every weekend.
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 11 – Hawks vs Crows
AFL Fantasy Round 10 - Thursday: Where to Attack?
This is a genuinely tough matchup to get a strong read on from a fantasy perspective. Adelaide really haven’t shown many glaring leaks across any position this season, while despite their loss to Melbourne last week, Hawthorn remain one of the most difficult teams in the competition to score against from a DFS standpoint. The Hawks rank inside the top five against every position on the ground outside of the midfield, which immediately narrows the player pool for this single-game slate.
Throw in what could be ugly conditions in Launceston and this shapes as the type of contest where contested ball winners, tacklers and intercept defenders come heavily into play. I think it could be a long night for the key forwards and outside runners if the wind gets up as expected.
The Hawks appear to hold a slight edge in the likely game environment simply because of the size and physicality they can throw through the midfield, while their defensive setup should allow plenty of opportunities for intercept marks and loose ball wins across half back. On the other side, Adelaide’s defenders could also see plenty of action if Hawthorn continue their patient ball movement style.
Game Script – Building around Hawks midfielders, Hawks defenders and Crows defenders on Thursday night.
AFL Fantasy Round 11 - Thursday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Finn Maginness ($6,320) - Maginness returned to the senior side last week after a stint out of the team and managed just 35 fantasy points against Melbourne, but there are reasons to think he can bounce back strongly here. We like the Hawthorn utility down in Launceston, where he posted a solid 94-point performance in his last appearance at the venue thanks to 24 disposals and four tackles.
The expected conditions should suit his style nicely as well. He is capable of grinding out points through contested work and defensive acts rather than relying on uncontested ball, which is exactly the profile we are looking for in this matchup.
Jake Soligo ($9,610) - There really is not a lot jumping off the page in the midfield player pool for this slate, so even at a price tag just north of $9k, Soligo shapes as one of the better value options through the middle of the ground.
He produced a solid 81 points last week despite laying only two tackles, which is notable because tackling upside could become absolutely crucial in these conditions. The last time he played in similar contested conditions down in Geelong, Soligo piled on nine tackles on his way to a season-high 92 fantasy points. If this turns into the scrap we are expecting, his floor looks extremely safe.
AFL Fantasy Round 11 - Thursday: Our Mid-Priced Fantasy Picks
Josh Weddle ($9,700) - Only slightly more expensive than Soligo, but with significantly more upside relative to his positional peers, Weddle stands out as one of the more appealing mid-range plays on the slate. These conditions honestly feel custom built for him. Weddle has the size to impact aerial contests while also possessing the athleticism to rack up points at ground level, which is a rare combination in poor weather games. Hawthorn should spend enough time defending and intercepting across half back to give him every chance of producing one of his stronger fantasy scores of the season.
AFL Fantasy Round 11 - Thursday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Jai Newcombe ($14,580) - Newcombe has cooled off considerably after his enormous start to the season, producing scores of just 72 and 59 across Hawthorn’s last two losses. Still, this could be the ideal bounce-back spot. The Hawks midfielder tonned up with 103 fantasy points in Hawthorn’s most recent game in Launceston, finishing with 24 disposals and six tackles, and this matchup sets up well for his contested style.
Sam Berry ($13,690) - Berry is another tackling machine who profiles beautifully for this type of contest. The Adelaide midfielder exploded for a monstrous 156 fantasy points just a few weeks ago off the back of an absurd 19 tackles and followed that performance up with another strong outing last week that included eight more tackles on his way to 87 points. We are heavily favouring players willing to put their head over the footy on Thursday night and there may not be a better fit on the entire slate than Berry if this turns into the contested grind that many are expecting.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Thursday
Weather Report for Thursday 21st May
Launceston, clear, 4 degrees
AFL Betting Markets Round 10 Thursday
Hawthorn ($1.47) vs Adelaide ($2.70)
Points: 160.5
Line: Hawthorn -12.5
Also, be sure to check out our full AFL Thursday Preview and Betting Tips. Our experts break down the game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
