Round 13 of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season gets underway this Thursday night with another huge daily fantasy contest on offer from Draftstars with over $50,000 in guaranteed prize money in their main daily fantasy tournament.
Thursday night football takes us to Adelaide Oval where the Crows host the Cats in what is one of the more compelling single-game slates of the season. Both sides are coming in desparete for a win — Geelong were stunned by Carlton in the final minutes of Round 12 to snap their four-game winning streak, while Adelaide had their bye last week and return fresh but significantly injury-impacted. The Cats are installed as 9.5-point favourites at the market with the total points sitting at 166.5, making this a genuinely competitive contest on paper but one with a very clear daily fantasy angle given the personnel missing from both sides. The headline story is in Adelaide's forward line — Izak Rankine has sustained a calf strain and is out, while Riley Thilthorpe is also sidelined, leaving the Crows' key scoring artillery in serious doubt. For Geelong, Jack Bowes has been recalled having dominated in the VFL last week with 28 disposals, while Jack Martin also returns and Lawson Humphries will miss due to injury.
Geelong have won six consecutive games against Adelaide including an eight-point victory in the Round 3 meeting between these sides earlier this season. Adelaide's five wins in 2026 have come exclusively against lower-ranked opposition and stepping up against a near full-strength Cats outfit at home is a significant challenge, particularly with the forward line in such disarray.
Draftstars are offering a number of different contests to suit your style, some of these include:
AFL $50,000+ Crows vs Cats
AFL $5,000+ Crows vs Cats High Roller ($150 Entry)
AFL $3,000+ Crows vs Cats Mini ($2 Entry)
AFL $2,000+ Crows vs Cats Micro (50c Entry)
Also this season the AFL Star is back for 2026 with a massive $1 million prize pool! Win your way into the Final by winning 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 13 – Adelaide vs Geelong
AFL Fantasy Round 13 - Thursday: Where to Attack?
The matchup data from the last 10 games gives us very clear direction on this single-game slate and the arrow points firmly toward Geelong midfielders and Geelong's wing and half-back operators as the primary angles.
Adelaide have been giving up over 1 point above league average to inside midfielders (which is actually the fifth highest amount in the league over that period of time). They have also been giving up above average to wings and half backs (+2.97) and general defenders (+2), while surprisingly holding designated kickers to the third lowest scoring rate in the league. So make sure you selected your back line stacks accordingly. Up forward the Crows defence has been solid holding opposition forwards to below average scores.
Going back the other way, Geelong have been a tough team to score against, which is no surprise given their position in the top four. They are holding designated kickers, general defenders and inside midifelders to below average scores. The areas that open up for attack include wings and half backs, rucks (over 8 points above league average) and they are giving forwards points at slightly above league average which is somewhat surprising.
On venue, Adelaide Oval is one of the better fantasy grounds in the competition. The large dimensions encourage running, ball movement and half-back accumulation.
Game Script – Geelong inside midfielders and wings/attacking half backs. Crows forwards
AFL Fantasy Round 13 - Thursday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Mark Blicavs ($8,810) is the standout value play on the slate and the role change is the entire case. Mitchell Edwards is confirmed out, handing Blicavs the outright number one ruck role for the Cats. That is a transformative shift — his last three scores of 42, 43 and 39 came during a period of shared duties with Edwards and playing in the back line, but look back to his scores of 93 and 74 just prior and you see exactly what he produces when the workload is his alone. His Adelaide Oval venue record of 101, 32, 66, 68 and 104 has two triple-figure scores when his role was clear, and his opponent history against the Crows includes a 98. Adelaide have been giving up over 5 points above league average to rucks and at $8,810 for a confirmed number one ruckman walking into that matchup, he is the value anchor of the slate.
Jack Bowes ($9,880) is the form player at VFL level who has gained a recall this week. He is an outstanding value play. He kicked three goals and racked up 28 disposals in the VFL last week in a performance that virtually demanded senior selection, and his AFL scoring this season backs up the case with scores of 93, 50, 65, 86 and 82 across his last five games. That 93 is the ceiling reference at this price and his Adelaide Oval venue history of 65, 74, 86, 97 and 49 is encouraging — three of those five scores are between 74 and 97 at this exact ground. Adelaide are giving up above average to inside midfielders and Bowes is exactly the type of contested ball winner who benefits from that concession.
AFL Fantasy Round 13 - Thursday: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Josh Rachele ($10,360) is the most interesting mid-price narrative play on the slate and the CBA data tells the whole story. Cast your mind back to the first five rounds of the season when Rachele was attending between 48% and 64% of Adelaide's centre bounces — in that role he averaged just under 100 points per game, posting scores of 124, 114 and 98 during that stretch.. He was one of the most productive midfielders in the competition when given that inside mid role. Then from Round 7 the CBA attendance fell off a cliff — 38, 19, 15, 9 and 0 across the last five rounds — as his role shifted back primarily to the forward line. With Rankine confirmed out of Thursday's lineup, the logic of keeping Rachele in the forward structure dissolves entirely. Adelaide need an inside midfielder. They need contested ball winners who can generate clearances in a midfield that will be under enormous pressure against a Geelong side conceding just above average to that position but absolutely hammering opposition forward lines. Rachele is the obvious beneficiary and the CBA data from the first five rounds proves he is capable of performing in that role at an elite level for his price point. At $10,360 for a player who averaged close to 100 in that exact role, with the players who displaced him from midfield gone from the lineup, his CBA count on Thursday night is the data point to watch. If he comes back in at 50%+ attendance he is the value play of the entire slate.
AFL Fantasy Round 13 - Thursday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Max Holmes ($15,900) is operating in one of the most favourable individual matchups on the slate and his recent form suggests he is on the cusp of another ceiling game. Holmes has been playing as Geelong's premier running half-back and wing operator in 2026 and his last 10 average of 99.6 points is strong for a player in this position — reinforced by scores of 88, 110, 91, 99 and 107 across his last five. Adelaide have been giving up over 6.5 points above average to wings and general defenders — the two positions Holmes occupies — over the last 10 games. His venue history at Adelaide Oval includes scores of 79, 83, 133, 112 and 89, averaging 99.2 across those five appearances. There is no more consistent play on this slate and at $15,900 he is still accessible in builds anchored by Bailey Smith.
Jordan Dawson ($16,000) is a standout premium Adelaide play and the data is remarkable. He has posted 131, 106, 133 and 116 in his last four games for an average of 121.5 — an extraordinary run that makes his $16,000 price look genuinely cheap for a player averaging over 120. His last three opponent scores against Geelong are 92, 104 and 131 — yes, a 131 against this exact opponent — confirming that the matchup has not historically suppressed his output. His Adelaide Oval venue record shows 106, 85, 100, 119 and 103, averaging 102.6 across five home appearances. Even in a game where Adelaide lose, Dawson accumulates from the ball movement in a way that generates 100+ floor scores regardless of game state. If you want one Adelaide premium alongside the Geelong stack, he is the lock.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Thursday
Weather Report for Thursday 4th June 2026
Adelaide Oval — 14 degrees, clear. Ideal scoring conditions with no rain or wind concerns forecast for Thursday evening.
AFL Betting Markets Round 13 Thursday
Adelaide ($2.40) vs Geelong ($1.58)
Points: 166.5
Line: Geelong -8.5
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!
