The run home to the finals is well and truly underway, and with four games to work with on Saturday, there are plenty of fascinating fantasy match-ups to dissect.
We kick things off in Adelaide where ladder leaders Fremantle travel to face Port Adelaide who have been ravaged by injury and suspension for this one. It may open up opportunities for Power players to step up in their role, while at the same time, the Dockers go in as massive favourites. From there, we head back to Marvel Stadium where North Melbourne meets Melbourne before the traditional Saturday night blockbuster between Collingwood and Carlton at the MCG.
The slate finishes in Perth, where Brisbane heads west to take on West Coast. With a couple of clear game environments to target and several teams presenting difficult fantasy match-ups, lineup construction will be just as important as player selection this week on Draftstars. Let's dive into the Round 19 Saturday slate!
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AFL $50,000+ Saturday at Draftstars
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AFL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round 19 Saturday
AFL Fantasy Round 19 Saturday: Where to Attack?
As the clear best team in the competition, it’s no surprise that Fremantle are also the toughest opponent in the league for AFL fantasy scoring. They rank in the top three toughest in nearly every position on the ground, with forwards, midfielders and rucks all having an especially hard time. While there might be some Port Adelaide players stepping up into more responsibility this week due to their injury crisis, you have to roster any Power players with caution.
The Power are much closer to the league average in most positions, with their only obvious weakness against the designated kicker.
North Melbourne also have a fantasy profile that’s pretty close to the AFL average with no glaring weaknesses. However Melbourne do have some areas we can exploit. They are in the top three worst in the league for conceding points to general defenders and the designated kickers. This opens the door for a couple of the Kangaroos seagulls who like to feed on some easy possession in their back half.
The match between Collingwood and Carlton presents some interesting fantasy angles. The Blues have been good recently against the opposition forwards where they are in the top three toughest in the league over the last ten games. However the standout number is how restrictive they are to the designated kicker where they are over 17 points tighter than the league average. No easy kicks for the Pies in defence! The area the Blues are happy to give up points is in the ruck where they are over 9 points over the league average.
Interestingly, this number is still well short of the 19 points above league average that the Pies give up in the same position. Darcy Cameron was good last week but he still gave up huge numbers to Tristan Xerri. So it could be a fairly loose ruck battle this week. The Pies are also in the top three worst to opposition forwards as well as wingers and outside runners. Blues players are well and truly in play here.
Brisbane stacks will be a popular, if obvious, play this week as they are huge favourites against the Eagles. The Eagles fantasy numbers have improved but they are still in the top three worst in the ruck and to general defenders. Interestingly their midfield has improved to the point that they are in the top three best over the last ten matches.
The Lions have struggled to contain the opposition key forwards where they are actually the worst in the league over the last ten matches. They also give up points in the midfield. However they are particularly tough to play against for opposition defenders.
Game script: Kangaroos defenders, Blues ruck/wings/forwards, Magpies ruck, Brisbane stacks
AFL Fantasy Round 19 Saturday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Josh Goater ($6,490) might be a good option for some salary relief. The Roos have a good fantasy matchup against the Dees, especially for the rebounding defenders. Goater looks a good type and in his two matches this season, he’s had scores of 54 and 64 which is pretty solid at the price. Around those scores, he’s had fantasy scores of 88, 100 and 93 in the VFL so the potential is there.
Bailey Scott ($6,380) is an interesting case. Has been in the VFL wilderness this season and has had to work his way back into the seniors through sheer weight of numbers. Scott had 43 disposals last week in the VFL for a fantasy score of 139, with scores of 111 and 119 the two weeks prior. We know his talent is there at AFL level as he averaged in the 80’s throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons with many tons in there. Can he re-capture that form again? At near minimum price, in a favourable matchup, he seems worth the risk.
Liam Reidy ($6,820) comes back into the Carlton team for the first time since Round 8 and will assume the solo ruck duties after Flynn Riley was probably a touch unlucky to be dropped. Reidy pumped out a 75 earlier in the season when solo rucking against Freo, and last week had a 72 in the VFL. They are modest numbers but he draws the best matchup in the league against Collingwood, and any time you get the lead ruck for minimum price, it’s worth consideration. There might be better ruck options but could give you some good salary relief as he should hit value.
AFL Fantasy Round 19 Saturday: Our Mid-Priced Fantasy Picks
There are a number of players in the mid-priced range who would typically be considered premiums. Whether the price is due to form or matchups, these players are too good to ignore.
Luke Davies-Uniacke ($12,860) is on the discount rack this week after a 63 last week, but before that, he had scores of 100 and 118 which is more like premium than mid-priced. LDU can be magical at times, but he does need to string together some more consistent performances. The matchup against Melbourne is a good one and it’s a big game for the Roos to take it up to a finals contender, so I think LDU is definitely in play. You could pivot to Jy Simpkin ($11,670) who is getting more CBAs with Wardlaw out and pumped out a very nice 121 last week.
Caleb Serong ($12,990) is probably at the lowest price he’s been since his debut at under $13k. That’s a steal. Sure, his form this season has been mixed, but the last two weeks he’s pumped out two solid tons so there’s no doubting that he’s fit and capable. He gets a matchup here against a Port Adelaide team ravaged by injury. There’s no Rozee, Butters or Horne-Francis to worry about here. Willem Drew goes from tagger to leading ball winner. If there’s a tag, it’s likely to go to Reid or Brayshaw, so I can’t see why Serong can’t just run rampant.
AFL Fantasy Round 19 Saturday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Luke Parker ($14,480) / Caleb Daniel ($13,590) are the premium Kangaroos defenders you’ll want to target to take advantage of the best matchup on the slate which is defenders against Melbourne. Parker has been superb all season in a defensive role and his last month has produced scores of 105, 96, 110 and 117 which is ultra-consistent. Does he have a ceiling game in him though? Daniel has been a little more unpredictable but he did go large with scores of 139 and 153 late last month. No doubt the Roos like the ball in Daniel’s hands but I think his output has been squished a little recently with the likes of McKercher and Zurhaar floating around taking some easy touches.
Lachie Neale ($16,460) / Will Ashcroft ($16,320) are the Lions you want on your side this week. Both are in sublime form and they draw a matchup against the Eagles this week. On paper, the Eagles have been okay against opposition midfields but the Lions are big favourites so it should be another fill up for these two. Ashcroft has gone 142, 120, 134 and 152 in the past month which is ridiculous scoring. Neale was quieter but did smash out a 153 last week. They will both probably get some attention but they are simply too good to be tagged.
Here's our Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Saturday
Weather Report for Saturday 18th July
Adelaide - Sunny, 18 degrees
Melbourne - Mostly cloudy, 16 degrees
Perth - Partly sunny, 18 degrees
AFL Betting Markets Saturday
Odds provided with thanks to NextBet!
Port Adelaide ($10.50) vs Fremantle ($1.05)
Line: Fremantle -47.5
Points: 171.5
North Melbourne ($2.78) vs Melbourne ($1.45)
Line: Melbourne -15.5
Points: 179.5
Collingwood ($1.64) vs Carlton ($2.26)
Line: Collingwood -7.5
Points: 170.5
West Coast Eagles ($9.30) vs Brisbane Lions ($1.06)
Line: Brisbane Lions -44.5
Points: 169.5
Also, be sure to check out our full AFL Previews and Betting Tips for each match. Our experts break down each individual game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
