Sunday in Round 23 of the AFL serves up another three-game Sunday slate, beginning at ENGIE Stadium where the Giants host the Eagles from 1:40pm. We then head to Marvel Stadium as the Bulldogs take on Carlton from 3:15pm, before Essendon and Sydney close out the afternoon at the MCG from 4:40pm in a matchup that could produce some enormous fantasy numbers.
Draftstars are offering a number of different contests to suit your style, some of these include:
AFL $50,000+ Sunday at Draftstars
AFL $5,000+ Sunday High Roller ($150 Entry) at Draftstars
AFL $3,000+ Sunday Mini ($2 Entry) at Draftstars
AFL $2,000+ Sunday Micro (50c Entry) at Draftstars
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 23 Sunday Slate
AFL Fantasy Round 23 Sunday: Where to Attack?
The Giants have been one of the more difficult fantasy teams to attack across most positions this season, but there is one glaring exception. GWS give up league-leading numbers to opposition inside midfielders, making the West Coast engine room an interesting place to look for value. At the other end, the Eagles continue to leak huge fantasy scores to opposition rucks and key forwards, giving us a couple of obvious avenues into the Giants.
Carlton have really tightened the screws defensively in recent weeks, particularly when it comes to opposition running defenders and designated kickers, where they now give up fewer fantasy points than any team in the competition. The Bulldogs are almost the complete opposite, ranking among the most generous teams against these running and kicking types. That should put Carlton's half-backs and outside ball users firmly on the radar, while the Bulldogs' midfield remains the safer place to look for Dogs exposure.
The numbers almost have to go out the window for the final game given how one-sided Essendon vs Sydney could become. The Bombers have been one of the easiest teams to score fantasy points against all season and now face a Sydney side capable of putting them to the sword. The Swans should control possession and territory for long periods, and I expect strong fantasy production across almost every line. This is comfortably the game where I'll be looking for the most exposure.
Game Script: I'll be targeting West Coast inside midfielders and GWS rucks and key forwards in the opener, Carlton running defenders and outside players at Marvel, before loading up on Swans across all positions against the Bombers.
AFL Fantasy Round 23 Sunday – Our Value Fantasy Picks
Lachlan Carmichael ($6,000)
I'm happy to take a swing on the Bulldogs debutant at basement price. Carmichael has produced solid numbers at VFL level, averaging around 75 fantasy points and showing an ability to rack up tackles. That defensive work should translate reasonably well to AFL level and gives him a path to value without needing a huge disposal count.
Brady Hough ($8,560)
There looks to be some nice value in Hough at a touch over $8,500. The Eagles defender has shown a much stronger ceiling recently, producing scores of 93 and 86 across his last three games. He should again see plenty of the football in defence against a Giants side expected to control territory for long periods.
AFL Fantasy Round 23 Sunday – Our Mid Priced Fantasy Picks
Kieren Briggs ($11,710)
Brodie Grundy represents the obvious premium ruck option on Sunday, but if you're looking to save some salary, Briggs stands out among the next tier. West Coast have given up huge fantasy numbers to opposition rucks this season and Briggs has already shown the ceiling we're looking for, including a monster 134-point performance against Geelong a few weeks ago. This matchup gives him another opportunity to push towards triple figures.
Charlie Curnow ($12,980)
This game just has the feel of one where Curnow straps the feed bag to the snout and goes a long way towards sewing up the Coleman Medal. He remains somewhat scoring dependent from a fantasy perspective, but his ceiling is enormous when he gets hold of a matchup. At under $13,000, I'm happy to take the punt on a big afternoon at the MCG.
AFL Fantasy Round 23 Sunday – Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Ed Richards ($15,300)
Richards has produced some monster fantasy performances in recent weeks, highlighted by a 128-point outing against Richmond. He should get even more opportunity through the midfield this week following the omission of Marcus Bontempelli, which leaves a huge chunk of possessions and centre-bounce involvement up for grabs. At $15,300, Richards has the role and recent ceiling to be one of the highest-scoring players on Sunday's slate.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Fantasy Round 23 Sunday
Weather Report for Sunday 16 August
Sydney (ENGIE) - 17 degrees and some rain
Melbourne (MCG) - 15 degrees and clear
AFL Betting Markets Round 23 Sunday
GWS ($1.16) vs West Coast ($5.30)
Points: 172.5
Line: 31.5
Western Bulldogs ($4.00) vs Carlton ($1.25)
Points: 175.5
Line: 25.5
Essendon ($15.00) vs Sydney ($1.02)
Points: 184.5
Line: 60.5
Also, be sure to check out our full AFL Sunday Preview and Betting Tips. Our experts break down each individual game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
