Round 3 of the 2026 AFL season wraps up this Sunday with another huge daily fantasy contest on offer from Draftstars with over $60,000 in guaranteed prize money in their main daily fantasy tournament.
This Sunday brings us a cracking two-game slate to dive into with some fantastic fantasy scoring opportunities across both matchups. The day gets underway at Adelaide Oval where Port Adelaide host West Coast in what will be a popular game stacking on the slate. The Power are coming off a dominant 63-point demolition of Essendon last week and will be looking to pile on again at home, however they head in without captain Connor Rozee who has been confirmed out for an extended period with a high-grade hamstring tendon rupture — a massive blow to both their season and our fantasy options. Miles Bergman and Todd Marshall are also out for Port, so we will break down what those outs mean for fantasy scoring. The night cap sees Carlton host Melbourne at Marvel Stadium in what is expected to be a tighter contest, with the Blues coming off a narrow win over Richmond while the Demons look to bounce back after a heavy loss to Fremantle last week. There should be plenty of fantasy options in this one as well.
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AFL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round 3 Sunday
AFL Fantasy Round 3 Sunday: Where to Attack?
Given it is only round two we continue to rely on prior year trends to guide our decision making.
Let's start with the obvious — Port Adelaide against West Coast will be the primary game stack target for the majority of daily fantasy players on this slate. The Eagles, despite getting a win last week at home against North, remain one of the worst teams in the competition and have been giving up points across the field for years. Over their last 10 games they have conceded the third most points in the league to inside midfielders (over 4 points per game above league average), the most points in the league to general forwards (9 points per game above league average), third most to rucks and slightly above average to attacking half backs and designated kickers. While this makes them a target across virtually every position on the ground it should be noted that early this season the trend has started to reverse in terms of fantasy points conceded. That said, these two teams met in a preseason match and Port absolutely demolished the Eagles and are coming into this game as 24.5 point favourites at home and with Will Brodie and Jason Horne-Francis in the mix to absorb Connor Rozee's midfield load, there is plenty of stacking opportunity in this game.
The Carlton vs Melbourne matchup offers a more balanced set of fantasy opportunities. Melbourne have been giving up above average points to key forwards and general forwards over the last 10 games and look to be an obvious area to target in this area of the ground, as well as across half back where they have been giving up the second most points in the league to wings and attacking half backs. Both Carlton and Melbourne allow above average points in the midfield, so I really expect this game to be an open free flowing contest with plenty of fantasy scoring on both sides.
Game Script – Port Adelaide forwards and midfielders, Carlton backs
AFL Fantasy Round 3 Sunday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Josh Lindsay ($6,850) is a lock and load value play on this slate at near minimum price. He has been named in the West Coast side this week and will play across half back and the wing — one of the premier fantasy scoring positions on the field — in a game where the Eagles are expected to have plenty of the ball coming out of defensive 50 as Port pile on the scoreboard. In the first game of the season Lindsay returned 66 fantasy points, in what was a big loss to the Gold Coast, a repeat of this return would be a great output at this price point. With Port Adelaide expected to generate repeat inside 50 entries all afternoon, Lindsay should have no shortage of opportunity to accumulate rebound possessions and push up the ground. He is the type of minimum-priced inclusion that frees up salary to spend up on the premiums elsewhere in your lineup.
Will Brodie ($9,000) is one of the more interesting value plays on this slate given the circumstances surrounding his Port Adelaide debut this week. With Connor Rozee confirmed out for an extended period, there is a significant amount of CBA time up for grabs in the Port Adelaide midfield (Rozee has averaged 50% attendance over first two games) and Brodie is one of the players who has been named to help fill that void. He is a proven inside midfielder who averaged 73 points per game across his career at Fremantle and Gold Coast, meaning at under $9k he is significantly underpriced for what he is capable of returning in the right role. In a game where Port are 28.5-point favourites at home against the Eagles — who give up the most points in the league to inside midfielders — any meaningful midfield time for Brodie translates directly into fantasy scoring opportunity. Debut games can be unpredictable in terms of exact role and minutes, so he carries some risk, but the combination of proven fantasy pedigree, Rozee's absence opening the door and the elite matchup against West Coast makes him a compelling value dart on this slate.
AFL Fantasy Round 3 Sunday: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Mitch Georgiades ($10,960) is a compelling mid-priced play on this slate given the matchup against West Coast. He is Port Adelaide's most dangerous key forward and as noted in our where to attack section, the Eagles have been giving up above average points to key forwards over their last 10 games — a matchup that suits Georgiades perfectly. He had a quiet opening round with 49 points but bounced back strongly last week with 85 points in a big win against Essendon, and with Port expected to have another strong win this week I would expect that output to continue. Georgiades is the type of player whose fantasy ceiling rises sharply when his team is on top and he is getting regular goal-front opportunities. A 100+ point performance is well within range in this matchup.
Caleb Windsor ($10,790) is a player whose price has not yet caught up with his role this season, attending 54% of Melbourne's centre bounces through the first two rounds. His average of 57 points to start the season is below what that CBA load should be producing, which suggests a correction is coming and this matchup against Carlton could be the week it arrives. Carlton have given up above average points to inside midfielders and Windsor's role is firmly established as one of Melbourne's primary CBA attendees following the departures of Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca in the off season. At under $11k for a player attending over half of his team's centre bounces in a favourable matchup, he represents excellent value with genuine upside if his scoring catches up to his role.
AFL Fantasy Round 3 Sunday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Max Gawn ($16,600) is the standout premium play on the Carlton vs Melbourne side of this slate and has been the form ruck of the competition through the first two rounds of 2026. Scores of 127 and 109 to start the season at an 85% centre bounce attendance rate tell you everything you need to know — he is absolutely dominating the ruck position and his ground-level game through clearances and stoppages is as good as it has ever been. Carlton have given up above average points to opposition rucks over the last 10 games of 2025 and Marc Pittonet, while a solid player, simply cannot match Gawn on any level. In a single game slate where you are looking for a reliable premium anchor to build your lineup around, Gawn is as close to a lock as you will find on this slate. His floor at 85% CBAs against a weaker ruck opponent is enormous, and if he gets going through the clearances as he has through the first two rounds his ceiling in this matchup is well north of 120 points.
Jason Horne-Francis ($14,130) is a must-consider premium play on this slate given the confluence of factors working in his favour. He has been attending 39% of Port Adelaide's centre bounces this season, however last week when Rozee left the field early with his hamstring injury that number jumped to 50% — giving us a clear and direct preview of what his role will look like this week with Rozee now confirmed out for an extended period. That uplift in CBA load combined with his ability to drift forward and impact the scoreboard makes him one of the most complete fantasy options on the slate. We have a perfect historical reference point for this exact matchup too — against West Coast in 2025 he produced 112 fantasy points from 27 disposals and 3 goals, which is precisely the type of ceiling performance you are chasing. Port are big favourites at home and in a game where the Power are expected to pile on the score, Horne-Francis is the type of player who benefits most from that game script. Lock and load in all you game stacks!
Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Fantasy Round 3 Sunday
Weather Report for Sunday 29th March
Adelaide – 23 degrees and sunny
Melbourne – 18 degrees and cloudy
AFL Betting Markets Round 2 Sunday
Port Adelaide ($1.28) vs West Coast ($3.70)
Points: 192.5
Line: -24.5
Carlton ($2.00) vs Melbourne ($1.80)
Points: 180.5
Line: -1.5
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!
