Round 4 of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season gets underway this Thursday night with another huge daily fantasy contest on offer from Draftstars with over $60,000 in guaranteed prize money in their main daily fantasy tournament.
For this matchup we head to the Gabba for an Easter Thursday blockbuster as the back-to-back premiers Brisbane host Collingwood in what shapes as one of the more anticipated clashes of the early season. The Lions have had a slow start by their standards, sitting 1-2 after losses to the Western Bulldogs and Sydney before getting their season on track with a 33-point win over St Kilda last week. Collingwood head north at 2-1 after back-to-back wins over GWS and St Kilda but will be without two significant players — captain Darcy Moore is out for up to four weeks with a hamstring strain, while veteran Scott Pendlebury is almost certain to miss with Achilles soreness after being substituted out in the second half of last week's win.
Draftstars are offering a number of different contests to suit your style, some of these include:
AFL $60,000+ Lions vs Magpies
AFL $5,000+ Lions vs Magpies High Roller ($150 Entry)
AFL $3,000+ Lions vs Magpies Mini ($2 Entry)
AFL $2,000+ Lions vs Magpies 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 4 Brisbane vs Collingwood
AFL Fantasy Round 4 Thursday: Where to Attack?
As we head into Round 4 we continue to lean on last season's trends while blending in what we have seen through the opening three rounds of 2026.
This is a matchup between two of the hardest teams to score against in the competition — Brisbane conceded the third fewest fantasy points in the league last season while Collingwood were right behind them at fourth fewest, which makes finding obvious avenues to attack more challenging than most single-game slates. That said, there are clear angles to identify on both sides.
Collingwood have consistently given up points to the designated kicker at over 7 points per game above league average over the last 10 games (most in the league), and over 5 points per game above average to attacking half backs and wingers (2nd most). Brisbane love to set up their play through the back half and with Dayne Zorko as their established designated kicker, this is the clearest matchup angle on the slate. Going the other way, Brisbane have given up below average points to all positions apart from attacking half backs over the last 10 games.
The game script is critical here. Brisbane are 17.5-point favourites at home and Collingwood have been averaging under 72 points per game across their nine games since mid-2025, which means a blowout could see the Lions' midfield fill up while Collingwood's scoring becomes limited. Brisbane's midfield leads the league in clearances this season, averaging 44 per game, and the Gabba is their fortress.
Game Script – Brisbane game stack – backs, midfielders, forwards
AFL Fantasy Round 4 Thursday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Oscar Steene ($7,220) is an interesting minimum-adjacent value dart on this slate coming off a solid debut last week where he posted 52 fantasy points against GWS in his first AFL game where he attended 58% of their centre bounces. He is the 201cm backup ruck who works in tandem with Darcy Cameron, and crucially the new ruck rules suit his style — his strengths are around the athletic contest at the centre bounce, and with both rucks hitting the ball further out from the contest under the new rules he gets more opportunity to use his mobility and ground-level game. At this price point, any return in the 50-60 range is excellent value on a single game slate and frees up significant salary to spend on the Lions premiums and Brisbane's stacked midfield. A strong dart in multi-entry tournament builds.
Sam Marshall ($6,490) is a selection-dependent value play this week — the Lions confirmed his selection for this Easter Thursday blockbuster against Collingwood – but as always monitor final teams. He is a hard-running midfielder with excellent accumulation habits and his VFL form last week against Southport gave us a strong indicator of what he can do — he collected 26 disposals and eight marks along with two goals in what was named as one of Brisbane's best performers on the day despite the Lions going down by 21 points. That output against a quality VFL opponent at minimum AFL price is one of the more compelling value cases on this slate. Marshall's running game through the midfield and wing is perfectly suited to generate the disposal numbers that translate directly into fantasy scoring. At under $6,500 you only need 55-60 points to be thrilled with the return.
*Marshall has since been left out of the Lions 26*
AFL Fantasy Round 4 Thursday: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Jarrod Berry ($11,690) is one of the mid-price options that stands out given his form and role in Brisbane's engine room. He returned 132 points last week against St Kilda from 30 disposals in what was one of the performances of the round, and with Brisbane's midfield operating as one of the best in the competition this season there is every reason to expect him to continue that form at home against Collingwood. His last three scores of 132, 49 and 94 show the volatility, but the 132 showed the ceiling is elite and at under $12k in a game where the Lions are big favourites, he is a compelling mid-price target.
AFL Fantasy Round 4 Thursday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Dayne Zorko ($16,750) is the standout premium play on this slate and the clearest matchup angle in the entire game. He is Brisbane's designated kicker — Collingwood have given up around 7 points per game above league average to this position over the last 10 games — and has been in extraordinary form to start 2026, posting scores of 95, 121 and 142 across his last three games for an average of 119 points. At $16,750 he is expensive but you are getting a player averaging 119 points in a role that directly exploits the clearest matchup edge in this game. In a Lions win, which is the most likely outcome, Zorko fills up. Lock and load.
Nick Daicos ($16,880) needs no introduction and is the must-have premium for anyone building a Collingwood-heavy lineup. He has been the best player in the competition this season, posting 140, 127 and 136 through his first three games for a staggering average of 134 points. His record against Brisbane at the Gabba was highlighted last season when he produced 38 disposals, 8 clearances and a goal in Collingwood's 52-point demolition of the Lions, showing he can go massive even at the toughest venue in the country. The matchup is not elite but with Daicos you are not really playing a matchup — you are playing the best fantasy player in the competition who is showing no signs of slowing down.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Fantasy Round 4 Thursday
Weather Report for Thursday 2nd April
28 degrees and light showers
AFL Betting Markets Round 4 Thursday
Odds: Brisbane ($1.38) vs Collingwood ($3.07)
Points: 176.5
Line: -17.5
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!
