Round 8 of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season will continue this Sunday another huge daily fantasy contest on offer from Draftstars with over $60,000 in guaranteed prize money in their main daily fantasy tournament.
The round wraps up with a two game Sunday slate featuring Gold Coast vs GWS at People First Stadium on the Gold Coast and Melbourne vs Sydney at the MCG, two compelling matchups with significant daily fantasy implications. Gold Coast return home for Sunday night football as 4-3 favourites against a GWS side sitting at 3-4 and coming off a nervy seven-point win over North Melbourne in Canberra. The Suns will be without Brownlow Medalist Matt Rowell this week, which will deplete their potent midfield group.
The MCG game is the marquee event of the round, Melbourne vs Sydney, two of the competition's top four sides with 5-2 and 6-1 records meeting in what shapes as a fun contest. Melbourne have been outstanding at the MCG under Steven King with Gawn, Steele and Pickett all in career-best form, while the Swans arrive as ladder leaders with Heeney and Grundy forming the most dangerous duo in the competition.
Draftstars are offering a number of different contests to suit your style, some of these include:
AFL $60,000+ Sunday
AFL $5,000+ Sunday High Roller ($150 Entry)
AFL $3,000+ Sunday Mini ($2 Entry)
AFL $2,000+ Sunday 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!
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AFL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round Eight – Sunday
AFL Fantasy Round Eight – Sunday: Where to Attack?
Gold Coast have been giving up 11 points above league average to inside midfielders, which is the highest concession rate to that position in the competition. As a result, the Giants' ball-movers should have every opportunity to hit their ceiling scores on this slate. Further to this, the Suns also concede over 5 points above average to attacking half backs and wings, and over 3 points to the designated kickers, meaning full GWS stacks are in play in this matchup.
In the Melbourne vs Sydney game the numbers are just as clear. Melbourne have been giving up 12 points above average to wings and half backs and nearly 12 points above average to the designated kicker, the two primary Sydney angles. On the other hand, there are little options to attack with Melbourne players as Syndey have been the hardest team in the league to score fantasy points against this season. The ruck matchup will be especially tough in this game with Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy conceding some of the fewest points in the league to their opponents this year.
Game Script – GWS midfielders, Sydney backs, wings and forwards
AFL Fantasy Round Eight – Sunday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Will Graham ($8,190) / Alex Davies ($9,100) with Rowell out of the lineup this week, there will be approximately 86% of centre bounce and midfield time that will need to be absorbed by other players. Both Will Graham and Alex Davies are likely to be the beneficiary of those minutes. In certain lineups this season both players have attended over 50% of centre bounces to make up for missing players and they have both been able to produce solid returns for their current price, with Graham posting back to back scores of 76+ earlier in the year and Davies hitting back to back scores of 79 and 82.
AFL Fantasy Round Eight – Sunday: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Ned Moyle ($10,880) steps in as Gold Coast's primary ruckman this Sunday with Jarrod Witts managed, and Damien Hardwick confirmed on Friday that he has earned his opportunity, describing him as being "in terrific form at the lower level." That form is impossible to argue with: three consecutive VFL scores of 96, 105 and 103 from a 206cm athletic ruckman who has been dominating hitouts and clearances in the state league while averaging 41.5 hitouts in his previous VFL best-and-fairest season. His last three AFL scores of 90, 35 and 31 reflect the limited and shared ruck time he has been given in cameo appearances, as the outright primary ruckman on Sunday night, his scoring profile looks entirely different. GWS have been giving up above average points to the ruck position this season and at $10,880 for a confirmed No.1 ruck coming off three consecutive strong VFL performances, he is the standout value play on the entire Sunday slate.
Toby Greene ($12,990) is the most underrated premium play on this slate. Adam Kingsley moved the three-time All-Australian captain into a predominantly midfield role this season and the numbers over the last fortnight have reflected that, attending 59% and 61% of GWS's centre bounces in his last two games. He has posted scores of 109 and 107 points over the last three weeks, showing his ability to hit a solid return in this role given his mid price point. The 74 sandwiched between those two performances is the outlier that is keeping his price suppressed at $12,990. Gold Coast have been giving up 11 points above league average to inside midfielders, which is the second most in the league, and with Greene now operating as a genuine primary centre-bounce midfielder rather than the mid-forward hybrid of previous seasons, he steps into one of the best individual midfield matchup on the slate.
AFL Fantasy Round Eight – Sunday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Finn Callaghan ($15,530) has stepped up as GWS's undisputed midfield leader in 2026 and Sunday on the Gold Coast is set up perfectly for his best performance of the season. With Tom Green out for the year with an ACL and Josh Kelly unavailable indefinitely, Callaghan has absorbed the additional workload and delivered a career-high 30.5 disposals per game. His form over the last three weeks has been a bit down with scores of 65, 75 and 111, however that 111 is an example of the ceiling he has on offer in this matchup. As noted earlier Gold Coast have been giving up 11 points above league average to inside midfielders — the second highest concession rate to that position in the competition — and with Clayton Oliver playing a more defensive role to compensate for GWS's absences, Callaghan operates with the freedom to attack the corridor as an explosive outside-in runner.
Nick Blakey ($14,090) is the designated kicker to roster as part of a Sydney stack through the backline. His 34-disposal, 882-metre-gained performance earlier this season is the ceiling reference where he posted 120 fantasy points. Look to link Blakey up with other Sydney backs to take advantage of the fact that the Demons give up the most points in the league to the designated kickers and the second most in the league to the half backs.
Here's our Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Sunday
Weather Report for Sunday 3rd May
MCG (Melbourne) — 16 degrees, partly cloudy
People First Stadium (Gold Coast) — 24 degrees, clear
AFL Betting Markets Sunday
Odds provided with thanks to NextBet!
Melbourne ($4.75) vs Sydney ($1.19)
Points: 187.5
Line: Syd -31.5
Gold Coast ($1.54) vs GWS ($2.49)
Points: 187.5
Line: Gold Coast -11.5
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!
