The AFL 2026 Opening Round concludes this Sunday with another huge contest featuring over $60,000 in guaranteed in prize money in daily fantasy tournaments at Draftstars in the main tournament.
For this matchup we see Collingwood take on St Kilda at the home of football, the MCG. This shapes as an intriguing matchup as the only game with two Victorian teams in the opening round, and both fan bases will be excited to get a fast start to the season. For daily fantasy players there is plenty of fantasy scoring potential across several positions to dive into. Both teams feature strong ball-winning midfielders capable of producing elite fantasy scores, while each side also relies heavily on their half backs to generate ball movement which can often translate into strong fantasy production. Collingwood continue to build their game style around elite ball users like Nick Daicos and Josh Daicos, while St Kilda have developed one of the more fantasy friendly midfields in the league led by Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Jack Sinclair and Jack Macrae.
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AFL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Opening Round Saints vs Magpies
AFL Fantasy Opening Round – Sunday: Where to Attack?
With the new season just beginning we once again lean on trends from the final 10 games of the 2025 season, which can still provide valuable insight into matchup opportunities.
One of the key fantasy trends from the back half of last season was St Kilda giving up above average points to defenders. This has been a consistent trend going back years since Ross Lyon joined as coach, in particular they conceded the most points in the league to wingers and attacking half backs and above average points to general defenders and the designated kicker. That sets up nicely for Collingwood’s primary ball users, with the Daicos brothers roles a watch as well as whether Dan Houston can have a bounce back season.
Collingwood on the other hand were one of the toughest teams to score against last season conceding below average fantasy scores, however the Saints continue to be one of the biggest uncontested possession team in the league that consistently results in high fantasy scoring.
Another watch will be on the ruck role, with St Kilda beefing up at the position with the addition of Tom De Koning. Last year the Saints gave up the most points in the league to the position over the last 10 games at a massive 12 points per game above league average.
Game Script – Collingwood backs, Saints/Magpies midfielders, St Kilda forwards
AFL Fantasy Opening Round – Sunday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Jack Carroll ($7,750) looks like one of the more interesting value options on this slate given the opportunity he should receive in a role across half back. As we all know, this role is one of the premier fantasy scoring opportunities you can have on the field and for this price point Caroll makes for an obvious value play. During the Saints only preseason game Carroll notched up 59 points from 17 possessions, which would be just enough to return value in a single game slate, however there will potentially be further opportunity if the Saints are not playing Windhager across the back line as much in this contest.
Isaac Quaynor ($8,910) as a solid value option on this slate given both his role in Collingwood’s backline and the matchup against St Kilda. Quaynor’s fantasy scoring tends to come through intercept possessions and rebound play, and he often benefits in games where the opposition generates repeat inside-50 entries. This type of game script can lead to defenders accumulating marks and uncontested possessions as they look to transition the ball out of defence. From a matchup perspective the Saints have historically allowed above average fantasy scoring to opposition defenders. That trend largely comes from the way St Kilda move the ball forward quickly, which can create intercept opportunities for opposition backs.
AFL Fantasy Opening Round – Sunday: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Mattaes Phillipou ($11,860) has become a house hold fantasy name before ever really producing anything on the field. But that doesn’t stop him from being one of the more interesting mid-priced plays on this slate given the role change we have been waiting for from previous seasons and what we have seen through this year's preseason. During the Saints only preseason game he featured in 17 of their centre bounces playing what effectively looks like a pure midfield role this season. Two years ago when he finished the year in the middle, Phillipou showed his scoring potential with multiple 100 point games.
Jordan De Goey ($10,670) stands out as one of the more appealing mid-priced plays on the slate given both his salary and the midfield role he typically occupies when fully fit. His preseason has been as strong as he has had in years.
AFL Fantasy Opening Round – Sunday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Sam Flanders ($15,990) is expected to have a huge bounce back in fantasy scoring this season with his move from the Gold Coast Suns to St Kilda in the off season. He will be returning to a role much more suited to fantasy scoring running through the midfield (17 CBAS in the Saints preseason game) and pinch hitting across half back when required (a role where he averaged over 100 points two seasons ago for the Suns).
Josh Daicos ($14,610) role coming into this season has been consistently queried, is he best suited in the midfield, wing or half back for Collingwood? During the preseason he was playing both in the middle and across the backline, noting he only attended 2 centre bounces in the Magpies preseason game. But the fact remains is either role is great for Daicos fantasy output, and if he continues his position in half back that will make for an elite matchup against the Saints who have given up above average scoring to the oppositions designated kicker for years.
Here is our Suggested Draftstars Lineup Sunday
Weather Report for Sunday 8th March
23 degrees and sunny
AFL Betting Markets - Saints vs Magpies
Odds: St Kilda ($1.82) vs Collingwood ($2.02)
Points: 170.5
Line: St Kilda -2.5
Also, be sure to check out our free AFL betting tips this season. Our experts break down each individual game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
