Round 8 of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season continues this Friday 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.
This Friday we get a double header with the opening game between the Western Bulldogs and the Fremantle Dockers at Marvel Stadium. The Bulldogs' injury crisis shows absolutely no sign of relenting. Sam Darcy is out for the season, Rory Lobb and James O'Donnell are both still unavailable, and Connor Budarick has also been ruled out. The club has confirmed that Aaron Naughton — who left the Marvel Stadium turf on a stretcher last week — is "remarkably a chance" to play, while Marcus Bontempelli, Tim English, Tom Liberatore and Chayce Jones are all facing fitness tests. Meanwhile, Fremantle arrive as the competition's form team at 6-1 and are installed as massive 21.5-point favourites, with Luke Jackson, Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw headlining their midfield and ruck stocks.
The main event on Friday night is Showdown 60 at Adelaide Oval, the first instalment of the great South Australian rivalry in 2026. Adelaide are installed as 9.5-point favourites, however as always in these rivalry games you can expect a tough fought and fiery contest. Both sides are sitting at 3-4 on the season, so a win here will be crucial for finals hopes in 2026. Port Adelaide have been searching for consistency all season, though Jason Horne-Francis has been in extraordinary form with 34 disposals, 17 contested possessions and 12 clearances last week as he has assumed a dominant central midfield role alongside Zak Butters. The question is, can they put the Power on their back to cause an upset?
Draftstars are offering a number of different contests to suit your style, some of these include:
AFL $60,000+ Friday
AFL $5,000+ Friday High Roller ($150 Entry)
AFL $3,000+ Friday Mini ($2 Entry)
AFL $2,000+ Friday 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 – Friday
AFL Fantasy Round Eight - Friday: Where to Attack?
The data over the last five games gives us a clear avenue of attack in the first game of the slate. The Western Bulldogs have been giving up points across several positions this season, including over 11 points above league average to designated kickers and over 8 points above average to key forwards and wings and half backs. In short, almost every area of the ground for Fremantle side presents an elite option. One area I would be avoiding are Fremantle's inside midfielders, the Bulldogs have been restricting that position to below-average scoring, a trend that has been consistent in past years as well.
The Showdown presents a very different picture. Adelaide have been giving up over 8 points above average to inside midfielders, the primary angle for Port Adelaide players. Port Adelaide on the other side have been one of the most restrictive teams in the competition to almost every position — key forwards are giving up 7 below average, rucks 8 below average and inside midfielders 2 below average..
Game Script – Fremantle key forwards and backs, Port Adeliade midfielders
AFL Fantasy Round Eight - Friday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Josh Treacy ($9,910) continues to be one of the most underrated value plays on Fremantle's list at his current price and faces another excellent matchup this week. The Bulldogs have been giving up over 8 points above average to key forwards and with Rory Lobb still unavailable, there is simply no quality one-on-one defensive option available to contain him. He has posted scores of 58, 46 and 58 in his last three games but his ceiling of 120 from earlier this season is the reference point, and the matchup this week is materially better than any of those three games.
Christian Moraes ($8,730) is a boom-or-bust value play this week. The 19-year-old posted 96 points last week in noticeably low time on ground — the ceiling on full TOG in a Showdown is genuinely frightening at his price. Adelaide have been giving up 8 points above average to inside midfielders and with Butters and Horne-Francis drawing the defensive focus, Moraes running free through the engine room is a compelling tournament play.
AFL Fantasy Round Eight - Friday: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Luke Ryan ($12,750) is the standout designated kicker play on this slate and the numbers make the case emphatically. Since having reclaimed his spot in Fremantle's backline after missing Round 1 through injury, he has reassumed primary kick-in duties taking from 4-6 per week. The Western Bulldogs have been giving up a massive 11 points above league average to the designated kicker position, one of the highest concession rates to that position in the competition. His last three scores of 91, 90 and 121 average 100 points and that 121 shows the ceiling available and his history at Marvel stadium has been through the roof, pun intended!
Josh Rachele ($10,830) has built his 2026 season around a genuine midfield role — moving from roughly 10% to 68% CBA attendance across the year — but his centre bounce share dropped to just 38% last week with Jordan Dawson back in the side. With Dawson now out for the Showdown, that midfield load swings straight back up to Rachele as the primary beneficiary of the vacancy, just as it did when he posted a personal best 31 disposals in Dawson's absence. His last three scores of 54, 67 and 124 average 82 points but that 124 shows exactly what the ceiling looks like when his midfield role is elevated and his scoring from goals, clearances and contested possessions all fire simultaneously. At $10,830 with a confirmed role bump coming in the highest-stakes game of Adelaide's season so far, he offers a huge potential return.
AFL Fantasy Round Eight - Friday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Jason Horne-Francis ($14,890) has arrived at the Showdown in the form of his career. After spending the opening weeks of 2026 easing back through the forward line following foot surgery, the No.1 draft pick has now fully assumed his role as Port's co-primary midfielder alongside Butters, and the numbers last week against Geelong were extraordinary: 34 disposals, 17 contested possessions and 12 clearances in a performance that confirmed he has hit his ceiling level. His last three scores of 120, 126 and 97 average 114 points — the 120 and 126 are the scores that reflect what he produces when fully unleashed in a midfield role. Adelaide have been giving up over 8 points above league average to inside midfielders. The intensity of the Showdown is the environment he was built for.
Luke Jackson ($16,520) is the lock of the round and one of the easiest premium selections you will get this season. He has been extraordinary, posting 135, 103 and 131 in his last three games for an average of 123 points, and the Western Bulldogs have been giving up over 10 points above league average to the ruck position this season. The Bulldogs' ruck depth has been critically compromised in recent weeks with English, Lobb and Darcy all unavailable, however it is likely we can expect English back this week – but at what fitness level? This means Jackson should face an underdone ruck division that gives up points at the best of times. In a game Fremantle are expected to win comfortably, the supply into his hands through the midfield will be relentless. Lock and load.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Fantasy Round 8 Friday
Weather Report for Friday, May 1st
Marvel Stadium (Melbourne) — roof protects from anythng
Adelaide Oval — 18 degrees, clear
AFL Betting Markets Round 8 Friday
Western Bulldogs ($3.16) vs Fremantle ($1.36)
Points: 184.5
Line: Fremantle -19.5
Adelaide ($1.58) vs Port Adelaide ($2.39)
Points: 175.5
Line: Adelaide -9.5
Also, be sure to check out our full AFL Friday Preview and Betting Tips. Our experts break down each game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
