Round 13 of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season offers another huge daily fantasy contest this Friday night with $50,000 in guaranteed prize money at Draftstars in their main daily fantasy tournament.
Friday night at the MCG serves up one of the most anticipated matchups of Round 13 as the Hawks host the Bulldogs. Both sides arrive looking for a third consecutive win, but the Hawks enter as heavy 22.5-point favourites having dominated this fixture recently — winning the last five meetings including a 40-point demolition of the Bulldogs in Gather Round at Adelaide Oval back in Round 5. On that occasion Jai Newcombe posted 28 disposals and 14 clearances in a complete midfield performance, and the Bulldogs simply had no answer for Hawthorn's contested ball supremacy. The return last week of Tim English for the Bulldogs is the selection headline and is a massive boost — the Dogs are 6-1 this season when English plays, underscoring just how heavily their entire structure depends on him. For Hawthorn, Conor Nash remains on the sidelines, while Will Day will be on managed minutes once again in his return from injury.
Draftstars are offering a number of different contests to suit your style, some of these include:
AFL $50,000+ Hawks vs Bulldogs
AFL $5,000+ Hawks vs Bulldogs High Roller ($150 Entry)
AFL $3,000+ Hawks vs Bulldogs Mini ($2 Entry)
AFL $2,000+ Hawks vs Bulldogs 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 13 Hawks vs Bulldogs
AFL Fantasy Round 13 Friday: Where to Attack?
The matchup data from the last 10 games gives us a very clear picture of where to attack on this slate.
The Western Bulldogs have been one of the most exploitable teams for designated kickers over the last 10 games, conceding over 7 points above league average to that position — the third most in the competition. They have also been giving up above average points to general defenders and attacking half backs and wings, setting up the perfect opportunity for a Hawks back line stack. This is perfect as the Hawks game plan generates plenty of possession football in the back half. When it comes to forwards, the Bulldogs also continue to give up points to key position players at over 3 points per game above league average. This has been an ongoing issue for them for multiple seasons and they continue to be unable to plug up the backline.
Going back the other way, Hawthorn have been exceptionally tough to score against across all positions. They are giving up the fewest points in the league to the forward region of the ground and below average points to every position apart from general defenders where they are just slightly above average. This screams full Hawks stacks, however the midfield will likely be a tough contest with both teams hard to score against in that area of the ground.
Game Script – Hawks backs, Hawks key forwards, split the midfield
AFL Fantasy Round 13 Friday: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Bailey Macdonald ($6,800) is an option at near minimum price to include as part of your back stacks. On a single game slate with two decent teams finding salary relief is always tough. Macdonald brings a decent floor of 40+ but should have upside if he can link with one of your other Hawks backs.
Rory Lobb ($8,920) is the value play on this slate and the role numbers make the case clearly. Two weeks ago without English in the lineup he attended 84% of the ruck contests and topped 100 fantasy points. Last week with English back on managed minutes he still attended 48% of ruck contests to English's 52% and scored 82 points — confirming that even in a shared arrangement, his floor is strong at this price. With English only now returning to full fitness on Friday night, that rotation is likely to continue, and at $8,920 for a player who has shown he can score 80+ in a chop-out role and 100+ as the primary, he is the salary relief lock that lets you load the Hawthorn premium stack above him.
AFL Fantasy Round 13 Friday: Our Mid-Priced Fantasy Picks
Mitch Lewis ($10,080) is the standout forward on this slate and the data and history align perfectly. The last time these two sides met in Gather Round back in Round 5, Lewis was dominant — taking 10 marks and kicking three goals in Hawthorn's 40-point win, a performance that translated to over 100 fantasy points and confirmed just how badly the Bulldogs struggle to match up on a genuine key forward threat. That is not a new trend. The Western Bulldogs have been giving up over 3 points above league average to key forwards over the last 10 games, and with Hawthorn installed as 20.5 point favourites in a game where the Hawks are expected to control territory and push the ball forward relentlessly all night, Lewis should be swimming in supply. With Jack Gunston failing to recover from his injury, Lewis becomes even more of a target for the Hawks with their forward entries.
Karl Amon ($12,480) is one of the clearest matchup plays on the entire slate and the designated kicker angle is the headline. The Western Bulldogs have been conceding the most points in the competition to designated kickers — 7.82 points above league average at over the last 10 games — and Amon has established himself as Hawthorn's primary kick-in taker through 2026, taking the majority of the Hawks' kick-ins each week from his half-back corridor role. I will start with Amon in my Hawks back stacks and look to pair him with any number of combinations in the Hawthorn backline noting how much they love to setup their play from back there.
AFL Fantasy Round 13 Friday: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Jai Newcombe ($13,740) is the premium lock of the slate and his record against the Western Bulldogs over the last three meetings makes the case without any further argument required. He has posted 25 or more disposals in three consecutive games against the Bulldogs and had 28 disposals, 14 clearances and a goal in the Round 5 meeting between these sides — one of the complete midfield performances of the 2026 season. He is Hawthorn's co-captain and the heartbeat of their contested ball work, attending the majority of their centre bounces and generating clearances.
Ed Richards ($15,240) is the contrarian Bulldogs premium and the case is built on individual quality and return-from-injury pricing rather than the matchup data, which you need to be eyes-open about. Hawthorn have been the toughest team in the competition for wings and half-backs, conceding 8.65 points below league average to that position at just 42% frequency — that is the honest caveat. What works in his favour is everything else. Richards is the 2025 Charles Sutton medallist and one of the most complete players in the competition, and his price remains suppressed after missing time with injury earlier in 2026. His return score of 133 points in Round 1 tells you exactly what he produces when fit and operating freely. He is the type of player who generates 90+ even in a losing side through sheer volume of involvement, and for those building a Bulldogs-leaning lineup alongside English and Bontempelli, he is the premium anchor who gives you a genuine ceiling play even against a tough defensive draw.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup for AFL Friday
Weather Report for Friday 5th June
MCG (Melbourne) — 12 degrees, clear. Cool winter evening under lights, no weather concerns. Ideal scoring conditions at the MCG.
AFL Betting Markets Round 13 Friday
Hawthorn ($1.33) vs Western Bulldogs ($3.37)
Line: Hawthorn -20.5
Points: 174.5
Also, be sure to check out our full AFL Friday Preview and Betting Tips. Our experts break down the game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
