How do you Compare to the Top 300 AFL Fantasy Coaches?

Well, here we are.  It is now round 11 of the 2017 AFL Fantasy season.  Welcome everyone to the ‘bye rounds’.  Technically speaking, round 9 was the start of the bye rounds, but this week, there are six teams that will contribute to our donuts tally.  However, I trust that most of you have planned for the bye rounds.  No? Well, don’t worry. Just clinch your teeth, close your eyes and hope for the best. For those that have planned for the byes, well done! Just remember though that every year, just when you think you know what you are doing, team selection will teach you, you can’t always plan for everything.

I have been lucky enough to go up the rankings from 54^th to 5^th overall at the end of the last round.  These bye rounds offer all of us a great opportunity to go up the rankings (with good luck and calculated planning). I am interested to know what you will be doing on these bye rounds. What are your plans to survive or attack these next three weeks?  I have analysed the data of the top 300 AFL Fantasy coaches. The vanilla side consists of the players listed below.

Top 400 Vanilla Team Round 10

DEF

Adams (99%), A. Otten (85%), C. Marchbank (83%), R. Laird (76%), S. Docherty (71%), N. Newman (62%)

MID

Mitchell (99%), H. Greenwood (91%), P. Dangerfield (91%), Z. Merrett (82%), D. Myers (69%), J. Barrett (60%), D. Lloyd (46%), N. Fyfe (45%),

RUC

Martin (92%), B. Grundy (46%)

FWD

Dahlhaus (89%), J. Steele (76%), I. Heeney (76%), T. Nankervis (74%), W. Hoskin-Elliot (65%), J. Macrae (63%),

My team had 16/22 of the vanilla selection as per listed above. This round, 7/22 players (C. Marchbank, S. Docherty, N. Newman, L. Dahlhaus, J. Steele, I. Heeney, J. Macrae) will not contribute to your total.  Looking at the data from the top 300, most coaches will field anywhere between 18 to 19 players.

Defenders

Taylor Adams $645K Ownership 56% Top 300 Ownership 99%
Andy Otten $395K Ownership 38% Top 300 Ownership 85%
Caleb Marchbank $421K Ownership 37% Top 300 Ownership 83%
Rory Laird $589K Ownership 39% Top 300 Ownership 76%
Sam Docherty $664K Ownership 26% Top 300 Ownership 71%
Nic Newman $443K Ownership 24% Top 300 Ownership 62%

These six players represent the most common defenders in the top 300.  T. Adams is still the most selected player in the backline, he is in 99% of the teams. As expected, most of the coaches have said “Thank you for your service and goodbye” to C. Hampton.  I am making a calculated guestimate that most AFL Fantasy Coaches are looking at the backline and thinking that “Wow, Vickers-Willis and Stewart”. Points are points and they are better than donuts. Go boys!

Docherty hasn’t put a foot wrong and Laird is another that fits the top 6 mould. My top 6, in preference and in order are Adams, Docherty, Laird, Lloyd, Roberton and Simpson. Who do you think will be in the list of the top 6 defenders?  Now, would the gun defenders please stand up!

Jake Lloyd $530K Ownership 13% Top 300 Ownership 18%
Dylan Roberton $582K Ownership 5% Top 300 Ownership 10%
Kade Simpson $572K Ownership 12% Top 300 Ownership 6%

Midfielders

Tom Mitchell 729K Ownership 30% Top 300 Ownership 99%
Hugh Greenwood $213K Ownership 38% Top 300 Ownership 91%
Patrick Dangerfield $631K Ownership 54% Top 300 Ownership 91%
Zach Merrett $698K Ownership 19% Top 300 Ownership 82%
David Myers $266K Ownership 19% Top 300 Ownership 69%
Jake Barrett $351K Ownership 32% Top 300 Ownership 60%
Dan Lloyd $207K Ownership 17% Top 300 Ownership 46%
Nat Fyfe $491K Ownership 42% Top 300 Ownership 45%

The most selected player in the middle is no other than the newly inducted Pig, T. Mitchell. He is nearly in all the of the top 300 coaches.  Injuries to A. Treloar, D. Beams and T. Rockliff saw their exits from the top 8 midfielders list.  Gary Ablett doesn’t get much love from AFL Fantasy coaches, his average is 117.4 and yet his total ownership is only 7% and his top 300 ownership is 3%.  I don’t currently have him and he was a trade target for me last week.  However, he was withdrawn because of an ‘injury’ which I’m not sure I’ll be happy to deal with or think about. For that reason, I’m passing for now.  My top 8, in preference (in order) for the mids are Rockliff, Mitchell, Merrett, Dangerfield, Treloar, Beams, Hannebery, and Zorko. Who is you top 8 in the midfield?

Dan Hannebery $614K Ownership 7% Top 300 Ownership 32%
Adam Treloar $616K Ownership 17% Top 300 Ownership 25%
Dayne Zorko $642K Ownership 4% Top 300 Ownership 4%
Dayne Beams $599K Ownership 13% Top 300 Ownership 3%
Tom Rockliff $723K Ownership 10% Top 300 Ownership 2%

Ruck

Stefan Martin $592K Ownership 31% Top 300 Ownership 92%
Brodie Grundy $580K Ownership 19% Top 300 Ownership 46%

What the ruck? What is with these guys? The ‘Second Hit-out In Team Syndrome’ (SHITS) is a real thing, Grundy with Cox, Martin with Archie, Goldstein with Preuss.  If you don’t want to worry about the Second Hit-out In Team Syndrome, pick a player that always rucks alone (Jacobs, Kreuzer and Witts).  If you are like me, you will just have to accept the fact that there are weeks when you will get the S.H.I.T.S. ignore it and hopefully it goes away. If it doesn’t improve, contact Albert Lord (PhD DT).  Bring him back Roy!

Sam Jacobs $596K Ownership 8% Top 300 Ownership 10%
Jarrod Witts $472K Ownership 12% Top 300 Ownership 6%|
Matthew Kreuzer $554K Ownership 10% Top 300 Ownership 3%

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Forwards

Luke Dahlhaus $530K Ownership 43% Top 300 Ownership 89%
Jack Steele $520K Ownership 32% Top 300 Ownership 76%
Isaac Heeney $506K Ownership 22% Top 300 Ownership 76%
Toby Nankervis $500K Ownership 46% Top 300 Ownership 74%
Will Hoskin-Elliot $415K Ownership 39% Top 300 Ownership 65%
Jack Macrae $535K Ownership 35% Top 300 Ownership 63%

It’s not a big statement to say that Dahlhaus, Steele, Heeney and Macrae could be top 6 forwards by the seasons’ end.  They make up the bulk of the vanilla forwards.  I would dare say that most of AFL fantasy coaches are eating donuts this week because they went heavy with forward having their byes this round (*raises his hand).  Who do I think will round up the last two places in the top 6 forwards? For me, its Franklin and Yeo (*don’t burn me again). You want a Yeo alternative, a Yin to Yeo? I have been watching a lot of St Kilda games lately and I keep seeing Koby Stevens.

Elliot Yeo $597K Ownership 21% Top 300 Ownership 38%
Lance Franklin $541K Ownership 23% Top 300 Ownership 10%
Koby Stevens $541K Ownership 2% Top 300 Ownership 1%

Good luck with the bye rounds and as always, if there is anything specific you want answered, make sure you add me on Twitter @magtuto so I can answer your Q’s.  Go unique!

A full and raw list of players and their % representation can be found on the excel spreadsheet.

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