
14 down, 9 to go!
Everyone has one of those weekends. The performance where you know your fantasy season just ended and everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. I thought that occurred in Round 13 for me, but last weekend proved to be a shit show of epic proportions. Luckily, we are back to fielding our best 22 players on a weekly basis and hopefully, most of the coaches fighting for something relevant are nearing the point where they can remove all the rookie picks from their field. It’s still important to invest in the right cash cows with 9 rounds remaining and there are a few youngsters putting their hand up as strong targets at the trade table.
Rookie/cash cows picks are players who start the season at $300,000 or lower
Mooooving On
Part of the weekly trade focus is to remove the rookie-priced players who are no longer making money. When a cash cow sees their average fall in line with their breakeven or they find themselves on the outside looking in for multiple weeks at a time, that’s a good time to give them the axe.
Fattened cash cows
- Corey Durdin, Blues ($374K, AVG 46, BE 69)
- Josh Rachele, Crows ($385K, AVG 55, BE 72)
- Paddy McCartin, Swans ($461K, AVG, 47, BE 60)
- Sam De Koning, Cats ($437K, AVG 47, BE 55)
- Nic Martin, Bombers ($648K, AVG 84, BE 85)
Injured/non-playing rookies
- Jason Horne-Francis, Kangaroos ($503K, AVG 64, BE 85)
- Sam Hayes, Power ($408K, AVG 56, BE 49)
- Hugh Dixon, Eagles ($370K, AVG 51, BE 43)
- Connor MacDonald, Hawks ($371K, AVG 48, BE 38)
- Marcus Windhager, Saints ($327K, AVG 43, BE 34)
Power Ranking Cash Cows – Round 14
After 14 weeks of action, these are the top-10 cash cow performers!
Power Ranking #AFLFantasy Cash Cows Round 14
1. N Daicos – ↔️
2. N Martin – ↔️
3. B Hobbs – ⬆️ 1
4. J Soligo – ⬆️ 1
5. J Wehr – ⬆️ 1
6. G Clark – ⬇️ 3
7. T Stengle – NR
8. H Ralphsmith – ⬆️ 1
9. B Hough – NR⁰10. P Parnell – NRNR = not ranked last week pic.twitter.com/4PEsiED7ZG
— SportsbyFry (@sportsbyfry) June 21, 2022
Cash Cow King – Round 14
Teammates joined forces this week to produce some of the best cash cow scores with Bombers duo Nic Martin (75) and Ben Hobbs (78) kickstarting things on Friday night. Adelaide pair Patrick Parnell (75) and Jake Soligo (78) closed out the weekend in an eerily similar fashion to the Essendon rookies and there would have been a lot of coaches who were grateful for the 70+ scores on offer. I’m breaking my rules slightly to include a 5th nominee this week and the top-scoring cash cow in Tyson Stengle (81), who continues to prove me wrong after his five shots on goal vs. West Coast.

Round 15 Rookie Rankings
DEFENCE
Most coaches will have removed all the rookies from the back-6, but a few downgrade targets have emerged in recent weeks. GWS’ Jacob Wehr ($366K, 67, BE 3) has solidified a spot in the Giants lineup over the bye rounds and looks to be the safest rookie down back not named Nick Daicos ($640K, BYE, BE 47). Those two are the only pair I’d feel safe playing at the moment, but the likes of Massimo D’Ambrosio ($204K, 44, BE 12) could become a handy money maker down back. Adelaide’s Patrick Parnell ($261K, 75, BE -15) is another rookie worth targeting after his strong showing against the Suns last weekend and if you’ve got someone maxed out in price like Paddy McCartin ($461K, 47, BE 60) and/or Sam De Koning ($437K, 39, BE 55) then flicking one of them out could be a handy way to make a quick bit of cash.
Top-4
-
Nick Daicos (Magpies)
-
Jacob Wehr (Giants)
-
Patrick Parnell (Crows)
-
Massimo D’Ambrosio (Bombers)
The revolving door that is Carlton’s backline can’t catch a break with Sam Durdin ($201K, 33, BE 20) ruled out for a month after suffering a knee injury. His Blues teammate Jordan Boyd ($296K, 65, BE 14) produced his highest score of the season, although considering the fact that he’s never scored over 45 in any other match this season I wouldn’t be expecting regular scores in the same ballpark. The same could be said for Rhett Bazzo ($227K, 41, BE 19) who did well enough to earn a few more AFL games in his first season, but key backmen don’t exactly boast the best scoring potential which means it’s best to avoid trading him in. For the coaches who took the punt on Ryan Angwin ($190K, 11, BE 45) unfortunately trading him in was the wrong call as well, with the GWS young gun facing a long stint on the sidelines with a leg injury.
Best of the Rest
These players may or may not be in the selection mix this week, but be sure to keep them on your 2022 watchlist in case they burst onto the scene. In no particular order:
Darcy Wilmot (Lions, $260K)
Josh Fahey (Giants, $208K)
Isaac Chugg (Magpies, $190K)
Josh Eyre (Bombers, $190K)
Garrett McDonagh (Bombers, $192K)
Bodhi Uwland (Suns, $190K)
MIDFIELD
A strong showing from Jake Soligo ($403K, 78, BE 12) on the weekend will give the near 30,000 coaches who own the Crows young gun some optimism moving forward. He chalked up a career-high 20 touches over the weekend to produce his 4th straight score north of 60 and I’d feel much safe fielding him moving forward over Greg Clark ($456K, 47, BE 54) who seems to be fighting for his place in West Coast’s outfit. With a relatively healthy midfield now, the Eagles utilised Clark as their medi-sub vs. the Cats, a role that he may continue in unless injuries strike again. I wouldn’t be too excited about the prospect of fielding any rookies outside of that duo and the mainstream picks like Daicos, Martin and Hobbs, even though Cooper Stephens ($334K, 69, BE 25) and Brady Hough ($376K, 60, BE 20) produced decent scores in Round 14.
Top-4
-
Nick Daicos (Magpies)
-
Jake Soligo (Crows)
-
Nic Martin (Bombers)
-
Ben Hobbs (Bombers)
Those who are clinging onto hope for a Mitch Owens ($281K, DNP, BE 24) return will have to wait at least another week after the Saints stud failed to clear concussion protocols, however, his teammate Marcus Windhager ($327K, DNP, BE 34) put his hand up for selection after 117 points for Sandringham. His score was boosted by 2 goals and 31 disposals and we may see St Kilda swing the axe after the loss to Essendon last time out. Sticking with the reserves level, recent Dockers draftee Neil Erasmus ($379K, BYE, BE 33) produced one of the highest scores of the weekend with his 138 points fuelled by 26 touches and 12 tackles. He faces an uphill battle to enter their lineup to clash with Carlton and on the other side of the equation Jack Carroll ($346K, DNP, BE 45) is in a similar position despite a strong showing for the Blues’ VFL side with 29 disposals and a score of 102 last round.
Best of the Rest
These players may or may not be in the selection mix this week, but be sure to keep them on your 2022 watchlist in case they burst onto the scene. In no particular order:
Arlo Draper (Magpies, $202K)
Cooper Murley (Magpies, $194K)
Matthew Johnson (Dockers, $250K)
James Tsitas (Suns, $190K)
Josh Goater (Kangaroos, $248K)
Hugh Jackson (Power, $190K)
Tom Joyce (Eagles, $190K)
Bailey Laurie (Demons, $190K)
RUCK
Just when we thought we had a trustworthy rookie RUC in Brynn Teakle ($192K, 27, BE 22) the fantasy gods have gone and robbed us of his talents. A broken collarbone brought a swift end to his debut game and with 6-8 weeks on the sidelines, there are no guarantees we’ll see him again this season. His Port teammate Sam Hayes ($408K, DNP, BE 50) has found himself stranded on the outside looking in and even though he registered a score of 94 in the SANFL that included 37 hitouts, he doesn’t appear to be a certain inclusion. The 10.5% of sides rocking with West Coast’s Callum Jamieson ($336K, 35, BE 35) surely aren’t brave stupid enough to play him in one of their starting ruck spots, with Caleb Graham ($276K, 42, BE 11) just as untrustworthy.
Top-2
-
Sam Hayes (Power)*
-
Callum Jamieson (Eagles)
* if named
Best of the Rest
These players may or may not be in the selection mix this week, but be sure to keep them on your 2022 watchlist in case they burst onto the scene. In no particular order:
Paul Tsapatolis (Cats, $190K)
Jacob Edwards (Kangaroos, $190K)
Mac Andrew (Suns, $282K)
Max Heath (Saints, $190K)
Alex Mirkov (Blues, $190K)
FORWARD
Everyone’s favourite Essendon cash cows remain at the top of the pecking order in the forward line with 70+ outings from Ben Hobbs ($516K, 78, BE 44) and Nic Martin ($648K, 75, BE 85) encouraging enough to trust them on your field unless an upgrade is available. The young Bombers pair are shaping up as two of the most popular rooks who could become the final upgrade for coaches and hopefully a date with the Eagles in Round 15 will equal them another decent score. Richmond’s Hugo Ralphsmith ($426K, 58, BE 46) continued his consistent vein of form with another near 60-point effort and even though he has low ownership, there are still some coaches thankful for his performances. Speaking of low ownership, for the 5th time this year I will admit I was dead wrong on Tyson Stengle ($547K, 81, BE 68), who finds himself in less than 8,000 teams and has currently increased his starting price by nearly $250K. In the mix to end as an All-Australian small forward, Stengle produced another strong score vs. West Coast and there’s no reason why he can’t maintain that form and keep his average near 70.
What a debut season this young Bomber is putting together!
Congratulations to Ben Hobbs, the round 14 nominee for the 2022 @NAB AFL Rising Star ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/ELWuglGgLS
— AFL (@AFL) June 20, 2022
Top-4
-
Nic Martin (Bombers)
-
Ben Hobbs (Bombers)
-
Hugo Ralphsmith (Tigers)
-
Tyson Stengle (Cats)
A number of FWD cash cows are trending in different directions right now, with Robbie McComb ($405K, 54, BE 44) and Joel Jeffrey ($3268K, 44, BE 25) still ticking upwards in value and doing their job for coaches. There’s no huge urgency to remove them from your side (as long as they reside on the bench), but it’s time to cut ties with Corey Durdin ($374K, 36, BE 69) after a rough showing last round. I wouldn’t go downgrading him to Judson Clarke ($280K, 40, BE 14) who produced the 40-point game I thought he was capable of and the popular state league performers aren’t ready for the big time just yet either. Jai Culley’s ($190K, DNP, BE 25) performance was much more encouraging last weekend, but he and Elijah Hollands ($190K, DNP, BE 25) still have teammates higher on the pecking order, meaning they’ll have to keep biding their time in the WAFL and VFL respectively.
Best of the Rest
These players may or may not be in the selection mix this week, but be sure to keep them on your 2022 watchlist in case they burst onto the scene. In no particular order:
Ely Smith (Lions, $190K)
Elijah Hollands (Suns, $190K)
Jai Serong (Hawks, $190K)
Sam Darcy (Bulldogs, $288K)
Jai Culley (Eagles, $190K)
Ned Long (Hawks, $190K)
Sam Philp (Blues, $205K)
Arthur Jones (Bulldogs, $206K)
Ash Johnson (Magpies, $190K)
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @SportsbyFry for all things AFL Fantasy (and more)! Feel free to hit me up with any questions you have throughout the season. Good luck! ✌️

Which trade option is best?
1. Owens to cheap forward and Butters to Andrew Brayshaw
2. Durdin to Judson Clark and Butters to Whitfield
3. Butters to Himmelberg and Preuss to Darcy
4. Butters to Hately and Preuss to Darcy
5. De Koning to Judson Clark and Butters to Andrew Brayshaw (but will need to bench one of my forward premiums because i will only have 1 forward rookie)
Whitfield looks like great value at the moment
I’d love for a cheap forward to bob up to allow you to do No. 1, but I think No. 3 is the way to go
Spending 700+ on someone who has already had two in game injuries, missed three games, and had four more uninjured games under 80 points? Doesn’t sound like value for money to me. Might as well just get Jackson, and save some cash to get Gawn next week / week after?
There’s not a lot of trustworthy rucks atm given all the injuries, but I think Darcy or O’Brien are the best available. Also, Jackson doesn’t fill me with a ton of confidence, but you’re right, grabbing him helps you save a ton of $$$ to nab another upgrade and he should get his way to a few 70-80’s
Are there any forward rookies that you would bring in?
I really need one as I currently only have McComb as my forward rookie
No one is coming through unfortunately, that may change by tomorrow night but I can’t help ya right now. Hollands and Culley need to string together a few more strong games in the 2’s before they’re in the mix
Mead M/F if named..
Not sure why he wasn’t mentioned
He played last week for 60+
One solid 60, but he’s been on the outs for a while. No point trading him in right now and most coaches would have him sitting on their bench anyway…
Bazzo could get a decent run with McGovern’s injury?
Possibly, but like I said he doesn’t have a great fantasy track record. Only averaged 49 in WAFL colts last year and I can’t see him averaging more than 40ish
Hey, Fry!
I need to bring in two new rucks this week due to the recent ruck disease in the AFL.
But next week, which rookies go first?:
Jeffrey
MacDonald
C.Durdin
De Konning
Stein
Baldwin
Clark
(Durdin is the only one I’m playing on field at the moment.)
Cheers!
I’d ditch Durdin and De Koning first before they dip in value – Clark and MacDonald next in the firing line
What are the chances of Preuss and Zorko playing next week?
I think at least with preuss he’s at least a 90% chance to play. Flynn out means gws don’t have a real ruckman in their team atm
Zorko might be nursed a bit due to his age, but still a decent chance to play
They should both play honestly, but given his sketchy history this season I think Zorko is more promising
Who’s more likely to play this week, J.Jeffrey or M.Windhager?
I think Jeffrey has been ruled out with a knee issue, so Windhager gets the nod, even though he’s no guarantee
Hey Fry, Need help please Legend. This is doing my head in. Butters injury. He thinks he will be back next week but nobody else has said anything. I can’t decide whether to trade him out or DeGoey who I am assuming is only out one week but nothing confirmed there either. Which one of the 2 should go?
Thanks bud
I would definitely give Butters the flick first mate. Like you said yourself, there are conflicting reports and he’s listed as TBC on the injury list. Besides, he looked alright in the Swans game before he got hurt but he has been stinking it up otherwise
That’s the way I was leaning. Thanks mate
Fry, Who would you field out of Parnell and Kiddy Coleman? Thanks
Easy to say after the game tonight, but I would’ve said Coleman
Hi Fry, what do you think about trading Hobbs this week? Or do I keep him with the favourable match up against West Coast? Other option is to trade Reef to Parnell or otherwise.
I’d trust him to go alright mate, trading Reef to Parnell is a ripper move
Thanks Fry
Keep him another week or two. Quiet achiever and BE in 40s. Him and Perkins getting a good mix of midfield and forward time as Essendon get experience into them.
Thanks James
Field Judson Clarke or Marcus Windhager, injuries left me stuck with one rookie on the field, don’t know who to pick out of them, any ideas?