
Two down, 22 to go!
We’re only a fortnight into the fantasy season and a line is already being drawn in the sand regarding the cash cows we can trust. Through two weeks, a group of rookies have stood up and established themselves as players we can trust on our field – thank god for Harry Sheezel. With the good comes the bad though, as some of our bench picks struggle to score and find themselves on the chopping block as a result. There’s a long way still to go, but it’s not to late to ensure you’ve invested in the right cash cows.
Make sure to also cast your eyes over:
DT Talk 2023 Rookie Guide
DT Talk 2023 Preseason Watchlist
SBF – The 20 most important rookies/cash cows for 2023
Rookie/cash cows are defined as players who started the season priced at $300,000 or lower
Cash Cow King – Round 2
Second-game Blue Ollie Hollands (77) kicked the weekend off with an impressive score that benefitted a lot of coaches, however, there was once again a clear winner for the CCK in Round 2. Will Ashcroft (90) and Reuben Ginbey (71) did their thing as they keep climbing in value, while Anthony Caminiti (79) deserves a mention for his ripper score. No one could get close to Harry Sheezel (127) though, with the versatile North Melbourne teenager proving his Round 1 antics were no fluke by dropping another 120+ score. Ridiculous.

Round 2 Power Rankings
After 2 weeks of action, these are the top 10 cash cow performers in season 2023!
Power Ranking 2023 #AFLFantasy Cash Cows Round 2
1. Harry Sheezel ↔️
2. Reuben Ginbey ⬆️ 1
3. Will Ashcroft ⬆️ 4
4. Kade Chandler ⬇️ 2
5. Jye Menzie ⬇️ 1
6. Luke Pedlar ⬆️ 1
7. Cam Mackenzie ⬇️ 3
8. Ollie Hollands (NR)
9. Darcy Wilmot (NR)
10. Mattaes Phillipou ⬇️ 2 pic.twitter.com/JrrfPgENQ3— SportsbyFry (@sportsbyfry) March 28, 2023
Making Moves
Money makers
There’s Harry Sheezel ($466K, 127, BE -40), then a vast amount of daylight. The Roos rook has hardly put a foot wrong two weeks into his career, gathering 64 disposals and recording what can’t be too far off a record breakeven of -40. The second-most popular player in the game Will Ashcroft ($369K, 90, BE -3) picked up the Rising Star nom thanks to his stellar performance last Friday, with another top tier cash cow Reuben Ginbey ($384K, 71, BE -3) doing his job in a win over the Giants. Early on, it feels like this trio are the most important rookies for coaches, but Kade Chandler ($328K, 64, BE -21) had another good game to ensure his value keeps trending upward too. A suspension to Kysaiah Pickett will buy him some more time, although as the season progresses I become more confident in his ability to hang around.
Last year, Chandler put up a respectable 86.4 points from 17 games in the VFL and his solid start to the season may keep him in the best 22 for the foreseeable future. It stings if you’re in the 65% of non-owners as he costs an extra $128K now, but this is the final chance to grab him. Bench placeholders Luke Pedlar ($290K, 55, BE -4) and Darcy Wilmot ($257K, 58, BE -3) did their job at opposite ends of the ground with Ollie Hollands ($260K, 77, BE 5) chalking up 20 touches for the first time in his career. He and Cam Mackenzie ($347K, 44, BE 18) seem like safe, fieldable players in the midfield right now, even though Mackenzie dropped a stinker against the Swans. A ripper game from Anthony Caminiti ($248K, 79, BE -11) has seen him become a top-10 trade target this week. I don’t expect him to churn out 60+ regularly, but the injury woes at the Saints mean Caminiti should be around for most of April.
Keep the faith
As any dedicated fantasy coach knows, key defenders are not worth mentioning when it comes to rookie picks. Still, there were some impressive moments from Crows backman Max Michalanney ($304K, 48, BE 18) over the weekend as he recorded a team high 7-intercept possessions. He could have some bright moments going forward for 4.7% of fantasy sides, but it’ll be a bumpy ride. It was also nice to see Fergus Greene ($229K, 51, BE 6) rising in price despite kicking 0.4 over the weekend. Greene should continue to be a handy bench piece for coaches, along with Alwyn Davey Jr ($269K, 47, BE 3) who started with a bang only to fizzle out with an 11-point second half.
The pair of cheaper FWD’s aren’t a trade priority yet, nor is Jye Menzie ($355K, 62, BE 7) who keeps rewarding the small portion of coaches who started with him. Jake Stringer could potentially return this weekend for Essendon, which may see Davey Jr or Menzie squeezed out – or worse, forced to play as the sub. However they’ve done enough to hold their place in our teams until that eventuates. The owners of Miller Bergman ($246K, 48, BE 4) may also be sweating after Aaron Hall amassed 38 touches in North’s VFL hitout. Bergman hasn’t lit the world on fire yet with a pair of 40’s, although thanks to his low breakeven there’s no reason to panic just yet. Should he survive the axe.
Speaking of, there are currently over 1,500 coaches who are giving Mattaes Phillipou ($315K, 42, BE 23) the flick following his 7-touch game on the weekend. With St Kilda light on for marking targets up forward, Phillipou is spending more time inside-50 than coaches would like at the moment and his cash growth has stalled. Hell, the likes of Tom Cole and Adam Tomlinson have made more money than Phillipou this season! I’m still backing him in to produce some stunning scores in 2023 – we just might have to be patient before we get them. Hold.
Cut them loose
Unless a cash cow misses selection on Thursday and becomes a red dot, there aren’t too many players that demand our trade attention yet. If I had to pick one though, it would be North Melbourne tall, Charlie Comben ($312K, 19, BE 25). He should still outperform his breakeven while serving as Goldy’s sidekick, but we won’t see Comben demand enough of the ruck work to score consistently. He’s already sitting at an inflated price and I’d prefer to flick him to one of the aforementioned players and potentially save a few dollars in the process.
GameDay Squad – Create. Coach. Compete.
Thin Ice
Two weeks in and already some of our mainstream bench picks are in danger of being omitted when the teams drop. Subbed out at three-quarter time against GWS, Campbell Chesser ($214K, 27, BE 20) could be excluded from the Eagles’ Round 3 side along with first-year teammate Noah Long ($226K, 34, BE 14). I’m hopeful that Adam Simpson will continue to embrace the youth movement, but neither of the West Coast teens has shown an ability to score through two games. Let’s hope they can still make us some extra cash before they become red dots.
I don’t have the same optimism for Bodhi Uwland’s ($257K, 27, BE 10) moving forward, with his place in Gold Coast’s side also under fire. I thought he showed promise on debut, but last weekend Uwland managed to touch the footy just five times which could see him dropped. Judd McVee ($234K, 26, BE 17) had a similarly quiet game on Friday night, although he’s not known for his high-scoring ceiling. Still, coaches that invested in McVee were hoping he could remain in the Dees’ outfit long enough to make some decent coin. The potential inclusion of Steven May and 36 disposals from Michael Hibberd in the VFL means he may become the odd man out. Lachie Cowan’s ($260K, 40, BE 21) place in Carlton’s side seems to be more secure, although he’s running out of chances in the fantasy community. We need to see more.
Wait and see
As I mentioned before regarding key backmen, investing in them usually leads to limited cash generation. Tylar Young ($200K, 23, BE 25) displayed that in his first AFL game by failing to reach his breakeven, although his teammates Samson Ryan ($225K, 57, BE 3) could offer much more upside for coaches. He managed half a dozen hitouts from his 14 ruck contests and kicked three goals while sitting at R3 for roughly 38% of the competition, although I’m against trading him in right away. First-gamers Harry Rowston ($261K, 19, BE 41) and Elijah Hewett ($253K, 4, BE 51) made their debut on the same field last week, but neither of them will be trade in options this week. Rowston’s stay will be short for the Giants as they welcome back Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield and he returns to the two’s. However, Hewett may not be shown the door so swiftly with the chance West Coast opts to utilise him as their substitute again in the Western Derby. From a fantasy standpoint, he’s not worth taking a chance on until he shakes the warm-up gear and features in a full game.
Sub status
Subbed On – Cooper Whyte, Reef McInnes, Matt Roberts, Connor Stone, Elijah Hewett
Subbed Off – Campbell Chesser
Chesser was the only cash cow who found himself watching the final phase of the game, but there were plenty of youngsters who started with the vest in Round 2. Cooper Whyte ($200K, 6, BE 53) kicked things off in the first game of the round and in the process, he set a trend for the other cash cows who hit the field late. Reef McInnes ($270K, 12, BE 46) managed to kick a goal but barely got a chance with limited game time, Connor Stone ($249K, 26, BE 32) failed to capitalise from a Jacob Wehr injury in the first half, and Matt Roberts ($201K, 15, BE 27) managed to nearly double his game time but only scored half as many points. The trio of McInness, Roberts and Hewett could all continue to rock the vest this week, but unfortunately, none of them will be making any money in the process.
Reserves Watch
Now that he’s got a clean bill of health, Bulldogs youngster Arthur Jones ($200K, DNP, BE 25) is a confirmed starter to clash with Brisbane on Thursday night. I want to take a look at his role before investing in the craft small forward who averaged 42 points from 16 games last season with Footscray. I can’t see Collingwood wanting to make a change to their side after their efforts against Port, but it was encouraging for Finlay Macrae ($290K, 101, BE 36) to return from injury in the ressies with 30 touches and a goal for a score of 101. His teammate and 2022 draftee Ed Allen ($264K, 84, BE 33) helped himself to 24 disposals in the same game, but he’ll also have to wait for a chance at senior footy. Melbourne tall Jacob van Rooyen ($200K, 102, BE 25) might not have as long to wait, offering some potential ruck support with Max Gawn going down.
Gathering 19 touches with 11 marks might have him in the selection mix, while dumped Demon Bailey Laurie ($200K, 101, BE 35) did his best to earn a recall in Casey’s decisive win with 27 disposals and a fantasy century of his own. Preseason darling Alex Cincotta ($200K, 58, BE 25) won’t force the Blues to consider him and the same could be said for hyped Gold Coast draftee Bailey Humphrey ($290K, 45, BE 36). There are over 3,500 coaches who were hoping Humphrey could shine in the VFL and force his way into the Suns’ AFL lineup, however after accumulating just 13 touches, they’ll have to wait another few weeks. Lastly, George Wardlaw ($294, 66, BE 37) managed to turn some heads during his first game in North Melbourne colours. The No. 4 overall pick laid six tackles and recorded 12 disposals in just three-quarters of action as he builds towards an inevitable AFL debut.
Remember the Name
In no particular order, here are some of the other rookie-priced players to consider throughout the season.
DEFENDERS
Jake Stein (Suns, $288K)
Josh Fahey (Giants, $200K)
Will Gould (Swans, $200K)
Josh Weddle (Hawks, $266K)
Rhett Montgomerie (Bombers, $200K)
Jaokb Ryan (Magpies, $246K)
Corey Wagner (Dockers, $285K)
Sam Banks (Tigers, $200K)
Sam Durdin (Blues, $213K)
Darragh Joyce (Lions, $241K)
MIDFIELDERS
Connor Blakely (Suns, $235K)
Jhye Clark (Cats, $286K)
Blake Drury (Kangaroos, $200K)
Angus Sheldrick (Swans, $200K)
James Tunstill (Lions, $292K)
Billy Dowling (Crows, $216K)
Darcy Jones (Giants, $260K)
Ed Allen (Magpies, $264K)
Hugh Bond (Crows, $202K)
Jaspa Fletcher (Lions, $278K)
Henry Hustwaite (Hawks, $228K)
RUCKMEN
Jacob Edwards (Kangaroos, $200K)
Lachlan McAndrew (Swans, $200K)
Alex Mirkov (Blues, $200K)
Ned Moyle (Suns, $200K)
Harry Barnett (Eagles, $256K)
Dante Visentini (Power, $200K)
FORWARDS
Josh Sinn (Power, $233K)
Arthur Jones (Bulldogs, $200K)
Thomas Berry (Suns, $286K)
Bailey Laurie (Demons, $200K)
James Tsitas (Suns, $200K)
Joe Richards (Magpies, $206K)
Ollie Dempsey (Cats, $200K)
Finlay Macrae (Magpies, $290K)
Aaron Cadman (Giants, $300K)
Jacob van Rooyen (Demons, $200K)

Good stuff Fry. A question on Constable, the only low-price guy I missed. I’ll have the coin to take someone like Chesser or Cowan up to Will Day. Or I can bring in Constable, who is scoring well and has a BE of just 2 but dicey JS, and save $200K for next week and another upgrade. Is Constable a must-have, or is it too late?
Cheers mate. If you’re tossing up between the two I think I’d rather go up to Will Day. Constable seems to be excelling at the minute, but there are still some concerns over his place in Gold Coast’s side
Hi Fry,
I’ve got to off-load JHF. And get a def rookie off the field. So do I:
1. Straight swap JHF for Day or
2. Do JHF to Stocker and with the cash saved take Callaghan to Worpel
Both moves mean putting Chandler on field.
Cheers
I don’t mind playing Chandler on field this week, he’s proven he can score at a decent rate. Out of those two trades though, I’d prefer to go JHF to Day
Cheers fry as always! I missed the boat on chandler and i need to upgrade jhf so im thinking callaghan to chandler & jhf to setterfield.
Thoughts?
Those sound like ripper moves if you ask me mate!
Is Seb Ross an option with Steele out, is there upside?
I wouldn’t be chasing Seb Ross, he’s struggled to stay healthy the last few seasons and won’t improve much from the 90ish he’s priced at
Which trade option?
1. Macrae to Setterfield and Callaghan to Ziebell (field Wilmot)
2. Macrae to Daicos and Greene/Chesser to Caminiti (field Chandler)
3. Macrae to Setterfield and Worpel to Daicos (field Chandler)
4. Macrae to LDU and Greene to Caminiti (field Wilmot)
Out of those options, I’d definitely go for No. 3
Nice write up, Fry. Is Phillipou to Caminiti a sound trade? Will allow me to upgrade Steele to Oliver.
Like I said, I think Phillipou is still an important cash cow so I wouldn’t suggest trading him. Instead, I’d look for a cheaper option to flick Steele too
I might give him another go for this week. Just concerned with his BE being at 23.
If we are keep Phillipou, what’s the best out of these
Steele + Sheed to
LDU + Setterfield +$4K
OR
LDU + Ziebell + $92k
OR
Ziebell + Setterfield + $235K
For what it is worth, I am in a similar boat to you and I think Philipou down is a good move. Ranked 1067 atm :)
Hi Fry nice article mate
1. Macrae to LDU
Bruhn to Stocker
2. Flanders to Rachele
Bruhn to Stocker
(then next week I can flick Macrae and/or Darcy if they perform badly this week)
3. Darcy to Grundy
Bruhn to Stocker
I like option 2, flanders has gotta go..
Thanks mate, I’d be happy to give Macrae and Darcy another chance and trading Bruhn/Flanders is a priority. Could you turn one of them into Phillipou/Chandler and the other into Ziebell? I’d prefer that over the Rachele/Stocker combo
already got Ziebell and setterfield and chandler.
dont have phillipou.
rachele stocker is the only combination i can see that is the best.
would you advise anything else?
See how the teams unfold, I’d still prefer to go a rookie and a gun with those two trades over two middling players
Thanks for the update, Fry.
I’ve only had one available trade for each of the first two weeks due to my rucks falling over like bowling pins.
I’ll have to pass on Chandler- there will be no sense in getting him next week.
I’m expecting yet another ruck casualty in any case…
Rough way to start, but I can relate. Let’s hope the tall timber can stay healthy
In Real DT – Do people sideways trade rookies to better performing rookies? It burns a trade and no money is made on the rookie traded out, so wondering if its better to hold rather than trade. Specifically, F Greene to Chandler, is one example. Do you hold Greene or go straight to the better performing Chandler.
In the early rounds there’s nothing wrong with switching it up with rookies, especially if they haven’t changed in price yet!
Thoughts on trading Dunkley to Setterfield and rozee to ziebell and saving some cash to upgrade
*saving some cash to upgrade out L jones from my defence*
Hmmmm I don’t like to ides of trading Dunks or Rozee. Feels too sideways to me, but it could be a nice way to save some $$$
R2 Trades: Newcombe -> Setterfield & JHF -> Ziebell
The only other problem I have on my field besides that is Hinge (D3) & a rookie D6
In R3, I will probably trade out Callaghan (M6) for ~200k STP or Bytel to upgrade Hinge
R3 trades really depends on whether I can justify going Hinge -> Stocker or a prem DEF
Do you think Sheezel & Ziebell will both gain DPP (DEF/FWD) come round 5?
Sheezel could be an underpriced premium defender. Interesting thought I wanted to share
My Round 2 Team – 2006 Score:
Def: Docherty, Day, Hinge >:(, Constable, Uwland (Cowan, Wilmot)
Mid: Laird, Newcombe, Green, JHF, Worpel, Callaghan, Ashcroft, Hollands (Mackenzie, Phillipou)
Ruck: O’Brien, Marshall (McAndrew)
Fwd: Dunkley, Taranto, Moore, Rozee, Gulden, Sheezel, (Chandler, Pedlar), –> Davey
My Team After Trades/Edit (Proj ~2150):
Def: Docherty, Day, Hinge >:(, Constable, Wilmot (Cowan, Uwland)
Mid: Laird, Taranto, Green, Setterfield, Worpel, Callaghan, Ashcroft, Hollands (Mackenzie, Phillipou)
Ruck: O’Brien, (C) McAndrew (Marshall)
Fwd: Dunkley, Moore, Rozee, Gulden, (VC) Ziebell, Sheezel, (Chandler, Pedlar), –> Davey
Taranto was my Captain round 2. Ziebell will %stonks this weekend vs Hawthorn. Watch
Callaghan to Bytel could be a solid move if he returns to St Kilda’s outfit, providing that leaves you with enough $$$ to upgrade Hinge. I’d make ditching Hinge a priority, even if it’s for a Stocker type. Both Ziebell and Sheezel will get DEF status at this rate and I can’t see their role changing dramatically
Hi Fry, Great write up. Interested to hear why you say Phillipou down to say a Pedlar or Caminiti isn’t a sound move if it means I can get Sheed up to a Ziebell for example.
Philpou had basically a 100k headstart on those other rookies who (assuming they hit their average which i think they will), will net some decent cash in the meantime and then also generate some cash in the next four weeks. I just don’t think that FWD role for Philipou will yield a score over 55 in the next 4 weeks.
My alternative is to drop Bont to LDU but I don’t like trading uninjured premos (plus I think LDU is in danger of a tag from McGuiness).
Fry, I made the mistake of trading out Greene (instead of Long) for Chandler last week so this week was looking at getting Greene back for Long then going JHF to Zeibell, so trades will look something like this: Callaghan to Green (via DPP) then JHF to Zeibell.
Or
Getting in Wilmot to build cash so: Callaghan to Wilmot (via DPP) then JHF to Zeibell and look to maybe get Greene/another rookie next week.
Thoughts??
If you want to target one of those rookies this week then I’d go Wilmot first, providing he holds his spot in Brisbane’s team. You can always chase Greene at a later date, he seems pretty entrenched in the Hawks lineup and should be a slow burn cash cow.
Is Dunkley a guy we should be keeping in I was thinking Setterfield but seems crazy to get rid of a premium in dunks
Trading an A-grader to Setterfield is a risky move. I can see why coaches want to do it, but I’d advise against it.
Not sure what to do this week, thinking maybe
Option 1: Macrae to Setters and Long to Chands
Option 2: Finn to Bytel and Long to Chands
Def: Doc, Daicos, Day, CC, Gin, Wilmot (Cowan, Chesser)
Mid: Dunks, Crae, LDU, Green, Worp, Finn, Ash, Mackenzie (Hollands, Davey)
Ruck: Marshall, Darcy (Heath)
Fwd: TT, Cogs, Rozee, Gulden, Ziebell, Sheezel (Pedlar, Greene)
UTL: Long
What do you think?
I’d prefer No. 1, Setterfield should be a ripper moving forward
Cheers for the write up, legend!
Would you consider Caminiti or Ryan as a downgrade for Bruhn this week?
My thoughts are Caminiti has better JS but Ryan has the Ruck status
Thanks mate, happy to help!
Depends slightly on selection, but I’d go Caminiti out of those two
Great write up as usual Fry! What are your thoughts on the following?
1) Macrae & JHF to Setters & Ziebell
2) Macrae & Sheed to Setters & Ziebell
3) Sheed & JHF to Callaghan & Setters
4) Sheed & JHF to Ziebell & Stocker
I am still missing Day and fielding Wilmot at D6. Not 100% sold on folding Macrae but its the only way I can get to both Setters and Ziebell this week. If I do this, Tom Green would be my M1!
Cheers legend!
I’d love to see Sheed and JHF go out for Setterfield and Ziebell, but unless you rob a bank that’s probably not an option. I’d prioritise trading those two over Macrae and out of the options you listed, I like No. 3
Great article Fry: Is Rozee and JHF worth going to Ziebell and Setterfield? That or move Dunkley/JHF and get a bit more cash?
Current Trades are Brodie ( cant stand his TOG) to Setterfield and then JHF to Day via DPP.
Leaves me fielding Davey at M8.
If Wilmot scores well ill loop him on (assuming chesser is dropped) and play Ginbey at M8 instead.
Ticking this off?
Sounds like some pretty well thought out moves if you ask me mate! I’m taking the same approach with Wilmot, but I don’t think Chesser will be dropped. I’d consider Wilmot at D6 and Ginbey at M8 if possible to cover all bases, but the trades sound like great upgrades
Great write up Fry. You are always where I go to get my rookie need to know.
This week I need to trade Steele, so I am looking at Steele to Setterfield as my first trade.
I am weighing up three different options for my second trade though.
Option 1: Callaghan to Ziebell
Option 2: Sheed to Josh Kelly (if named, maybe LDU if not)
Option 3: McGarth to Big dog (Laird or Oliver)
Think I am leaning towards Option 2, if Josh Kelly is named, at the moment. Thoughts?
Hi Luke
I had the same dilemma and went option 1.
I’ve held Sheed, because he will not lose any cash this week and Jelly unlikely to go up much can always do number 2 next week. Number 1 also banks me some cash to deal with Sheed next week.
Option 3 not applicable to me as I don’t have McGrath.. he’s on my never again list, after being sucked in the last 2 years
Cheers man, appreciate the kind words!
I like the Steele>Setters move, and I think Sheed is one who goes. Don’t hate the Kelly in, but LDU is a beast so I say grab him. He may get tagged this week, but he should be at least a 105 AVG player
You convinced me on LDU and I was looking forward to having him. Then Constable decided to throw a spanner in the works.
Had to settle for Constable to Ziebell
Hey Fry,
Who to trade first out of Uwland, Davey and Phillipou?
115k left in bank
Uwland for sure, Davey and Phillipou are worth holding on to
Hey Fry,
Not sure which rookie to play FWD. How do you feel about playing Chandler with the tough Swans match-up? Pedlar also tough match-up against Port. Also have Greene, Phillipou and Davey. Leaning towards backing in Chandler. Thoughts?
Out of those options, I’d still back in Chandler. Maybe Phillipou 2nd
Best rookie 232K or under to buy this week in any line, who hasn’t already played.
Options: Van Rooyen, Roberts, Johnson, Young, Long