Errol Gulden – Deck of DT 2025

Click here for 2025 Fantasy Classic prices.

Why should I pick him?

I don’t have to petition hard for AFL Fantasy coaches to consider Errol Gulden for their starting squad. Few players in the game can score at the same rate as Sydney’s superstar MID and no one would be surprised to see the gifted Swan finish 2025 as the M1. During the past two seasons combined, Gulden is one of just five players to average 110+ fantasy points with Marcus Bontempelli and Rowan Marshall the only duo who have scored more total points.

The crazy thing about Errol’s fantasy production so far is that he’s only 22 years old! With less than 100 career games under his belt, there’s no reason why Gulden won’t continue to produce at an elite, consistent level for close to another decade – perhaps even enhancing his averages to flirt with 120-point territory. His style of play bodes well for his fantasy longevity too, as the illustrious Swan doesn’t thrive on a physical, contested game fuelled by a high number of CBA’s. In fact, Gulden’s centre bounce attendance percentage (36%) pales in comparison to the other premier fantasy MID’s such as Steele (85%), Merrett (80%), Bontempelli (75%), Dunkley (80%) or even the versatile Nick Daicos (74%).

Gulden’s CBA stats aren’t the only impressive percentages, with an unrivalled level of endurance allowing him to stay on the field longer than almost all of his midfield peers. On average, Gulden was on the ground for 90.5% of games in 2024 – the second-highest percentage for a midfielder bested only by Melbourne running machine Ed Langdon (94.7%). When he’s on the ground, the Sydney MID isn’t just clocking up useless kilometres either, averaging the 4th most kicks (19.7) in the league while sitting behind only Max Holmes for metres gained per game (554.8).

Those percentages and stats sound cool Fry, but what do they actually mean? Simply put, Gulden stays on the field longer than any other premium fantasy player, scores better than anyone not named Marshall or Bont and he won’t turn 23 for another six months. With that in mind, there’s no reason why he won’t be even better in his fifth AFL season and contend for fantasy MVP honours.

An early bye in Round 3 will deter some, but let me take you back to the mid-season bye rounds last season. Most of the fantasy faithful traded Gulden in after Sydney’s week off and were instantly rewarded with scores of 151, 127 and 154 over a three-week span. I didn’t. I agonisingly missed the boat and was forced to watch the gut-running Swan terrorise opponents and at the same time, effectively end my fantasy season. If he hits the ground running against Hawthorn in the Opening Round and then produces another big score or two before his first rest, trading for Gulden may be a near-impossible task. I won’t be missing out two years in a row.

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

Heading into a new fantasy campaign, Errol Gulden finds himself as the 9th most expensive player in the game at a tick over $1.1 million. Even casual coaches know that when it comes to building out a starting squad, value is key and paying top dollar for premium players tends to hurt us more often than it helps us. It’s important to have a gun you believe in as a weekly captain choice and while Errol does fit that mould, he is susceptible to a dud score from time to time.

I highlighted his massive scores throughout the bye period above, but Gulden had his fair share of stinkers in 2024 as well. Over the final six games of the season (including AFL Finals) he recorded a subpar average of 89.6 points and a score of 69 in Opening Round last year turned a lot of coaches off from starting with the supposedly safe Swan. Speaking of Opening Round, Sydney is poised to play an early game once again in 2025, meaning Errol Gulden and the rest of his teammates will miss the third round of the fantasy season. Best-18 scores during these early bye-rounds will soften the blow of Errol missing a match, although there are no such concerns should you opt for another gun MID like Andrew Brayshaw or Marcus Bontempelli.

I haven’t addressed the fact that the Swans will be under new leadership in 2025 either, with John Longmire stepping down in favour of Dean Cox. While I don’t think the change in head coach will have significant ramifications on Gulden’s fantasy ability, there may still be slight tweaks to his role that may hold him back from pushing the coveted 110-point threshold. Should Cox look to deploy Gulden in different ways, we may see the smooth-moving midfielder hover around the 100-105 range – a fine average for a premium midfielder, but you’d feel short-changed if you paid up for Errol to start the season and he went backwards.

Deck of DT Rating.

ACE

Errol Gulden will once again challenge for the crown as AFL Fantasy’s best scorer in 2025 – the real question is should we start with him? Appearing in just two official fantasy games (vs. Brisbane, @Fremanlte) before Sydney’s Round 3 bye isn’t ideal and entering the season as one of the most expensive players means Gulden’s 11.9% ownership probably won’t climb significantly. Ideally, acquiring Gulden in Round 4 is the best play, but an eye-popping 120+ score against Hawthorn in Opening Round may force our hands. For now, he’s on the outside looking in.

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. Got something to say about the Deck or AFL Fantasy in general? Join the conversation and use the hashtag #AFLFantasy.

Fry

An Australian coffee/burrito enthusiast who is the frustrated owner of 16 fantasy teams. Writer for SportsbyFry and DT Talk ?