One down, 23 to go!

Everyone was at the mercy of the fantasy gods last weekend and fielding/benching the right/wrong rookies was probably the only difference between our teams. At times this season, hell at times EVERY season, we are going to get screwed over by the rookie roulette. It is inevitable. Even the ‘rookie expert’ copped it. I lost 89 points by fielding Blakiston and Lindsay over Grlj and Jaques this round – but, I gained 44 points by fielding Robertson over Lombard. Swings and roundabouts.

It’s annoying to see triple-figure scores on your bench, but the fantasy season moves on quickly and so must we. Coaches have an abundance of cash cow options to target this week and the priority with our first pair of trades is to identify those money makers and bring them in before they soar in value. That means that a lot of us may have $500K-$1.3M to spend over the next month or so and our vanilla starting teams will quickly start to look very different.

Rookies/cash cows are typically defined as players priced at $400,000 or lower to commence the season

Cash Cow King – Round 1

A few quick housekeeping items. First, I’ve taken the voting platform for the Cash Cow King to Twitter (I refuse to call it X), it’s way easier to use. Second, as a result there are only four nominees each week now. Third, there may be times when I overrule a top scorer in favour of a rookie/cash cow who is more fantasy relevant. Unfortunately for Sam Grlj, I’m not doing it this week.

Now, how about them rooks! We aren’t accustomed to having rookies score so well in AFL Fantasy – especially straight out of the gate to start a season. It’s possible that you scored a combined 315 points from Jagga, Jaques and Dev Rob this week and we are all hopeful that the scoring ways will continue during the bye rounds.

Defenders

Let ’em grow

What a start for the defensive rookies! I mean coaches who benched Lachie Jaques ($384K, 112, BE -47) will understandably be filthy, especially if you also had Sam Grlj ($371K, 90, BE -8) sitting next to him at D8. Still, the success of this duo and a few of their cash cow comrades has some of us considering a restructure to bring three DEF’s onto the field. They were a step behind, but you can’t be unhappy with what Jai Serong ($366K, 59, BE -6) or Josh Lindsay ($310K, 66, BE 1) dished up – although the West Coast debutant saved his score in a massive way with 35 points in 11 minutes during the last quarter. This group should all continue to generate love as on-field options with their cash generation off to a flying start.

There isn’t anything we need to worry about this week, however coaches need to somewhat prepare for the absence of  Jaques and Serong in Round 3. Most coaches will be able to deploy another rookie in that spot – perhaps, Lachie Blakiston ($404K, 47, BE 32). It was an annoying finish to Friday night for Blakiston after he looked to be well on pace for a 65+ outing – a score that fantasy coaches would have well and truly taken. It wasn’t meant to be though with a stat line of three hitouts and three free kicks against in the 4th quarter. I’m backing the big man in to respond vs. Port Adelaide and post a score in that 65+ range. With that being said, I can see why people are giving him the flick given the lack of obvious trade-out candidates.

Let ’em go

There aren’t any defensive rookies that I feel like we need to immediately cull from our teams. Except for Zeke Uwland ($344K, 19, BE 39). I can understand the low time on ground (66%) for a player easing his way into his AFL career, but how the f*** do you only gather five possessions in a 10-goal win against the Eagles? Hell, even the bloody back-up key defender Oscar Adams had six bloody disposals! It’s not good and anyone who took the punt hoping that ‘Zeke the Freak’ would show up to start the season has been left with a sour taste in their mouth. Hardly a must-trade issue, but I’m convinced that the score we saw from Michael Sellwood ($299K, 39, BE 1) this weekend was a much truer reflection of his fantasy output. I’m sure he’s a lovely guy, however that doesn’t mean he needs to be in your squad of 30.

Midfielders

Let ’em grow

I don’t know about you, but Round 2 is looking VERY rookie-heavy in my midfield line. West Coast first-gamers Milan Murdock ($292K, 95, BE -26) and Willem Duursma ($378K, 69, BE 10) have made their way up to M3 and M4 to cover bye players this week and I will be stoked if they even get close to the scores they posted vs. the Suns. Part of the reason why those two find themselves so high up in the pecking order for Round 2 is because of the absence of Jagga Smith ($381K, 99, BE -41) who, it’s fair to say, has started his fantasy career well. While there will be times this year when I give Jagga plenty of love, I promise I won’t waffle on about how many keeper leagues I drafted him in and how stoked I am to finally see him playing footy. Scouts honour.

There are ample additional cash cows who are in line for an on-field berth this weekend, with Tom Blamires ($276K, 77, BE -14) another largely unknown character who excelled in game No. 1. He recorded almost 400 metres gained on debut and the Kangaroos weren’t afraid to get the ball in his hands. Big tick moving forward. Another rookie with MID status who features in the backline is born-again defender, Jack Carroll ($419K, 58, BE 3). While he doesn’t come with the same amount of optimism right now, I’m hopeful that he can play his role over the next fortnight before St Kilda’s bye. Ideally, he’ll post a few scores that contribute to our best-18 and then we can cash him in come Round 4.

Let ’em go

Straight off the bat, there’s no advantage to trading in cash cows who are having the week off. Dan Annable ($346K, 53, BE 17) was good on debut in a hefty loss to the Swans and I’ve been a big James Tunstil ($288K, 66, BE -3) for years. However, trading into a rookie on the bye is fraught with danger and I think we need to see this duo again before we take the plunge and trade into them. Jack Watkins ($250K, 47, BE 6) falls into a similar basket and I apologise to the fantasy faithful who I told to choose him over Murdock. Clearly, even with a sprinkling of CBA’s, Watkins couldn’t find a way to post a respectable score last round, although that should change this week against Essendon. Speaking of the Dons, Dyson Sharp ($318K, 50, BE ) finds himself on the chopping block for a few coaches after gathering just six disposals and needing two goals to crack the half-century. While I still have high hopes for Sharp, swapping him for Murdock, Cook, Grlj or Blamires is a smart tactic.

Rucks

Let ’em grow

I think we can give the Lachlan McAndrew ($322K, 71, BE -1) experiment a tick after one week. Scoring 71 against a respectable ruckman in Darcy Cameron bodes well for his future output – although, things don’t get easier with a matchup against Tim English on Friday night. Just over 2,000 coaches are opting to use Gulden’s injury as a way to grab a bona fide R2 in Luke Jackson, but I still have faith that Brother McAndrew can score at a reasonable clip and play his role for those who keep fielding him.

There were a few other cheap rucks who managed to make money last week, with Zane Zakostelsky ($298K, 49, BE -3) still my favourite of the bunch. It will be interesting to see where he resides following Brisbane’s bye, and there are 44% of us who are hopeful that Chris Fagan will keep playing him. Mitch Edwards ($244K, 40, BE 10) could also get a continued run if he holds his place in Geelong’s side, while Cooper Duff-Tytler ($352K, 40, BE 20) is another rare R3 green dot who is making money. Slowly, but it still counts.

Forwards

Let ’em grow

A coin flip decision for some between Deven Robertson ($301K, 104, BE -31) and Leo Lombard ($337K, 60, BE -15) was a perfect example of the rookie roulette in full effect. For future reference, we should probably start the midfielder over the half forward. Negative breakevens indicate that there is still a lot of cash to be made for this pair and you could run a lineup that fields both of these rooks, given the uncertainty around some of the mid-pricers. The other cash cow I’d feel comfortable placing at F5 or F6 is Brayden Cook ($386K, 84, BE 0) with his ownership soaring after his stellar outing against the Magpies.

I’ll admit, I was indifferent about Cook. I watched his AAMI performance closely and couldn’t justify spending the extra $100K or so on him over some of our cheaper forwards. However, after a balanced performance in Round 1 and with Matthew Nicks pumping him up in the post-match presser, I’m one of the 9,000 or so coaches adding Cook to my mix this week. You should probably do the same. Adding Cook doesn’t mean I’ll be chopping Lachie Dovaston ($312K, 56, BE 9) though, with the Kangaroos’ small forward flirting with a 60-point score without even hitting the scoreboard. High tackle numbers at every level he plays gives me hope that Dovaston will outperform the “slow burn, small forward” label and contribute some pop scores.

Let ’em go

The quick cash grab play by starting Ty Gallop ($309K, 16, BE 20) sounded good in theory, but the Lions tall clearly didn’t get the memo. A strong score in Round 0 convinced some of us that Gallop was the right option at F8, although he’ll now just be shown the door for one of the more reliable rookies we missed. It would be unfair to lump Todd Marshall ($396K, 43, BE 34) in with Gallop after Port’s versatile tall posted a 38-point first half against North. An ankle complaint ended his day prematurely, but if Marshall gets up for this clash with the Bombers, I’d be tempted to give him another run.

Q & A

The weekly Q&A section aims to address the biggest rookie/cash cow issues that we are facing. If I don’t get to your answer in the article, I promise I’ll answer it on Twitter – and as always, you can drop your follow-up questions below.

Only Rookies I’m missing are Murdock, Cook and Lindsay. Not fussed about Lindsay but do I go Errol and Lohmann to the two rookies or do I bring in Merrett and Cook and wait on Murdock

— Errol Gulden’s Left Boot (@StarTraiders) March 17, 2026

The classic conundrum that every coach faces this week – do I grab another premo for Errol Gulden or do I grab the rookie and cash up? Personally, I think we are still early enough in the season to prioritise rookies and cash generation over premium points. Yes, we obviously have to score points to win the game, but Murdock, Cook and even Lindsay could generate another $200K-$300K from this point of the season. It hurts in the short term not grabbing a gun MID, but it will pay off in the long run.

Hi Fry is it worth it to drop a mid pricer that didn’t impress for a rookie like W Duursma? I’m already getting Cook in this week and have all the other ‘must have’ rookies. Thanks

— Olivier Calvi (@oliviercalvi06) March 17, 2026

In short, yes. For me this week, it’s Colby McKercher that is getting the chop and with the injury to Gulden added into the mix, a lot of coaches are going to be LOADED for upgrades over the next few weeks. That doesn’t mean we have to spend it if there are rookies you desire on the outside looking in. A patch-up trade from a failed mid-pricer to a cash cow moving in the right direction is an ideal move this round.

If Marshall plays is he still a trade

— kade burress (@burress_kade) March 17, 2026

I don’t think so. If you need to give him the flick to grab one of the rookies you missed then by all means, pull the trigger. However, there were signs of life from Marshall in the first half against the Roos. If he doesn’t get up, it’s an easy decision, although I wouldn’t be surprised if he came out and gave you a best-18 score in a fantasy-friendly matchup vs. Essendon.

Which 2 to pick of Duursma, Murdock or Cook?

— Matthew Cupo (@mattcupo23) March 17, 2026

This is a ripper question. The Eagles boys should have an extended leash when it comes to job security, but I think the DPP that Cook comes with is a very handy tool – especially when it comes to plugging holes throughout the byes. Duursma will still have good scoring outings, however I think the correct answer is the mature-agers in Murdock and Cook.

How does Gothard compare to Cook?
Thanks!

— Puddy’sPigs (@Sheezel54) March 16, 2026

Phoenix Gothard isn’t really a rookie who I have on my radar. He scored at a solid rate against the Bulldogs, but it seems like everyone is able to do that this season! A few tackles and goals helped him surpass 65, however I don’t think he’ll be able to do that week in, week out. An upcoming bye in Round 4 is the other factor working against Gothard – I’d rather pay the extra $$$ and own Cook.

Remember the Name

In no particular order, here are some of the other rookie-priced players to consider throughout the season.

DEFENDERS

Jacob Farrow (Bombers, $314K)
Charlie Edwards (Crows, $230K)
Wade Derksen (Blues, $230K)
James Leake (Giants, $262K)
Dylan Patterson (Suns, $334K)
Oskar Taylor (Giants, $294K)
Lachlan Carmichael (Bulldogs, $270K)
Cooper Simpson (Dockers, $340K)
Matt Whitlock (Kangaroos, $230K)
Harrison Ramm (Power, $268K)

MIDFIELDERS

Harry DeMattia (Magpies, $230K)
Josh Smillie (Tigers, $230K)
Luke Urquart (Kangaroos, $230K)
Adam Sweid (Dockers, $254K)
Harry Kyle (Swans, $298K)
Tyan Prindable (Magpies, $230K)
Luke Beecken (Lions, $230K)
Sam Cumming (Tigers, $326K)
Jack Dalton (Hawks, $230K)
Ollie Greeves (Hawks, $230K)
Patrick Retschko (Tigers, $230K)
Ben Camporeale (Blues, $230K)
Sam Swadling (Magpies, $230K)

RUCKMEN

Aidan Schubert (Hawks, $262K)
Kayle Gerreyn (Bombers, $230K)
Max Heath (Demons, $376K)
Callum Coleman-Jones (Kangaroos, $230K)
Oscar Steene (Magpies, $230K)

FORWARDS

Sid Draper (Crows, $307K)
Sullivan Robey (Bombers, $318K)
Talor Byrne (Blues, $230K)
Jacob Newton (Eagles, $230K)
Toby Murray (Crows, $230K)
Finlay Macrae (Eagles, $293K)
Mitchell Marsh (Crows, $266K)
Charlie Banfield (Saints, $230K)
Harvey Harrison (Magpies, $300K)
Jay Polkinghorne (Cats, $230K)

Fry

Australian coffee/burrito enthusiast and the frustrated owner of 16 fantasy teams. Writer for SportsbyFry and DT Talk 🤙