11 down, 13 to go!

The mid-season bye rounds are always a testing time in the AFL Fantasy season. Some of us welcome best-18 scoring and with three trades a week for the next five rounds, there is a great opportunity for us to fix the mistakes we’ve made and target some of the top-line premiums. It is important to keep a long-term approach over these next five weeks to avoid sideways trading premiums and finding yourself in just a tricky spot once the byes end. If we use these extra trades wisely, there’s every chance we can set ourselves up for a massive finish to the 2026 season.

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

Cash Cow King – Round 11

It’s not every week that we see a cash cow score 130 points, but that’s exactly what Phoenix Gothard did on Sunday! Erupting for 58 points in the third, Gothard produced the highest rookie score of the season to date – however, I expect another cash cow to take out the majority of the votes this week. Coaches would have either fielded or looped Patrick Retschko onto their field after his triple-figure outing on Friday, while the likes of Jai Serong and Jacob Farrow could also see some votes given the amount of late outs that struck us down over the weekend.

It’s not every day a rookie drops a 130! The majority of the fantasy community missed out on Gothard’s whopping score, which may see another popular rook steal the most votes this week.

Who gets your vote as the most important cash cow in Round 11? 🤔 #AFLFantasy

— SportsbyFry (@sportsbyfry) May 26, 2026

Defenders

Let ’em grow

As the best-18 rounds commence, I’m pretty comfortable backing in a handful of our defensive rookies. It starts with Jai Serong ($687K, 98, BE 48), as the recylced Swan flirts with a 75 AVG for the season – surpassing that mark in three of his last four games. Honestly, if you’ve held him this long, I think you should keep backing him in – along with Josh Lindsay ($679K, 71, BE 60), who I’m still irrationally attached to at this point. There’s every chance that the budding Eagle maintains his epic scoring rate with an 80+ score this weekend. Essendon could prove to be more of a challenge in the wake of Brad Scott’s firing, which leaves Jacob Farrow ($620K, 85, BE 50) as a cash cow to consider keeping as well. I’ll probably end up fielding him if Lachie Whitfield misses again, but either way, I’m curious to see how he is deployed under Dean Solomon’s guidance.

The DEF downgrade options are trickier to navigate, with the upcoming trio all possessing shaky job security. Bodie Ryan ($289K, 41, BE 6) is still my preferred target in the backline, despite a quieter week in Round 11. He’s been solid enough without exploding, although a healthy Jack Scrimshaw and Tom Barrass in the next week or two could spell doom for Ryan. That makes his job security questionable at best, with Wade Derksen ($305K, 62, BE 1) facing similar concerns. Finishing as the highest scorer in this bunch last round, I’d love to trust Derksen moving forward, but Weitering’s impending return makes that pretty hard. Then there’s Harrison Oliver ($282K, 40, BE 6), who was lucky to get a gig last weekend at all! He only came into the team as a late change when Whitfield was withdrawn and there is no real guarantee he’ll hold his spot to take on Melbourne.

Let ’em go

Midfielders

Let ’em grow

The end is nearing for Willem Duursma ($738K, 75, BE 86), with almost 2,000 coaches already opting to chop him this week. I’ll probably keep riding with Duurs at M8 for another couple of rounds, although the No. 1 overall pick hasn’t posted an 80+ score in a month and he is technically starting to lose value. There should still be a decent point total on offer against the Dons – especially if Patrick Retschko’s ($559K, 106, BE 20) performance from last Friday is anything to go by! Coaches were moving magnets all over the place in an effort to loop his 106 points onto their field, and there’s no hope that we see a few more of those ceiling games through the bye rounds.

His teammate Sam Cumming ($447K, 64, BE 39) isn’t hitting the same heights, but Richmond is still giving him a heavy dose of MID minutes, highlighted by attending 43% of the CBA’s last round. If you’re after a rookie with a little more cash generation upside, Jack Ison ($325K, 72, BE -16) has quickly become the standout target. If you didn’t grab him last week, he’s the standout downgrade option this round, with his place in Carlton’s senior side becoming safer with every quarter he plays. At this point, Ison looms as the standout money-maker for the middle stretch of the fantasy season and I’d be making him a priority target before his price really starts to skyrocket.

Let ’em go

No one fits the bill for a MID trade-out candidate this week – except for Angus Anderson ($509K, DNP, BE 46). Listed as the carryover emergency last round, Anderson didn’t even get a chance to push for a recall in the VFL and there are nearly 5,000 coaches who have decided enough is enough. There’s a world where you can squeeze a few extra dollars out of Anderson, but having made $279K already this season, there’s no reason to get greedy and find yourself stuck with a red dot.

Rucks

Let ’em go

I’m going a bit off script in this section to explain my thoughts on the most traded-out player ahead of Round 12. Including last week, roughly 20% of the competition are offloading Lachie McAndrew ($751K, 75, BE 82) as Adelaide’s bye round arrives and I fully endorse such a move. Personally, I’m looking to add a value ruck like Darcy Cameron to my mix while KEEPING McAndrew as the Crows’ lead ruck has hardly put a foot wrong all season. If you opt for a trio of Grundy, Cameron and McAndrew, then you’ll be able to field two rucks every week throughout the next month (providing you can loop with a non-playing RUC in Round 13), before cashing McAndrew in at Rd 16 for another premium and hopefully maximise your on-field point total. Just thought I’d share my thinking instead of spending 150 words finding a complex way to say “thanks for everything McR2, now it’s time to go”.

Forwards

Let ’em grow

I’ve made it this far into the article without mentioning the new batch of DPP’s, but let’s be honest, two MID rookies who added FWD status were the only relevant additions from a cash cow perspective. The ability to swing Jagga Smith ($721K, 75, BE 64) into our front half has him shaping up as a genuine lock to be our last on-field rookie pick. He’s averaging 82.6 across his last five matches and honestly, that’s more than enough for Jagga to hold down F6 until someone else emerges as a must-have. I don’t have the same high hopes for Milan Murdock ($665K, 71, BE 65) as an on-field staple, with his newfound tagging role a worrying trend. It hasn’t dramatically affected his scores yet, but that sort of role can be conducive to a random 40-50 point outing. Right now, flicking Murdock at his Round 15 bye feels like the cleanest exit strategy.

Smith and Murdock aren’t the only rookies in contention for a role at F6, with injury woes at Essendon working in Sullivan Robey’s ($549K, 75, BE 14) favour. The trade-in window for the bullocking cash cow has probably closed now, despite Robey averaging 81 across his last three. I’d rather save the extra $250K+ and invest in Charlie Banfield ($310K, 65, BE -10), despite some lingering job security concerns. Banfield is the most traded-in player this week for a reason and I’m hopeful that Ross Lyon keeps giving him opportunities through the bye rounds. I don’t quite have the same optimism about Hawthorn debutant Cameron Nairn ($284K, 42, BE 20), although to be fair, there weren’t many points available in his debut last Thursday. I want another look at him against St Kilda to formulate an opinion, but I think he’s better off being ignored for now.

Let ’em go

I can fully understand why only 38% of the Phoenix Gothard ($547K, 130, BE 22) owners had him on field last round. Each week, I’ve been highlighting how poor the GWS forward was scoring, and there was no way of knowing that he was going to whack 100 points onto his average from the last month! Hopefully, it’s a sign of what’s to come and the Gothard truthers can benefit again in the best-18 rounds with another pop score from Phoenix. In a similar price vein, Brayden Cook ($686K, 49, BE 80) is being moved on by over 8,000 coaches after he has played his important role in the forward line. Reflecting on the fantasy season to date, Cook was obviously the correct choice for coaches at F6 and his five 80+ scores so far have helped a fair share of the fantasy community. However, Adelaide’s bye coinciding with a low score from Cookie means it’s time to cash him in.

A fair chunk of the Leo Lombard ($513K, 55, BE 40) owners are using the Gold Coast bye as an opportunity to offload a forward bench piece. Lombard has turned his form around over the last month plus, but it’s unlikely that he will produce a score that will contribute to your team total during the byes. The same could be said for Toby Murray ($464K, 3, BE 46), who came crashing back down to Earth against the Hawks with a stat line that included just two handballs and two hitouts. If I was an owner, I’d be taking the money and running – although, there aren’t many viable targets outside of Banfield. I still don’t trust Paddy Cross ($347K, 56, BE 7) and he isn’t that cheap anymore either. If you’re willing to wait a week, you could target Port small forward Thomas Anastasopoulos ($292K, 54, BE -2), who seems poised to make a few dollars as a heartbeat on our bench.

Reserves Report

Here is a list of the most noteworthy fantasy scores we saw from potential cash cows in the reserves around the country over the weekend.

Jack Ough, Giants – 159 points, 39 disposals, 11 marks, 5 tackles, 1 goal
Lachlan Smith, Bulldogs – 127 points, 25 disposals, 40 hitouts, 1.2 in front of goal
Ben Camporeale, Blues – 117 points, 31 disposals, 5 tackles, 1 goal
Cody Curtin, Lions – 106 points, 17 disposals, 8 marks, 4.3 in front of goal
Finlay Macrae, Eagles – 105 points, 24 disposals, 5 marks, 7 tackles
Jai Murray, Suns – 101 points, 22 disposals, 5 marks, 6 tackles
Cooper Duff-Tytler, Eagles – 99 points, 15 disposals, 20 hitouts, 2.1 in front of goal
James Leake, Giants – 96 points, 32 disposals, 5 marks
Charlie Edwards, Crows – 90 points, 22 disposals, 7 marks
Tom Blamires, Kangaroos – 89 points, 29 disposals
Billy Cootee, Swans – 81 points, 21 disposals, 5 marks, 1.1 in front of goal
Jack Dalton, Hawks – 80 points, 23 disposals, 1 goal
Sam Swadling, Magpies – 68 points, 21 disposals, 5 marks

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.

Best rookies downgrades for this week, other than Ison & Banfield!

— Kevin Agrum (@danicicc95) May 26, 2026

It’s tough to pinpoint which rooks we can trust outside of Ison and Banfield, but there are still some around. Team selection on Thursday will be telling, but the likes of Bodie Ryan, Harrison Oliver and Wade Derksen could be considered down back, while Cam Nairn and Jasper Alger are also cheap options for the forward line. Hopefully this is the week we get a Lachie Carmichael debut announcement, or even a mid-season draftee bolts into contention.

Is Ough a chance any time soon you reckon?

— FlipGoated (@AusTWolves) May 26, 2026

If his numbers are anything to go, he should be getting a game ASAP! Unfortunately, as Josh Fahey truthers can tell you, incredible form in the VFL doesn’t always translate to a string of AFL appearances. More importantly, even if Ough was promoted to the senior team, unless someone like Clayton Oliver went down, he probably wouldn’t see the same midfield opportunities that he does at the state league level. Let’s hope he gets a gig in the second half of the bye rounds though as he would be a very handy fantasy asset.

Ison or Banfield? Banfield better bye round and DPP; Ison better job security and output?

— Soul Man 💙 (@jdbrown74) May 26, 2026

It’s a good question and the safe answer is probably both. I understand the perceived job security issues that Banfield may face, but he is a rare type of rookie who is capable of filling up the stat sheet in multiple areas. Watching him live on Friday night, he is bigger than I expected and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him hold his spot even when a few Saints get healthy. With all that said, Ison is still the preferred option. He has all the tools that suggest he can hit a ceiling score during the byes and be a best-18 contributor, which makes him a must this week.

Are there any Mid Season draft rookies you think are immediate pick-ups or always wait a week?

— Kent (@kent_hodder) May 26, 2026

I always suggest waiting a week on debutants, but there are some of the mid-season draftees who should instantly come into consideration if they’re named. The popular name is the first overall selection, Jaxon Artemis. His average of 77.3 for Tasmania doesn’t jump off the page, however his game should translate well to the AFL whenever he joins Essendon’s lineup over the next few weeks. The one you really want to keep an eye on though is Joel Fitzgerald. The newest Melbourne recruit has had the ball on a string for Williamstown this year – averaging a whopping 33.8 disposals and 135 points through 6 VFL games this year, recording recent scores of 148, 129, 174!!, 129 and 138. If he’s picked as a member of the Demons’ back-6, he could carve out a role right away and score points in a hurry. West Coast’s additions in Oliver Francou (115.8 AVG) and Marcus Herbert (106.2 AVG) are also worth keeping an eye on as potential downgrade targets in the near future.

Remember the Name

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

DEFENDERS

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)
Ollie Greeves (Hawks, $230K)
Ben Camporeale (Blues, $230K)
Sam Swadling (Magpies, $230K)

RUCKMEN

Aidan Schubert (Hawks, $262K)
Kayle Gerreyn (Bombers, $230K)

FORWARDS

Sid Draper (Crows, $307K)
Jesse Dattoli (Swans, $273K)
Finlay Macrae (Eagles, $293K)
Mitchell Marsh (Crows, $266K)
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 🤙