19 down, 5 to go!

We haven’t had a fantasy season like this before. Yet another injured premium (and a popular one at that) means we are left scrambling to patch holes in our best 22 once again. Every forced trade robs us of another opportunity to trade out a fattened rookie, and with just five rounds remaining, there are bound to be a few inflated cash cows who will stay sitting on our bench. Investing in rookies isn’t crucial at this point of the year, but having reliable cover in every line still matters if you’ve got the flexibility to invest. The last thing you want is to lose a fantasy final because you’re missing a green dot as an emergency when you need it the most.

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

Cash Cow King – Round 19

It’s strange to see McAndrew missing from the batch of weekly nominees, but there were still reliable rooks who posted noteworthy numbers last round. Jagga Smith and Patrick Retschko tied with a top score of 92, while the likes of Dyson Sharp and Brayden Cook weren’t much further behind them. Most coaches have likely moved on from most of these cash cows by now, although if you haven’t, it would have been handy to cash the ≈90 points they produce in Round 19.

For the first time in six weeks, Lachie McAndrew hasn’t earned a nomination – giving the cash cow class of 2026 a chance to make up some valuable ground in this award race!

Who gets your vote as the most important cash cow in Round 19? 🤔 #AFLFantasy

— SportsbyFry (@sportsbyfry) July 21, 2026

Loophole Candidates

Back ‘Em In

Stick With ‘Em

Joel Fitzgerald ($526K, 42, BE 33) is currently the second most traded-out player ahead of Round 20, and I can understand why. Plenty of coaches gave him a chance on field to cover for the injured Zak Butters, only to be rewarded with a stinky 42 points with just nine touches. That performance may even cost him a place in Melbourne’s best 23, but from a fantasy standpoint, I still think we can stash him at M9 or M10 as reliable bench cover. The same applies to Sam Swadling ($399K, 52, BE 20) who currently sits next to Fitz on my bench and is slowly rising in value for his owners. In defence, Hawthorn duo Bailey Macdonald ($452K, 73, BE 21) and Noah Mraz ($400K, 84, BE -9) made the most of the Richmond matchup last weekend, posting career-best fantasy scores. Hopefully they can back it up against the Bombers this weekend and establish themselves as dependable cover in our backline for the run home.

Jaxon Artemis ($235K, 32, BE 21) should feature in that same contest, and he is another cheap alternative in defence that coaches are targeting this week. I’m not expecting great scores from the mid-season recruit, but Essendon should give him plenty of senior chances to close out the season. He’s a fine flier if you need a D7 heartbeat. At the other end of the ground, Geelong debutant Jay Polkinghorne ($265K, 70, BE -4) has established himself as a popular downgrade choice after he fired five shots on goal last Thursday night to record 70 points. Almost 5000 coaches have jumped on Polkinghorne to secure a green dot at F7, and if you’ve got a spare trade, I tick off such a move.

Cash ‘Em Out

Our focus this week isn’t on trading out rookies, as another injured premium causes us headaches. However, I want to quickly address players such as Sam Cumming ($585K, 72, BE 57), Mitch Edwards ($529K, 63, BE 47), Leo Lombard ($589K, 75, BE 47) and Dyson Sharp ($590K, 90, BE 32). Outside of the bye rounds, this group and a few others in a similar price bracket haven’t been fielded throughout the year. They have played an important role as playing emergencies on our bench and if they are your lone green dot in any potential line, then they can stay there. If you have multiple playing options in one position, then it’s time to cash them in. Yes, I understand this is easier said than done thanks to the injuries that keep striking down our on-field 22, but if you have the chance, don’t let the $300K they have generated sit idly on your bench. Turn it into points on field.

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.

Billy Cootee, Swans – 147 points, 19 disposals, 14 tackles, 5.1 in front of goal
Jack Watkins, Power – 113 points, 34 disposals, 7 marks
Harry Kyle, Swans – 113 points, 30 disposals, 6 marks
Cameron Nairn, Hawks – 109 points, 19 disposals, 11 marks, 1 goal
Dan Annable, Lions – 104 points, 30 disposals, 5 tackles
Lachie Jaques, Bulldogs – 103 points, 23 disposals, 6 marks, 1 goal
Lachlan Carmichael, Bulldogs – 102 points, 24 disposals, 7 marks, 6 tackles
Aidan Schubert, Hawks – 93 points, 20 disposals, 6 marks, 2 goals
Luke Urquhart, Kangaroos – 81 points, 20 disposals, 5 marks, 5 tackles
Bodie Ryan, Hawks – 81 points, 24 disposals, 5 marks 
Charlie Banfield, Saints – 79 points, 19 disposals, 5 tackles
Lukas Cooke, Demons – 79 points, 14 disposals, 8 marks, 1 goal
Lachy Dovaston, Kangaroos – 78 points, 15 disposals, 5 marks, 4.2 in front of goal
Sid Draper, Crows – 70 points, 20 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.

Wanted: one playing “Cheap” R/F who will cover if and when Jackson gets rested. Best options? Not a rookie but looking at Dante this week … …. also allows the Marshall switcheroo if needed.

— FossilOz (@WA_Botanist) July 21, 2026

You aren’t the only one chasing one such player! Unfortunately though mate, I’m not convince that player exists. Aidan Schubert from the Hawks would have been my pick at the start of the year, but I don’t think he’ll get a gig before the seaosn concludes. You could invest in Dante, but his place in Port’s side is far from locked. If it was me, I’d save the extra $100K and grab Kalani White instead – which means you can still swap him for Marshall if need be.

Thought on Jack Ough ? Mostly for keeper league, is he a future gun ?

— G (@G32484351) July 21, 2026

He has all the tools to be a fantasy stud in the future, although that may not translate to the top level. Ough has averaged almost 32 disposals with 5+ marks and 5+ tackles in a dozen VFL games this season, but he will need someone to go missing from the Giants’ engine room to earn a regular gig in the senior team. In 2-3 years, that could happen but for the short term I don’t think we’ll see him produce worthwhile AFL Fantasy numbers.

Remember the Name

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

DEFENDERS

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)
Tyan Prindable (Magpies, $230K)
Luke Beecken (Lions, $230K)
Ben Camporeale (Blues, $230K)

RUCKMEN

Aidan Schubert (Hawks, $262K)
Kayle Gerreyn (Bombers, $230K)
Harrison Coe (Magpies, $230K)
Caleb May (Bulldogs, $230K)

FORWARDS

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

Fry

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