How to calculate AFL Fantasy Classic prices

The 2022 AFL Fantasy season is over and while many of us, me included, have their feet up and taking a break, some dedicated coaches have turned their thoughts to making a list of potential picks for next year.

We currently don’t know the salary cap for 2023, which is needed to have the actual prices. You may have heard us over the 16 (!!) seasons we’ve been talking rubbish about fantasy footy referring to a ‘priced at‘ figure. This is a essentially the break even for a player at the start of the season, meaning, what score does a player need to hit in order to maintain their price.

This can be found by dividing the starting price by the magic number. The magic number is the multiplier used to create prices based on their average (and any discounts applied).

As we don’t have the official cap and therefore all the other intricacies to formualte prices, let’s base our thinking using the 2022 numbers.

2022 Salary Cap – $14,800,000
2022 Magic Number – approx. 8386

In most cases, players’ prices are calculated by multiplying the magic number by their average. These are rounded to the nearest $1,000. If we continue to use these numbers here are some of 2022’s top averaging players’ prices. Note, these guys will all be ‘fully priced’ (ie. don’t get a discount as they played 10 or more games).

Rory Laird: 120.4 x 8386 = $1,010,000

Sam Docherty: 110.3 x 8386 = $925,000

Josh Dunkley: 108.8 x 8386 = $912,000

Max Gawn: 103.2 x 8386 = $865,000

You can use these calculations with any player who played 10 or more games in 2022. For example, someone who averaged 75 would cost $629,000 while someone who averaged 50 would be worth $419,000. Those averages are also their priced at figure.

Discounts are applied to players who played fewer than 10 games. They receive a 3% discount on their price for every game under 10. Eg. play 5 games in 2022, they receive a 15% discount… play 1 game, 27% discount… play 9 games, 3% discount. If a player missed the whole season, they receive a 30% discount while two seasons out of the game, they will cop a 35%.

If a player qualifies for a discount, it will be applied to the highest average from the last two seasons. If a player has missed both seasons, the 35% is applied to the most recent average available.

Some discount examples for next season:

Brodie Grundy – 6 games (12% discount)
2022 avg: 93.3 | 2021 avg: 106.4
0.88 x 106.4 = priced at 93.6
93.6 x 8386 = $785,000

Mitch McGovern – 7 games (9% discount)
2022 avg: 69 | 2021 avg: 67
0.91 x 69 = priced at 62.8
62,8 x 8386 = 527,000

Josh Goater – 1 game (27% discount)
2022 avg: 83 | 2021 avg: DNP
0.73 x 83 = priced at 60.6
60.6 x 8386 = $508,000

Toby McLean – 0 games (30% discount)
2022 avg: DNP | 2021 avg: 64.6
0.7 x 64.6 = priced at 45.2
45.2 x 8386 = $379,000

The only other thing to note is that a player who is yet to debut, they will be basement priced. This was $190,000 this year based on the $14.8m salary cap. This figure equates to being priced at approx. 22.6. Therefore, any player whose discount would have their priced at figure go below that number, they would be basement priced. No player is ever priced below the basement.

So there you have it. That’s basically all you need to know about calculating prices for the upcoming season. That said, there is likely to be a salary cap increase to remain in line with the real one. With that, the magic number also increases which means that basement price could possibly increase and that number quoted for Laird, for example, might be low.

The thing to remember is that it is all relative.

Our priced at figure is the key to it all. Their price is based on this number which equates to their average. If you think that number is lower than what they’ll produce, generally speaking, they will be value… and that is the aim of the game! Finding players who present value.

Happy off-season bargain hunting!