daily fantasy sports articles
AFL 2021 Daily Fantasy Tips: Finals Demons v Cats
Preliminary finals week is here and we kick things off this Friday with a blockbuster between the Melbourne Demons and Geelong Cats. These two teams met in the final round of the season with top spot on the line and delivered an absolute classic with Melbourne making a late charge to steal the win. Draftstars has us covered with another slate of huge daily fantasty contests for this game:
- AFL $100,000+ Demons vs Cats at Draftstars
- AFL $15,000+ Demons vs Cats High Roller ($150 Entry) at Draftstars
- AFL $6,000+ Demons vs Cats Fiver at Draftstars
- AFL $6,000+ Demons vs Cats Mini ($2 Entry) at Draftstars
- AFL $3,000 Blinder ($1,000 USD to 1st) at DraftKings
In addition to previews for each and every slate this season, Daily Fantasy Rankings will continue with our AFL Resources page. This section provides you all the data you need to build your best lineups. It includes daily cheat sheets for both Draftstars and DraftKings, Player Correlation tables, Player Out tables, Scores Against tables, Tagging information, statistical breakdowns and much more!
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS OUR CHEAT SHEET FOR THIS MATCH
You can watch a replay of the DFS Down Under Show with Smatho and Hef as they breakdown this Draftstars contest on Friday night. Not to be missed if you are making lineups for this contest!
Melbourne vs Geelong at OPTUS Stadium (MEL -11.5, 151.5)
Weather
Very slight chance of a sprinkle of rain but nothing that will have any impact on the game. Looking like absolute perfect conditions for football out West and we can all be free to select our fantasy teams without worry about the weather playing a role.
Where to Attack?
Melbourne and Geelong have both been two of the harder teams to score fantasy points against all season overall. However, the one position that the Demons allow to score is through the midfield. In a similar mold to the Richmond Tigers during their premiership run, the Demons structure up with a loose man back, often giving up possession through the middle with the backs winning the ball and setting up offensively from there. As a result the Demons have given up the second most points in the league to midfielders this year.
Geelong will look to control the ball through uncontested play, whille Melbourne will win the contested ball.
Game Script – Outside Geelong midfielders, Inside Melbourne midfielders, Melbourne forwards
VALUE PLAYS
Max Holmes (DS $6,310) has not seen any real price increase despite posting four straight games of 62+ fantasy points, which is just under a 10x return. In a finals single game slate that is a massive return for price and it allows you to spend up on the premium players that typically dominate big finals games. Holmes will also be playing on the outside and up the ground, which suits the narrative that the Demons will be allowing outside players through the midfield to score fantasy points.
Tom Sparrow (DS $6,680) has been given a solid role through the midfield late in the season for the Demons attending around 50% of the centre bounces for the last five games. This has resulted in a boost in his fantasy output without his price increasing. He has posted 64+ points in four of his last five games.
MID PRICED PLAYS
Isaac Smith (DS $13,460) should take advantage of the fact that the Demons given up the second most points in the league through the midfield. As noted above the Cats will look to control the ball through uncontested possessions and Isaac Smith will be key to this as he provides linking touches from the back line up through the wing. The last time these two teams met he posted 106 fantasy points from 24 touches and 11 marks.
PREMIUM PLAYS
Clayton Oliver (DS $15,560) has absolutely destroyed the Cats over his career averaging 116 points per game against them. His only games below 100 were a 99 point outing in 2018, and a 78 point game in 2020 (shortened time). In two meetings this year he has posted a 128 and 133 and I expect him to dominate the contested play in this final.
Max Gawn (DS $15,580) when it comes down the ruck position in a single game slate it really comes down to who will win the head to head matchup and by how much. Gawn is the hardest ruck in the league to score against, while Stanley has historically given up fantasy points. The last time they met Gawn posted a massive 139 points and dominated the matchup. It is hard to see Stanley with a ceiling any higher than 80 against Gawn.
Suggested Draftstars Team
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