daily fantasy sports articles
AFL 2021 Daily Fantasy Tips: Round 20 Sunday
Absolute chaos has reigned over this weekend’s AFL action and as a result we have a blockbuster Sunday slate on the way to finish off round 20! There’s 5 games around the country to sift through to build your daily fantasy lineups so we’re here to give you a helping hand. It’s also your last chance to grab a Golden Ticket so be sure to check out the qualifiers in addition to the usual offering of big money contests:
- AFL $60,000+ Sunday at Draftstars
- AFL $10,000+ Sunday High Roller ($150 Entry) at Draftstars
- AFL $5,000+ Sunday Fiver at Draftstars
- AFL $3,000+ Sunday ($2 Entry) at Draftstars
- AFL 300k Golden Ticket Qualifiers Sunday ($20, $10 and $5 Entry) at Draftstars
- AFL $500 Blinder 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
Gold Coast v Melbourne at Marvel Stadium (MEL -28.5, 166.5)
Hawthorn v Brisbane at UTAS Stadium (BRIS -28.5, 148.5)
Essendon v Sydney at the MCG (SYD -14.5, 162.5)
Fremantle v Richmond at Optus Stadium (RICH -8.5, 144.5)
GWS Giants v Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium (PTA -13.5, 162.5)
WEATHER WATCH
The low expected total in the Dockers v Tigers game gives away the weather forecast for Perth, with 6 to 15mm of rain expected in the form of showers and a potential thunderstorm. The game in Launceston between the Hawks and the Lions also has a low total but fine conditions are forecast there. Obviously the two games at Marvel Stadium won’t be affected by weather given no crowds means the roof will be shut, but the forecast is reasonable for Melbourne anyway so the MCG game shouldn’t be affected either.
Where to Attack?
Freo have really cemented their spot at the top of the leaderboard when it comes to conceding points to opposition backs. The weather may be a damper on cheap ball for the Tigers backs but they’ve got a head start with this match up.
Opportunities galore for the midfielders on this slate. The top 4 teams when it comes to giving up points are all featured and the extra bonus for the Freo midfielders are the fact the Tigers do give up plenty of contested ball to make up that figure, which could be relevant in wet conditions. These teams generally don’t tag bar maybe Harmes for Melbourne so you can have confidence targeting them in your lineups.
A few interesting spots among the ruck matchups here. Max Gawn lobs into the competition’s best opportunity here, but it is worth noting the Suns have brought back a traditional ruckman in Zac Smith. The inclusion of Reeves into the Hawks lineup is another interesting one, as you can see by that Last 5 spike figure of 94. GWS and Essendon both feature prominently here as well.
Game stacks - Tiger defenders, Docker and Demon midfielders
VALUE PLAYS
You’d be forgiven if you’ve never heard the name Jake Bowey (DS $5,000) before but you might learn his name pretty quickly. He was the Demon’s first pick in the 2020 Draft at number 21 and has been putting together some impressive fantasy performances at VFL level. He may only be 175cm tall but he comes into his debut off the back of scores of 105, 115 and 87. In a nice matchup against the Suns he’s definitely a cheap option to consider for your lineups.
If you want a bit more experience for your paltry minimum salary then take a look at Bowey’s Demon team mate Tom Sparrow (DS $5,000). His season average has copped a battering given a range of number of medi-sub appearances but he has a proven ability to outperform this salary, having hit 50+ 5 times this year. He’s not an absolute gimme - especially given the full strength Demon midfield - but a strong candidate to return value.
Daniel Rioli (DS $6,730) has relished his new role as a half back flanker and came up with a big 83 last time out against the Cats. 7 tackles were an encouraging stat on that occasion and he has collected 19 possessions in each of his past two outings. Gets the league’s best matchup for defenders here and that salary is still too cheap.
MID RANGE PLAYS
I’m backing the truck up on Nick Blakey (DS $7,210) this week. The Lizard was tracking beautifully last week against the Dockers but missed out on a really big score with injury issues in the second half. His 65 was his lowest score for the month but still represents 9x value at this price. He’s another who’s still too cheap!
I’m a big fan of playing Freo youngster Caleb Serong (DS $10,680) in the right matchup and I think this match fits the bill. As mentioned Richmond have given up a lot of points to opposition midfielders and Serong’s proficiency in the contest looks ideally suited to not only this matchup, but the weather forecast. If he can push 100 it would be a tasty return for his salary, and he’ll let you dream of a big 140 given he produced that against North Melbourne earlier in the year.
PREMIUM PLAYS
Jayden Short (DS $13,720) has been a picture of consistency since the injury to Bachar Houli made this Richmond defence his personal playground. He’s coming off two of the hardest matchups for defenders in the comp but managed 97 and 94 against the Lions and the Cats. Now he’s looking at a Docker outfit who will give him as many points as he wants, and I’m backing Short to feast.
On a slate with plenty of cheap options, it’s going to be really tempting to bank the points with Max Gawn (DS $15,490). One of the league’s best ruckman in the best matchup makes him an obvious choice on this slate and it should really just be a matter of how much over 100 he scores. My only concern is whether the Dees look to give Jackson more run in the ruck than usual but it’s not enough to turn me off at this very reasonable price.
Suggested Draftstars Team
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