Round 3 of the 2023 AFL Premiership Season kicks off with a make-or-break contest at Marvel Stadium between the struggling Western Bulldogs and demon-exorcising Brisbane Lions.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is under pressure after his side’s 0-2 start to the year, so he has promised to throw the magnets around for this game against a true flag contender.

Draftstars has delivered again, with another $100,000 Guaranteed Main Event this Thursday and a wide variety of other lower stakes options with big prize pools.

  • AFL $100,000+ Bulldogs vs Lions at Draftstars
  • AFL $10,000+ Bulldogs vs Lions High Roller ($150 Entry) at Draftstars
  • AFL $5,000+ Bulldogs vs Lions Fiver at Draftstars 
  • AFL $5,000+ Bulldogs vs Lions Mini ($2 Entry) at Draftstars

Draftstars

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 line-ups. It includes daily cheat sheets for Draftstars, 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 

Betting Markets

Western Bulldogs ($2.64) vs Brisbane ($1.48)

Line: Brisbane -13.5

Points Line: 173.5 points

If you’re looking to bet on the AFL this season, we highly recommend BoomBet. They are an exciting Australian-owned sportsbook with an excellent range of AFL betting markets. Click the banner below to join today!

BoomBet

Weather

Melbourne – Morning shower or two, 19 degrees

We’re under the roof again on Thursday night, so the outdoor conditions will have no impact on this game. Select your line-ups with freedom!

Where To Attack?

We still only have two datasets to work with in 2023, so some give a truer reflection of a trend than others. Nevertheless, the total points conceded statistic certainly demonstrates how poor the Bulldogs have been so far this season. The men in red, white and blue have conceded the third most fantasy points overall and considering they enter this clash as underdogs (pardon the pun), the Lions should take advantage of this.

Another number worth analysing is points conceded to defenders. The Bulldogs shipped plenty of points to backs in 2022 and that trend has carried over to 2023. As such, Brisbane’s defensive ball-winners should be on your radar.

Game Script – Brisbane stacks

VALUE PLAYS

Eric Hipwood (DS $8,180) loves playing against the Bulldogs. The Brisbane key forward averages nearly 75 against Footscray over his career, with four scores of 80+. At this price point on a single slate we will take anything over 65, so it’s not a massive stretch to expect Hipwood to hit value, despite his lacklustre start to the season.

Conor McKenna (DS $8,090) faces the Bulldogs this week, who have been leaky to backs in recent times. Without Rich in the side, the Irishman should inherit a fair share of the kick-ins (he had four in Round 1), so a bump on his near 64 average should see a strong value return.

MID PRICED PLAYS

Will Ashcroft (DS $10,170) produced a head-turning performance in just his second senior game, scoring 90 points against Melbourne’s elite midfield. The favourite for the Rising Star awarded has been inserted straight into Brisbane’s core midfield group, so he will spend plenty of time around the ball again this week, which bodes well for his fantasy output. Furthermore, he is the cheapest CBA midfielder on the slate, so lock him in!

PREMIUM PLAYS

Josh Dunkley (DS $15,570) will undoubtedly be fired up for his high-profile revenge game against the Bulldogs on Thursday. The former dog has made a steady start to his time as a Lion, averaging 87 DFS points over the first two weeks, but this could be the game where he announces himself as a force to be reckoned with in 2023. Dunkley has been a key member of Brisbane’s midfield in rounds 1 and 2, and he will thrive under the roof at Marvel where he hit the ton in 9/11 games last season.

Tim English (DS $14,430) has raced out of the blocks in 2023, with two 110+ scores to start the season. Playing as the solo ruck, English has shrugged off questions surrounding his fitness to dominate in a struggling team, so he will be a popular pick this week. That being said, I do have some doubts. Firstly, Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has hinted that he will tinker with some player roles this week, so I wouldn’t be surprised if English loses some ruck time. Furthermore, English has struggled against the Lions in the past. Regardless, he certainly appears to be the best value ruck on this slate, with a ceiling that matches the star midfielders.

Suggested Draftstars Lineup

 

WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH?
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit Gambling Help Online at www.gamblinghelponline.org.au.