Position 2026 AFL Fantasy Rucks

[Mr Gor]

Going with McAndrew at R2 saves bulk cash but where are people spending it? On premos with a bye?

 

[FlowersByIrene]

Going with McAndrew at R2 saves bulk cash but where are people spending it? On premos with a bye?

This is my issue...

 

[BennyFC]

Going with McAndrew at R2 saves bulk cash but where are people spending it? On premos with a bye?

Also means you're having to either lock in a sub-standard rook at R3 (Duff-Tytler as a third tall at the worst team in the comp? Will be lucky to touch it 5 times a game) or start with a red dot rookie at R3. You're potentially losing out on $150k plus of team value going with McAndrew R2 in my opinion

 

[JDWCE]

Also means you're having to either lock in a sub-standard rook at R3 (Duff-Tytler as a third tall at the worst team in the comp? Will be lucky to touch it 5 times a game) or start with a red dot rookie at R3. You're potentially losing out on $150k plus of team value going with McAndrew R2 in my opinion

I can see Edwards getting games for the cats. Looked far better than SDK in the ruck

 

[happy_eagle]

Normally it may be an issue. But with byes in rounds 2-4, if the cheap ruck fails in round 1 and gets dropped you still have three weeks and nine trades to solve the problem.

We dont get 3 trades during early bye rounds, but yeh I get your point.

 

[BennyFC]

I can see Edwards getting games for the cats. Looked far better than SDK in the ruck

Yep, good call - I'd be much more supportive of the idea if Edwards scores well in R0 and is named R1

 

[danster168]

Youre not saving or losing trades.

You are seeing it wrong.

Its a premo ruck + cheap mid vs premo mid + cheap ruck

Rucks have more questions marks so the mids are safer.
Cheaper rucks have better scoring potential than the rookie mids.
The premo mid + cheaper ruck wins quite confortably tbh, unless you are very confident in your premo ruckman to not go down in value for some reason.

You have the same amount of hopefully keepers in your starting squad

Same amount of trades to complete the team

I'm not reading it wrong. My results speak for themselves. The rucks is more destructive to replace if a guy goes down with an injury or is horribly out of form. You have to act and act fast. Yes, mids are safer but the ruck rules affect ALL rucks, not just the premo's. So if English goes down from 110 to 100, but 'value rucks' like Briggs also go from 80 to say 70. It's all relative.

Plus the midfield has more depth. Your top 8 mids can come from a pool of 20. But the top 2 rucks is only 4 (Gawn, English, Grundy and Xerri). You need 2 of these guys by the end of the year. You don't necessarily need all the same guys is in the midfield because there's so much depth.

 

[4tune8]

I'm not reading it wrong. My results speak for themselves. The rucks is more destructive to replace if a guy goes down with an injury or is horribly out of form. You have to act and act fast. Yes, mids are safer but the ruck rules affect ALL rucks, not just the premo's. So if English goes down from 110 to 100, but 'value rucks' like Briggs also go from 80 to say 70. It's all relative.

Plus the midfield has more depth. Your top 8 mids can come from a pool of 20. But the top 2 rucks is only 4 (Gawn, English, Grundy and Xerri). You need 2 of these guys by the end of the year. You don't necessarily need all the same guys is in the midfield because there's so much depth.

I can't remember a year where there could be a multitude of rookie/cheap ruck options and starting a rookie ruck is no different to starting a rookie anywhere else with the choices available.

<$300k:

McAndrew
Emmett
CCJ
Steene
Edwards
ZZ

$300k-$400k:

Visentini
Reidy
Heath
CDT
Ryan

$400k-$500k:

Cox
Reeves

$500k-$600k

Williams
Conway
Dante
Ladhams
Madden

$600k-$700k:

Darcy
Pittonet
Bryan

$700k-$800k:

Draper
Briggs
Fort


Looks like a lot of clubs will be running with 2 rucks and it seems like the 2nd ruck might get a bigger share, particularly if they're a leaper and the 1st ruck isn't. Add in players like Blakiston and there's a very good case for starting a rookie ruck, upgrade to stepping stone like Bryan in round 6, or even a premo if funds allow.

 

[happy_eagle]

I can't remember a year where there could be a multitude of rookie/cheap ruck options and starting a rookie ruck is no different to starting a rookie anywhere else with the choices available.

<$300k:

McAndrew
Emmett
CCJ
Steene
Edwards
ZZ

$300k-$400k:

Visentini
Reidy
Heath
CDT
Ryan

$400k-$500k:

Cox
Reeves

$500k-$600k

Williams
Conway
Dante
Ladhams
Madden

$600k-$700k:

Darcy
Pittonet
Bryan

$700k-$800k:

Draper
Briggs
Fort


Looks like a lot of clubs will be running with 2 rucks and it seems like the 2nd ruck might get a bigger share, particularly if they're a leaper and the 1st ruck isn't. Add in players like Blakiston and there's a very good case for starting a rookie ruck, upgrade to stepping stone like Bryan in round 6, or even a premo if funds allow.

Not a single ruck in that list is likely to play (early) or score well.

If you start McAndrew and he gets dropped or fails, then imo you have to go to the top.

 

[4tune8]

Not a single ruck in that list is likely to play (early) or score well.

If you start McAndrew and he gets dropped or fails, then imo you have to go to the top.

It's not an issue until round 5 and I think there's a few that might surprise, the next 10 games will reveal quite a bit.

 

[stallon]

I'm not reading it wrong. My results speak for themselves. The rucks is more destructive to replace if a guy goes down with an injury or is horribly out of form. You have to act and act fast. Yes, mids are safer but the ruck rules affect ALL rucks, not just the premo's. So if English goes down from 110 to 100, but 'value rucks' like Briggs also go from 80 to say 70. It's all relative.

Briggs is a 90 guy who is priced at 70 - thats the appeal. The idea is even if he is negatively affected by something he will still be a 80+ guy, which is value

Plus the midfield has more depth. Your top 8 mids can come from a pool of 20. But the top 2 rucks is only 4 (Gawn, English, Grundy and Xerri). You need 2 of these guys by the end of the year. You don't necessarily need all the same guys is in the midfield because there's so much depth.

This doesnt mean anything?

You still need to trade up for a premo player regardless of position. The depth doesnt matter

Starting NDaicos vs English makes no difference to how complete your team is

 

[danster168]

Briggs is a 90 guy who is priced at 70 - thats the appeal. The idea is even if he is negatively affected by something he will still be a 80+ guy, which is value

This doesnt mean anything?

You still need to trade up for a premo player regardless of position. The depth doesnt matter

Starting NDaicos vs English makes no difference to how complete your team is

briggs isn't a 90 guy. you've done the same mistake and just blindly assumed that he isn't going to be affected by the ruck rules. he's a90 guy, which goes down to 80.

 

[stallon]

briggs isn't a 90 guy. you've done the same mistake and just blindly assumed that he isn't going to be affected by the ruck rules. he's a90 guy, which goes down to 80.

....
What are you on about I literally said if hes affected by the ruck rules he could be an 80 guy

Briggs is a 90 guy under the previous ruck rules
So even if hes affected, hes an 80 guy, like I said

 

[Tex Danger]

Don't think you should be considering the timeline for Blakiston to become a ruck to be honest - as soon as Bryan comes back (Rnd 5 or 6) he needs to be traded out ASAP

At which time Bryan is traded in

 

[tigs2010]

At which time Bryan is traded in

What if they 50/50 it for a bit?

 

[Tex Danger]

What if they 50/50 it for a bit?

Yeah well…umm…they won’t

 

[JDWCE]

Does it look like much has actually changed with the rucks and their scoring? A lot of the podcasts have been doom and gloom about it but there’s been the same amount of ruck duals across all these preseason matches as the average last year

 

[Shaunn]

Does it look like much has actually changed with the rucks and their scoring? A lot of the podcasts have been doom and gloom about it but there’s been the same amount of ruck duals across all these preseason matches as the average last year

Way less stoppages like predicted, which should help the mobile rucks like English, Jackson, Grundy, TDK, Gawn even.

 

[JDWCE]

Way less stoppages like predicted, which should help the mobile rucks like English, Jackson, TDK, Gawn even.

I think you misunderstood what I said or I didn’t explain it properly. SuperCoach board have discussed at length that the stoppage numbers have been basically the same as the average number last year. So the rules have come in to little effect essentially. I had ruled out xerri but if this is the case then I think it brings him back into calculations

 

[Shaunn]

I think you misunderstood what I said or I didn’t explain it properly. SuperCoach board have discussed at length that the stoppage numbers have been basically the same as the average number last year. So the rules have come in to little effect essentially. I had ruled out xerri but if this is the case then I think it brings him back into calculations

I still think players like Xerri will lose a good 5-10 points a game purely from CBA's because they aren't winning hitouts against the better leapers, around the ground not so much, but if you think Xerri can be close to his average he will need to improve around the ground to make up for it.

Interms of stoppages this game is less, other games i assume are similar if what you're saying is true.

 

[Cm Perfect]

Wish we could pick three rucks - Grundy and English looking amazing, Xerri has the dream run where he can snap his opponent in half and do what he wants, and no bye. Tough call coming.

 

[Barrybran]

Wish we could pick three rucks - Grundy and English looking amazing, Xerri has the dream run where he can snap his opponent in half and do what he wants, and no bye. Tough call coming.

If you want three rucks, just pick Grundy, English and McAndrew

 

[Exambolor]

Wish we could pick three rucks - Grundy and English looking amazing, Xerri has the dream run where he can snap his opponent in half and do what he wants, and no bye. Tough call coming.

I think at the moment for me it’s X and one of Grundy/English. Budget will be hard to balance but there will be a way

How DC adapts on Sunday may decide it for me

 

[Dan12]

If you want three rucks, just pick Grundy, English and McAndrew

Yeah this is where I'm landing too. Mostly because there are a lot of good cheaper players I want in mid and def and I need to spend cash somewhere. May as well try to pick the R1 and R2.

If there's another good cheap ruck option then that's when I'd put McAndrew R2.

 

[tigs2010]

Yeah this is where I'm landing too. Mostly because there are a lot of good cheaper players I want in mid and def and I need to spend cash somewhere. May as well try to pick the R1 and R2.

If there's another good cheap ruck option then that's when I'd put McAndrew R2.

How many round 3 forwards have you got? Feel like I'm going down to 21 already and potentially 20 if I dod Grundy/English. If they had different byes with McAndrew cover it would be great.