Position 2026 AFL Fantasy Rucks

[idontknows]

R2 is my most annoying position to fill this year.

Interested in Briggs/Draper but early byes coupled with uncertainty around scoring (Briggs sucked hard last year and Draper coming off an achillies likely sharing with Fort at least initially) has that position vacant for me atm.

Tough because I feel with the new rules we don't want to spend up, but value rucks are always scary due to the hole you get left in if they are bad/injured.

 

[Shaunn]

If Draper is solo ruck then he comes in along with English to play in the ruckline on English's bye.

 

[Dan12]

Think there's merit in starting all three- English, Draper, Briggs.

Draper could be R3 for me in round 1, then I'll just play two of them for the three bye rounds.

 

[happy_eagle]

Think there's merit in starting all three- English, Draper, Briggs.

Draper could be R3 for me in round 1, then I'll just play two of them for the three bye rounds.

I assume this means starting Draper in the forward line?

 

[Corkintheocean]

Think there's merit in starting all three- English, Draper, Briggs.

Draper could be R3 for me in round 1, then I'll just play two of them for the three bye rounds.

Draper R3 is too much cash imo given he doesn't have a ceiling score.

Better going someone like CDT (if he's playing). Will make more cash than Draper and in the rounds you want Draper as cover it's best 18 anyway and likely a few rookies will pop to get your 18th score close enough to Draper's.

 

[Dan12]

I assume this means starting Draper in the forward line?

R3
Might cost 20-30 points round 1 that's it.

Draper R3 is too much cash imo given he doesn't have a ceiling score.

Better going someone like CDT (if he's playing). Will make more cash than Draper and in the rounds you want Draper as cover it's best 18 anyway and likely a few rookies will pop to get your 18th score close enough to Draper's.

Do you think you'll make much cash from CDT? I'd rather take an extra mid/def/forward rookie and generate an extra 100k or so, unless a rookie ruck shows scoring potential in pre season. Will have to trade in a red dot R3 at some point though.

 

[happy_eagle]

R3
Might cost 20-30 points round 1 that's it.

700k is way too much for a bench spot.

It's only a play if you have Draper in the forward line and a DPP R3.

 

[4tune8]

700k is way too much for a bench spot.

It's only a play if you have Draper in the forward line and a DPP R3.

And even then it's not actually Draper who covers, it's the F7/8 that you move onto the field to cover Draper and F 7/8 probably won't count anyway.

 

[DenieD]

Even with the ruck rule changes I am not taking any chances. Set and Forget.

Xerri and English

Set and Forget worked great for me last season and I'm not changing. There is so much value this season with cheap rookie options and the obvious Flanders type picks that I don't need to run with any cheap rucks. Last season was a breeze compared to previous seasons where I've used 5+ trades in the ruck line because I stupidly started with a cheap guy and then hopped around like a mad man to try and get the best one at the best time and failed every single time.

 

[Cm Perfect]

Even with the ruck rule changes I am not taking any chances. Set and Forget.

Xerri and English

Set and Forget worked great for me last season and I'm not changing. There is so much value this season with cheap rookie options and the obvious Flanders type picks that I don't need to run with any cheap rucks. Last season was a breeze compared to previous seasons where I've used 5+ trades in the ruck line because I stupidly started with a cheap guy and then hopped around like a mad man to try and get the best one at the best time and failed every single time.

This is where I'm at too, just stick $2.2M here and move on to the rest of your team. You'll be grateful come Round 5 when you need to be making upgrades and you can just rely on your two rucks to pump out tons every week.

Unless there is obvious value (like Xerri a couple of years back priced in the 50s) then two big dogs is the way imo.

 

[danster168]

Think there's merit in starting all three- English, Draper, Briggs.

Draper could be R3 for me in round 1, then I'll just play two of them for the three bye rounds.

what's with the Draper hype. the guy basically averaged 60 his whole career.And he's had first ruck opportunities. He doesn't mark around the ground which will further hurt him with the new rules.

 

[Constantgin]

what's with the Draper hype. the guy basically averaged 60 his whole career.And he's had first ruck opportunities. He doesn't mark around the ground which will further hurt him with the new rules.

Averaged 82 last year in 5 games maybe his finally putting it together, gets discount due to injury plus has fwd status. Also throw in no bargain ruck lock.

I am not that keen myself but I can see why people are.

I’d only have Draper in forward line myself and leaning towards set and forget rucks.

 

[danster168]

Averaged 82 last year in 5 games maybe his finally putting it together, gets discount due to injury plus has fwd status. Also throw in no bargain ruck lock.

I am not that keen myself but I can see why people are.

I’d only have Draper in forward line myself and leaning towards set and forget rucks.

looking at a sample size of 5 games instead of a sample size of 5 years is foolish to me. The guy is a scrub.

 

[4tune8]

looking at a same size of 5 games instead of a sample size of 5 years is foolish to me. The guy is a scrub.

I'd like to think that the Lions recruiters targeted him for a reason, mainly as a 1st ruck replacement.

The forwards this year are a right shit show, 5 of the top 6 averaging forwards for last year aren't available as forwards this year. A 90 average had you in forward premo territory, this year it looks like 85 will be the baseline with 2-3 possibly averaging 100+.

Let us assume that Draper will be No.1 ruck and should get to over 50% of ruck contests, if we look at his games from last year then he had 4 (inc PS game), one at 53%, then 61%, 64% & 67%. his average over those 4 games was 91.5 which is well over my benchmark for a forward premium with the added bonus of DPP flexibility and he offers value being priced at 70.

I like to look at the most recent data as it's more indicative of what to expect from the immediate future and probably more pertinent given the big blokes take longer to mature, he's now 27 and should be entering his prime. Nonetheless, you stated that it's foolish to look at the small sample size of last year, so let's have a look at the previous couple of years and use the criteria of 60% ruck contests.

2024: 9 games at 85
2023: 8 games at 73. Fair bit of inconsistency with scores ranging from 41 to 110.

What he has shown is continued improvement along with more consistency, what he has also shown though is an inability to stay on the park. The most recent cause being a torn Achillies and TBH that's more reason to doubt him than anything else.

 

[Mr Gor]

Will get a bump playing with Lions over Essendon, but I wouldn't bank on him hanging with the likes of English, Grundy et al

 

[Corkintheocean]

R3
Might cost 20-30 points round 1 that's it.


Do you think you'll make much cash from CDT? I'd rather take an extra mid/def/forward rookie and generate an extra 100k or so, unless a rookie ruck shows scoring potential in pre season. Will have to trade in a red dot R3 at some point though.

I think it makes sense to having a cheap, playing R3 to generate coin in the early bye rounds, where you're likely to still have a VC loophole option each week. I think he'll be able to make 150-200k comfortably enough.

 

[BennyFC]

I think it makes sense to having a cheap, playing R3 to generate coin in the early bye rounds, where you're likely to still have a VC loophole option each week. I think he'll be able to make 150-200k comfortably enough.

Depends who you have there I think - odds are CDT loses money from his starting price playing as a third tall in the Eagles forward line IMO. I've got Reidy there at the moment, would definitely like to have someone there making money rather than a red dot

 

[Thelethal97]

Depends who you have there I think - odds are CDT loses money from his starting price playing as a third tall in the Eagles forward line IMO. I've got Reidy there at the moment, would definitely like to have someone there making money rather than a red dot

I'm all about making as much cash as possible (and I prioritized that last year, and hit the top 20 for TV for the last 6 or so weeks of the season), but surely with the TOG rule now and no clear bargain ruck that will be solo rucking there's a lot more value in starting a true red dot R/F for the season (White) then a green dot which  may make 100k at most

 

[danster168]

I'd like to think that the Lions recruiters targeted him for a reason, mainly as a 1st ruck replacement.

The forwards this year are a right shit show, 5 of the top 6 averaging forwards for last year aren't available as forwards this year. A 90 average had you in forward premo territory, this year it looks like 85 will be the baseline with 2-3 possibly averaging 100+.

Let us assume that Draper will be No.1 ruck and should get to over 50% of ruck contests, if we look at his games from last year then he had 4 (inc PS game), one at 53%, then 61%, 64% & 67%. his average over those 4 games was 91.5 which is well over my benchmark for a forward premium with the added bonus of DPP flexibility and he offers value being priced at 70.

I like to look at the most recent data as it's more indicative of what to expect from the immediate future and probably more pertinent given the big blokes take longer to mature, he's now 27 and should be entering his prime. Nonetheless, you stated that it's foolish to look at the small sample size of last year, so let's have a look at the previous couple of years and use the criteria of 60% ruck contests.

2024: 9 games at 85
2023: 8 games at 73. Fair bit of inconsistency with scores ranging from 41 to 110.

What he has shown is continued improvement along with more consistency, what he has also shown though is an inability to stay on the park. The most recent cause being a torn Achillies and TBH that's more reason to doubt him than anything else.

the big blokes generally take longer to bulk up that's why. Sam Draper has been a man mountain his whole career. And been a scrub his whole career. So do we even know what % of ruck contests he'll get? And considering the ruck rules disadvantage his type more than anyone else. He's also not a very good player so potentially a big chance that he gets dropped at some point during the season.

 

[BennyFC]

I'm all about making as much cash as possible (and I prioritized that last year, and hit the top 20 for TV for the last 6 or so weeks of the season), but surely with the TOG rule now and no clear bargain ruck that will be solo rucking there's a lot more value in starting a true red dot R/F for the season (White) then a green dot which  may make 100k at most

In a hypothetical world where Reidy plays in Opening Round and scores a 65, I think at this stage I would take him as an R3 rather than an F6 in order to have a playing R3, F7 and F8. The red dot isn't relevant in R2/3/4 because you'll have bye players to use for loopholes

 

[Thelethal97]

In a hypothetical world where Reidy plays in Opening Round and scores a 65, I think at this stage I would take him as an R3 rather than an F6 in order to have a playing R3, F7 and F8. The red dot isn't relevant in R2/3/4 because you'll have bye players to use for loopholes

Very true and that is a great play! I'm still just thinking that with this TOG threshold and to be risk averse, you're still going to need a true red dot in a line that is a true red dot for the other 16 rounds of the season without byes. Can't be risking doing a loop in def ie and then having one of your players late out/injured/low tog

What would be your plan for looping between ie round 5 and round 11 when there are no byes?

I'm just not sure that when the season starts we're ever going to find a time to be trading in true red dots until the very end of the season, with cash gen being so relevant

Interested to hear your thoughts!

 

[BennyFC]

Very true and that is a great play! I'm still just thinking that with this TOG threshold and to be risk averse, you're still going to need a true red dot in a line that is a true red dot for the other 16 rounds of the season without byes. Can't be risking doing a loop in def ie and then having one of your players late out/injured/low tog

What would be your plan for looping between ie round 5 and round 11 when there are no byes?

I'm just not sure that when the season starts we're ever going to find a time to be trading in true red dots until the very end of the season, with cash gen being so relevant

Interested to hear your thoughts!

Personally I'd be looking to trade a red dot (Kalani White) in prior to Round 5 through either:

1. Trading out Reidy to him directly. 4 price rises at 65 (hypothetically) gets him up to about $530k after Rnd 4, so would net you $300k - enough for a mid-pricer upgrade to a premo to kick off upgrade season

2. Trade a FWD bench or field player, move Reidy to F6 or bench

 

[Tex Danger]

the big blokes generally take longer to bulk up that's why. Sam Draper has been a man mountain his whole career. And been a scrub his whole career. So do we even know what % of ruck contests he'll get? And considering the ruck rules disadvantage his type more than anyone else. He's also not a very good player so potentially a big chance that he gets dropped at some point during the season.

I’m sorry Draper ran over your car, may you one day heal

 

[bettingonbetts]

Personally I'd be looking to trade a red dot (Kalani White) in prior to Round 5 through either:

1. Trading out Reidy to him directly. 4 price rises at 65 (hypothetically) gets him up to about $530k after Rnd 4, so would net you $300k - enough for a mid-pricer upgrade to a premo to kick off upgrade season

2. Trade a FWD bench or field player, move Reidy to F6 or bench

I’m way too nervous r1 to go straight to a captain. Could be what derails my season early not wanting to take that risk

 

[perplexed]

Very true and that is a great play! I'm still just thinking that with this TOG threshold and to be risk averse, you're still going to need a true red dot in a line that is a true red dot for the other 16 rounds of the season without byes. Can't be risking doing a loop in def ie and then having one of your players late out/injured/low tog

What would be your plan for looping between ie round 5 and round 11 when there are no byes?

I'm just not sure that when the season starts we're ever going to find a time to be trading in true red dots until the very end of the season, with cash gen being so relevant

Interested to hear your thoughts!

You must be doing something wrong because I've never had much trouble accumulating red dots. I'm confident that come round 5 trading one in won't be a priority.