Zak Butters in action during Port Adelaide’s clash against Sydney in round 15, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

IT’S ROUND 24 – the final week of AFL Fantasy for 2025 – and what a monster round of footy we’ve got coming up.

It’s the Last Hurrah, the Main Event, the Winner-Takes-All … otherwise known as the Grand Final for those lucky enough to make the cut.

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Whether you’re one of the elite coaches chasing the car, gunning for a top-100 hat, or just playing for bragging rights, this week is more important than ever. This is the week where every trade, every captain call, and every bench rookie you forgot about will make a difference.

Make no mistake about it – this is the stuff that goes down in pub folklore. Win, and you’ll be retelling the story and bragging about it until after Christmas. Lose, and you’ll be buying the first round until the new season kicks off in 2026.

Wherever you sit, and whatever dreams you have that lie ahead – good luck and thanks everyone for a great season.

Now, let’s get you Fantasy Ready!

Unique options

Here are some players to consider that are unique to teams inside the top 1000.

Zak Butters (MID, $923,000) – owned by 352 coaches
Many traded Butters out last week but you can bring him back against the Suns, who he had 133 against last season.

Bailey Dale (DEF, $873,000) – owned by 108 coaches
Four Lions defenders shared in 52 marks last week against the Dockers. Under the roof, the signs are looking good for Dale.

Dayne Zorko (DEF, $921,000) – owned by 69 coaches
Zorko loves playing at home and even posted 127 against the Hawks back in round 11. He’s coming off 120 and is looking great.

Zach Merrett (MID, $1,003,000) – owned by eight coaches 
Scored a huge 132 before injuring is hand, Merrett will return tonight and should have a day out against Carlton.

Brodie Grundy (MID, $1,220,000) – owned by three coaches 
Returns after a week off with concussion, Grundy walks into a match-up where ruckmen thrive – he could score 130-plus.

Dayne Zorko celebrates Brisbane’s win over Essendon in round 12, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Most traded in

Shaun Mannagh (FWD, $930,000)
Jeremy Cameron (FWD, $876,000)
Gryan Miers (FWD, $969,000)
Errol Gulden (MID, $985,000)
Isaac Heeney (MID, $1,030,000)

Last week, Shaun Mannagh (FWD, $930,000) could only be found in 35 of the top 1000 teams and this week he sits as the most traded in player. Mannagh has now averaged 104 in his last three games and is joined by his teammates, Jeremy Cameron (FWD, $876,000) and Gryan Miers (FWD, $969,000), as the three players Fantasy coaches are chasing this week. They play Richmond on Saturday afternoon in what should be a Fantasy party for the Cats.

Shaun Mannagh celebrates kicking a goal during the match between Sydney and Geelong at SCG in round one, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Most traded out

Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $807,000)
Jack Macrae (MID/FWD, $846,000)
Tom McCarthy (DEF/MID, $745,000)
Sam Darcy (FWD, $824,000)
Caleb Daniel (MID/FWD, $807,000)

Over the past five weeks, Jack Macrae (MID/FWD, $846,000) has averaged just 64 per cent time on ground and in round 23 it dropped to an all-time low of 55 per cent. This is not great signs for the midfielder who travels to meets the Giants, who currently rank as the No.1 hardest team for midfielders to score against. He has now averaged 79 in his past five games and must be traded.

Jack Macrae during St Kilda’s match against Geelong in R2, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Draft: One-week wonders

A strategy in Draft is to find one-week streaming options. This means finding a player who has low ownership (most likely on the waiver wire) and is an option for a one-week play. You may require a player like this to fill any holes in your team while you wait for an injured player to return or for one of your players to gain dual-position status.

Here are some players with low ownership that might be worth a punt on for this week.

Zach Guthrie (DEF) v Richmond – It was only a few weeks ago when Guthrie scored a season-high 125 against the Tigers. He has now averaged 84 in his last three games and will get involved in the D50 kick-to-kick.

Oliver Dempsey (MID) v Richmond – Coming off a nice 95 against the Swans last week, Dempsey heads to the MCG to play the Tigers, who gave up truckloads to midfielders last week. Could hit his third ton for the year.

Patrick Dangerfield (MID/FWD) v Richmond – The veteran sits in just 27 per cent of leagues and could be a very handy player to win you your Draft final. He’s very capable of kicking a sneaky bag of four or five goals here.

Oliver Dempsey evades Angus Clarke during the round 14 match between Essendon and Geelong at the MCG, June 14, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Draft: Captain smokies

In Draft, every player is unique so it’s important to think outside the box when it comes to finding a captain. Here are some options to consider if you’re a lucky owner.

Josh Daicos v Melbourne @ the MCG, FRI 7:10pm AEST
Even though Daicos’ form has been down, his record against Melbourne is anything but with previous scores of 128 (this year), 137 and 130. With no tag in sight this week, expect Daicos to be back to his very best and scoring as he pleases.

Isaac Heeney v West Coast @ Optus Stadium, SAT 7:35pm AEST
We saw Heeney’s ceiling in round 19 when he had 166 against the Kangaroos and now, he meets another team he could beat-up on Saturday night. West Coast are the second-easiest for midfielders to score against so expect big things.

Lachie Ash v St Kilda @ Engie Stadium, SUN 12:20pm AEST
St Kilda give up plenty to defenders and last week we saw Redman 143 (12 marks) and Clarke 98 (10m) score with ease against them. Ash had 113 against the Saints earlier this year and alongside Whitfield, he could be huge at home.

Live Teams Show

The Traders will be live tonight to cover all the important ins and outs as teams are announced. They break down the popular trades, discuss captains and answer all your burning questions. Watch the Live Teams Show every Thursday night via AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App and ask your questions in the comments.

Listen to the AFL Fantasy Podcast with The Traders at Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Calvin’s best captains

No.1 – Bailey Smith v Richmond @ the MCG, SAT 4.15pm AEST

Last week we saw Harry Sheezel (186) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (162) share in 94 disposals and we need a piece of that. Smith has averaged 118 in his last four games and has even averaged 134 against the bottom four teams this year. 

No.2 – Marcus Bontempelli v Fremantle @ Marvel Stadium, SUN 3.15pm AEST

Under the Marvel roof, Bontempelli has now scored 120-plus in five of his last six games. He scored 142 against the Dockers last year, his third 140-plus score against them from his last five games. Dogs need to win and Bont will fire.

No.3 – Rowan Marshall v GWS Giants @ ENGIE Stadium, SUN 12.20pm AEST

Marshall has scored 70, 138 and 138 in his last three games against Kieren Briggs and he enters this game with some elite form, averaging 133 in his last three games. The Giants at Angie is never a game I like chasing but this appears pretty ‘safe’ to me.

Rowan Marshall celebrates a goal during the R23 match between St Kilda and Essendon at Marvel Stadium on August 15, 2025. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

No.4 – Nick Daicos v Melbourne @ the MCG, FRI 7.10pm AEST

Daicos was tagged by Ed Langdon to 83 earlier this year and it’s a chance to happen again. However, if it doesn’t… you’ll want to be on board! Daicos has a Brownlow in his sights and is a great VC option for Friday night, capable of 150.

No.5 – Lachie Whitfield v St Kilda @ ENGIE Stadium, SUN 12.20pm AEST

St Kilda gives up plenty to defenders and last week we saw the Essendon defenders do as they pleased. This could be a high scoring game for the GWS defenders and Whitfield is coming off 109 and 120 in his last two games at home.

Get expert advice from The Traders during the season in the Fantasy Hub. Follow AFL Fantasy on X and Instagram and ‘like’ the Facebook page to join in the conversation.