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One down, 23 to go!<\/p>\n
Everyone was at the mercy of the fantasy gods last weekend and fielding\/benching the right\/wrong rookies was probably the only difference between our teams. At times this season, hell at times EVERY season, we are going to get screwed over by the rookie roulette. It is inevitable. Even the \u2018rookie expert\u2019 copped it. I lost 89 points by fielding Blakiston and Lindsay over Grlj and Jaques this round \u2013 but, I gained 44 points by fielding Robertson over Lombard. Swings and roundabouts.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s annoying to see triple-figure scores on your bench, but the fantasy season moves on quickly and so must we. Coaches have an abundance of cash cow options to target this week and the priority with our first pair of trades is to identify those money makers and bring them in before they soar in value. That means that a lot of us may have $500K-$1.3M to spend over the next month or so and our vanilla starting teams will quickly start to look very different.<\/p>\n
Rookies\/cash cows are typically defined as players priced at $400,000 or lower to commence the season<\/p>\n
A few quick housekeeping items. First, I\u2019ve taken the voting platform for the Cash Cow King to Twitter (I refuse to call it X), it\u2019s way easier to use. Second, as a result there are only four nominees each week now. Third, there may be times when I overrule a top scorer in favour of a rookie\/cash cow who is more fantasy relevant. Unfortunately for Sam Grlj, I\u2019m not doing it this week.<\/p>\n
Now, how about them rooks! We aren\u2019t accustomed to having rookies score so well in AFL Fantasy \u2013 especially straight out of the gate to start a season. It\u2019s possible that you scored a combined 315 points from Jagga, Jaques and Dev Rob this week and we are all hopeful that the scoring ways will continue during the bye rounds.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not often we get four rookies going 95+ \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n
Sam Grlj was unlucky to miss out, but a pair of Eagles and some Round 0 specialists shone over the weekend for a bunch of coaches.<\/p>\n
Who gets your vote as the most important cash cow in Round 1? #AFLFantasy<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SportsbyFry (@sportsbyfry) March 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Most traded in \ud83d\udcc8<\/p>\n Milan Murdock, Eagles \u2013 21.6K Most traded out \ud83d\udcc9<\/p>\n Lachie Blakiston, Bombers \u2013 5.1K Money made \ud83d\udcb0<\/p>\n Lachie Jaques, Bulldogs\u00a0+$154K Money lost \ud83d\udcb8<\/p>\n Latrelle Pickett, Demons \u2013 $6K \u2013<\/p>\n Another new section to the cash cow write-up, I\u2019m taking a weekly look at the most traded in\/out rookies and the money made\/lost straight off the top. One of the biggest standouts here for me is the fact that Zeke Uwland\u00a0has gone from a preseason darling to a player who has LOST money through the first week of the fantasy season. Brutal scenes. With coaches eyeing a lot of rookie patch-up trades (along with giving Errol the flick) ahead of Round 2, I only expect the traded-in number to climb for both Milan Murdock\u00a0and\u00a0Brayden Cook. I think they\u2019re the best buys this week (der), but for coaches who miss out on Sam Grlj, you could make the argument that he is the biggest must have \u2013 thanks in large part to his DPP status and no early bye.<\/p>\n Let \u2019em grow<\/p>\n What a start for the defensive rookies! I mean coaches who benched\u00a0Lachie Jaques ($384K, 112, BE -47)\u00a0will understandably be filthy, especially if you also had\u00a0Sam Grlj ($371K, 90, BE -8)\u00a0sitting next to him at D8. Still, the success of this duo and a few of their cash cow comrades has some of us considering a restructure to bring three DEF\u2019s onto the field. They were a step behind, but you can\u2019t be unhappy with what Jai Serong ($366K, 59, BE -6) or\u00a0Josh Lindsay ($310K, 66, BE 1) dished up \u2013 although the West Coast debutant saved his score in a massive way with 35 points in 11 minutes during the last quarter. This group should all continue to generate love as on-field options with their cash generation off to a flying start.<\/p>\n There isn\u2019t anything we need to worry about this week, however coaches need to somewhat prepare for the absence of\u00a0 Jaques and Serong in Round 3. Most coaches will be able to deploy another rookie in that spot \u2013 perhaps, Lachie Blakiston ($404K, 47, BE 32). It was an annoying finish to Friday night for Blakiston after he looked to be well on pace for a 65+ outing \u2013 a score that fantasy coaches would have well and truly taken. It wasn\u2019t meant to be though with a stat line of three hitouts and three free kicks against in the 4th quarter. I\u2019m backing the big man in to respond vs. Port Adelaide and post a score in that 65+ range. With that being said, I can see why people are giving him the flick given the lack of obvious trade-out candidates.<\/p>\n Let \u2019em go<\/p>\n There aren\u2019t any defensive rookies that I feel like we need to immediately cull from our teams. Except for Zeke Uwland ($344K, 19, BE 39). I can understand the low time on ground (66%) for a player easing his way into his AFL career, but how the f*** do you only gather five possessions in a 10-goal win against the Eagles? Hell, even the bloody back-up key defender Oscar Adams had six bloody disposals! It\u2019s not good and anyone who took the punt hoping that \u2018Zeke the Freak\u2019 would show up to start the season has been left with a sour taste in their mouth. Hardly a must-trade issue, but I\u2019m convinced that the score we saw from Michael Sellwood ($299K, 39, BE 1) this weekend was a much truer reflection of his fantasy output. I\u2019m sure he\u2019s a lovely guy, however that doesn\u2019t mean he needs to be in your squad of 30.<\/p>\n Let \u2019em grow<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know about you, but Round 2 is looking VERY rookie-heavy in my midfield line. West Coast first-gamers Milan Murdock ($292K, 95, BE -26) and\u00a0Willem Duursma ($378K, 69, BE 10) have made their way up to M3 and M4 to cover bye players this week and I will be stoked if they even get close to the scores they posted vs. the Suns. Part of the reason why those two find themselves so high up in the pecking order for Round 2 is because of the absence of Jagga Smith ($381K, 99, BE -41) who, it\u2019s fair to say, has started his fantasy career well. While there will be times this year when I give Jagga plenty of love, I promise I won\u2019t waffle on about how many keeper leagues I drafted him in and how stoked I am to finally see him playing footy. Scouts honour.<\/p>\n There are ample additional cash cows who are in line for an on-field berth this weekend, with\u00a0Tom Blamires ($276K, 77, BE -14) another largely unknown character who excelled in game No. 1. He recorded almost 400 metres gained on debut and the Kangaroos weren\u2019t afraid to get the ball in his hands. Big tick moving forward. Another rookie with MID status who features in the backline is born-again defender, Jack Carroll ($419K, 58, BE 3). While he doesn\u2019t come with the same amount of optimism right now, I\u2019m hopeful that he can play his role over the next fortnight before St Kilda\u2019s bye. Ideally, he\u2019ll post a few scores that contribute to our best-18 and then we can cash him in come Round 4.<\/p>\n Let \u2019em go<\/p>\n Straight off the bat, there\u2019s no advantage to trading in cash cows who are having the week off.\u00a0Dan Annable ($346K, 53, BE 17)\u00a0was\u00a0good on debut in a hefty loss to the Swans and I\u2019ve been a big\u00a0James Tunstil ($288K, 66, BE -3)\u00a0for years. However, trading into a rookie on the bye is fraught with danger and I think we need to see this duo again before we take the plunge and trade into them. Jack Watkins ($250K, 47, BE 6) falls into a similar basket and I apologise to the fantasy faithful who I told to choose him over Murdock. Clearly, even with a sprinkling of CBA\u2019s, Watkins couldn\u2019t find a way to post a respectable score last round, although that should change this week against Essendon. Speaking of the Dons, Dyson Sharp ($318K, 50, BE ) finds himself on the chopping block for a few coaches after gathering just six disposals and needing two goals to crack the half-century. While I still have high hopes for Sharp, swapping him for Murdock, Cook, Grlj or Blamires is a smart tactic.<\/p>\n Let \u2019em grow<\/p>\n I think we can give the\u00a0Lachlan McAndrew ($322K, 71, BE -1) experiment a tick after one week. Scoring 71 against a respectable ruckman in Darcy Cameron bodes well for his future output \u2013 although, things don\u2019t get easier with a matchup against Tim English on Friday night. Just over 2,000 coaches are opting to use Gulden\u2019s injury as a way to grab a bona fide R2 in Luke Jackson, but I still have faith that Brother McAndrew can score at a reasonable clip and play his role for those who keep fielding him.<\/p>\n There were a few other cheap rucks who managed to make money last week, with Zane Zakostelsky ($298K, 49, BE -3) still my favourite of the bunch. It will be interesting to see where he resides following Brisbane\u2019s bye, and there are 44% of us who are hopeful that Chris Fagan will keep playing him.\u00a0Mitch Edwards ($244K, 40, BE 10)\u00a0could also get a continued run if he holds his place in Geelong\u2019s side, while Cooper Duff-Tytler ($352K, 40, BE 20) is another rare R3 green dot who is making money. Slowly, but it still counts.<\/p>\n Let \u2019em grow<\/p>\n A coin flip decision for some between\u00a0Deven Robertson ($301K, 104, BE -31) and\u00a0Leo Lombard ($337K, 60, BE -15) was a perfect example of the rookie roulette in full effect. For future reference, we should probably start the midfielder over the half forward. Negative breakevens indicate that there is still a lot of cash to be made for this pair and you could run a lineup that fields both of these rooks, given the uncertainty around some of the mid-pricers. The other cash cow I\u2019d feel comfortable placing at F5 or F6 is Brayden Cook ($386K, 84, BE 0) with his ownership soaring after his stellar outing against the Magpies.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll admit, I was indifferent about Cook. I watched his AAMI performance closely and couldn\u2019t justify spending the extra $100K or so on him over some of our cheaper forwards. However, after a balanced performance in Round 1 and with Matthew Nicks pumping him up in the post-match presser, I\u2019m one of the 9,000 or so coaches adding Cook to my mix this week. You should probably do the same. Adding Cook doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019ll be chopping Lachie Dovaston ($312K, 56, BE 9) though, with the Kangaroos\u2019 small forward flirting with a 60-point score without even hitting the scoreboard. High tackle numbers at every level he plays gives me hope that Dovaston will outperform the \u201cslow burn, small forward\u201d label and contribute some pop scores.<\/p>\n Let \u2019em go<\/p>\n The quick cash grab play by starting\u00a0Ty Gallop ($309K, 16, BE 20)\u00a0sounded good in theory, but the Lions tall clearly didn\u2019t get the memo. A strong score in Round 0 convinced some of us that Gallop was the right option at F8, although he\u2019ll now just be shown the door for one of the more reliable rookies we missed. It would be unfair to lump\u00a0Todd Marshall ($396K, 43, BE 34) in with Gallop after Port\u2019s versatile tall posted a 38-point first half against North. An ankle complaint ended his day prematurely, but if Marshall gets up for this clash with the Bombers, I\u2019d be tempted to give him another run.<\/p>\n The weekly Q&A section aims to address the biggest rookie\/cash cow issues that we are facing. If I don\u2019t get to your answer in the article, I promise I\u2019ll answer it on Twitter \u2013 and as always, you can drop your follow-up questions below.<\/p>\n Only Rookies I\u2019m missing are Murdock, Cook and Lindsay. Not fussed about Lindsay but do I go Errol and Lohmann to the two rookies or do I bring in Merrett and Cook and wait on Murdock<\/p>\n \u2014 Errol Gulden\u2019s Left Boot (@StarTraiders) March 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The classic conundrum that every coach faces this week \u2013 do I grab another premo for Errol Gulden or do I grab the rookie and cash up? Personally, I think we are still early enough in the season to prioritise rookies and cash generation over premium points. Yes, we obviously have to score points to win the game, but Murdock, Cook and even Lindsay could generate another $200K-$300K from this point of the season. It hurts in the short term not grabbing a gun MID, but it will pay off in the long run.<\/p>\n Hi Fry is it worth it to drop a mid pricer that didn\u2019t impress for a rookie like W Duursma? I\u2019m already getting Cook in this week and have all the other \u2018must have\u2019 rookies. Thanks<\/p>\n \u2014 Olivier Calvi (@oliviercalvi06) March 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n In short, yes. For me this week, it\u2019s Colby McKercher that is getting the chop and with the injury to Gulden added into the mix, a lot of coaches are going to be LOADED for upgrades over the next few weeks. That doesn\u2019t mean we have to spend it if there are rookies you desire on the outside looking in. A patch-up trade from a failed mid-pricer to a cash cow moving in the right direction is an ideal move this round.<\/p>\n If Marshall plays is he still a trade<\/p>\n \u2014 kade burress (@burress_kade) March 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n I don\u2019t think so. If you need to give him the flick to grab one of the rookies you missed then by all means, pull the trigger. However, there were signs of life from Marshall in the first half against the Roos. If he doesn\u2019t get up, it\u2019s an easy decision, although I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if he came out and gave you a best-18 score in a fantasy-friendly matchup vs. Essendon.<\/p>\n Which 2 to pick of Duursma, Murdock or Cook?<\/p>\n \u2014 Matthew Cupo (@mattcupo23) March 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n This is a ripper question. The Eagles boys should have an extended leash when it comes to job security, but I think the DPP that Cook comes with is a very handy tool \u2013 especially when it comes to plugging holes throughout the byes. Duursma will still have good scoring outings, however I think the correct answer is the mature-agers in Murdock and Cook.<\/p>\n How does Gothard compare to Cook?
Brayden Cook, Crows\u00a0\u2013 8.8K
Sam Grlj, Tigers\u00a0\u2013 3K
Lachie Jaques, Bulldogs\u00a0\u2013 2.2K
Deven Robertson, Eagles\u00a0\u2013 1.3K<\/p>\n
Zeke Uwalnd, Suns \u2013 2.5K
Todd Marshall, Power \u2013 2.1K
Ty Gallop, Lions \u2013 1.8K
Dyson Sharp, Bombers\u00a0\u2013 1.6K<\/p>\n
Jagga Smith, Blues +$151K
Leo Lombard, Suns +$107K
Jai Serong, Swans +$92K
Phoenix Gothard, Giants +$72K<\/p>\n
Zeke Uwland, Suns \u2013 $2K
Liam Reidy, Blues \u2013 $1K<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Thanks!<\/p>\n
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