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The Australian Football (AFL) season has resumed following a pause after just one game, and this weekend is Round 6. This article will take a look at the four matches lined up from Friday night into Saturday morning on the DraftKings main slate.
The first game gets underway at 10:35 p.m. ET on Friday night as St. Kilda (3-2) takes on Fremantle (1-4). The next game start at 1:05 a.m. ET early Saturday morning when the West Coast Eagles (2-3) take on the struggling Adelaide Crows (0-5). The Gold Coast Suns (3-2) take on Melbourne (1-3) at 4:05 a.m. ET, and the slate wraps up with the Essendon Bombers (3-1) taking on North Melbourne (2-3), as the Kangaroos look to turn things around after three straight losses.
After taking a look at the stats and the matchups, here are the targets that I think are set up for success on this four-game slate.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: AFL $40K Sticks [$10K to 1st]
Forwards
Stud
Dan Butler ($6,300), STK at FRE - Butler has kicked multiple goals in four of his five games this season including two goals last weekend against Carlton. He finished that game with 59 DKFP for the second straight day after playing even better with 83 and 82 DKFP in his first two games after the restart. He only had two tackles last weekend after averaging six in his previous three games. If he can return to those numbers while continuing to score goals in bunches, he’ll be one of the top forwards on this slate.
Others to consider: Christian Petracca ($7,400), Devon Smith ($6,200)
Value
Hugh Greenwood ($5,800), GCS at MEL - Greenwood stepped up last week after an injury to Matthew Rowell (shoulder), and will likely continue to play a more involved role in the Eagles’ offense. Greenwood finished last week with 11 tackles, two marks and 21 disposals (14 kicks, seven handballs) for a season-high 109 DKFP. With Rowell out at least three months, Greenwood will continue to play a key role against Melbourne this week.
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti ($4,400), ESS vs. NOR - McDonald-Tipungwuti is an indigenous Australian who rose through the ranks to the AFL despite coming from the tiny Tiwi Islands just off the coast of Darwin. He is a big part of the Bombers up-tempo offense when it’s at its best, and he put together a very nice game in their most recent contest against Collingwood. He finished that match with 69 DKFP with a pair of goals, a behind, 10 disposals, three marks and seven tackles.
Others to consider: Brett Bewley ($5,200), Cameron Zurhaar ($3,900)
Midfielders
Stud
Dylan Shiel ($7,900), ESS vs. NOR - Like the Suns, the Bombers are also dealing with injuries, and those injuries should open up more opportunities for Shiel. He was outstanding in his past two contests posting 122 DKFP against Carlton followed by 112 DKFP last week against Collingwood. He had 39 and 35 disposals in those two contests and should again be at the center of the Essendon offense this week.
Others to consider: Jack Billings ($7,600), Tim Kelly ($6,800)
Value
David Mundy ($5,200), FRE vs. STK - Mundy helped the Dockers to their first win of the season last week, piling up a team-high 25 disposals (14 kicks, 11 handballs) while adding four marks and a tackle to total 79 DKFP. He worked as an interchange player last week (non-starter) but was still able to contribute in meaningful ways. He gets a good matchup against the Saints this week and should continue to flourish whether he re-enters the lineup or changes in.
Others to consider: David Swallow ($5,700), Darcy MacPherson ($4,000)
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
Defenders
Stud
Brad Sheppard ($6,100), WCE vs. ADE - Sheppard has at least five marks in four straight games and put up an amazing 13 marks last week against Sydney as he helped the Eagles fly to a 77-43 win. He finished with 21 disposals (15 kicks, six handballs) as well, on his way to 96 DKFP. Sheppard has a favorable matchup and should remain a key piece of the Eagles defense.
Others to consider: Rory Laird ($5,600), Jack Lukosius ($5,400)
Value
Callum Wilkie ($3,700), STK at FRE - Wilkie has been very good for the Saints with at least 60 DKFP in two of his past three games. He had 18 disposals and five marks in each of his past two road games, establishing himself as an important part of the Saints defense. Wilkie was the No. 3 pick in the 2019 rookie draft and played in every game last season. Before being drafted, he was a full-time accountant, and the nickname ‘The Accountant’ has stuck with him even though he left that job for full-time football after the draft. He is still growing as a player, but is in a good matchup to return big-time value, and as a bonus maybe he can help you squeeze even more room out of that salary cap with his accounting skills.
Others to consider: Sam Collins ($3,600), Jarryn Geary ($3,300)
Ruck
Stud
Todd Goldstein ($7,300), NOR at ESS - Goldstein has been one of the best ruckman in the AFL so far this season and gets a great matchup against the Bombers, who have given up the second-most DKFP to opposing rucks in the AFL this season. Goldstein has over 90 DKFP in three of his four games since the restart, including a massive 127-DKFP performance against the Swans in Round 3. He had a pair of goals, 15 disposals, three marks and three tackles last week in addition to his 31 hit-outs. His versatile game makes him a great pick if you have the salary to spend on him.
Others to consider: Max Gawn ($9,500), Rowan Marshall ($6,900)
Value
Nic Naitanui ($5,800), WCE vs. ADE - Naitanui had an impressive showing last week against an under-manned Swans team that is lacking options in the middle. He finished with 86 DKFP with 11 disposals, a behind, a mark, four tackles and a season-high 39 hit-outs. He has another good matchup against Adelaide this week and will be looking to produce over 55 DKFP for the fifth straight game since the restart. He may not have quite the ceiling of Gawn and Goldstein, who are both elite options, but he may end up being a better investment since he saves you so much salary.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: AFL Showdown $40K Sticks [$10K to 1st].
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.