DraftStars Round 17: Saturday’s Heavy Hitters and AI-Backed Locks

We’ve got a massive four-game Super Saturday on our hands for Round 17, spanning from the sunny Gold Coast down to the chilly turf of Launceston. With blockbuster clashes at the MCG and Canberra playing host to a crucial Giants-Dockers battle, there are fantasy points ripe for the picking. Our FootyBets.ai projection model has crunched the numbers to find the absolute must-haves for your daily fantasy lineups.

Here are the core players dominating our AI's top lineups:

• Jayden Short (DEF | Richmond): Appearing in a perfect 10 out of 10 optimal lineups, Short is a non-negotiable this Saturday. With a massive projected ceiling of 101.9 points, his elite foot skills and kick-in duties against Carlton make him a fantasy goldmine.
• Toby Greene (FWD | GWS Giants): Also locking down a spot in 10/10 lineups, Toby is primed for a big afternoon in Canberra. Projected at 99.9 points, his ability to hit the scoreboard and win his own ball gives him a slate-winning ceiling.
• William McCabe (FWD | Hawthorn): Emerging as a crucial enabler in 10/10 lineups, McCabe is projected for a handy 57.2 points. His presence in the forward line allows you to fit the uber-premiums elsewhere without sacrificing solid on-field output.
• Sean Darcy (RUC | Fremantle): The big Docker features in 9/10 lineups. Facing GWS, Darcy's tap-work and physical presence give him a robust projection of 59.3 points as the preferred ruck option.
• Tim Taranto (MID | Richmond): The tackling machine is locked into 8/10 lineups with a massive projection of 106.9 points. Taranto loves the big stage of the MCG and will be doing the heavy lifting in the guts against the Blues.
• Brayden Maynard (DEF | Collingwood): Landing in 8/10 lineups, Maynard is projected for 82.4 points. Expect him to be busy against the Suns, meaning plenty of intercept and rebound opportunities.

Quick Position Tips

• Defender: Stick with Jayden Short (Rich) for safety, but don't sleep on Nic Newman (Carl) if you want a high-ceiling pivot who can easily push past 100.
• Midfielder: Matt Rowell (GC) is projected for a monster 109.3 points. If you want pure, contested-ball beasts, pair him up with teammate Noah Anderson (GC) to dominate the Suns' home deck.
• Ruck: Sean Darcy (Freo) is the safest route, but if you want to differentiate, Hawthorn's Lloyd Meek is a viable alternative projected for 70.4.
• Forward: Toby Greene (GWS) is the clear alpha here, but make sure to lock in William McCabe (Haw) to help balance your roster.

Ready to build some winning lineups? Scroll down to check out our top 10 mathematically optimized DraftStars lineups for Saturday’s slate!