FootyBets.aiRound 24 Sunday Slate Breakdown: How to Dominate DraftStars
Round 24 wraps up the home-and-away season with a high-stakes three-game Sunday slate. Sydney hosts North Melbourne at the SCG in what could be a fantasy feast, Essendon takes on Port Adelaide under the fast-paced Marvel Stadium roof, and West Coast battles Hawthorn out west at Perth Stadium. With finals positioning and pride on the line, expect aggressive footy and massive fantasy ceilings.
Our FootyBets.ai model has crunched the numbers across thousands of simulations. Here are the core players lighting up the optimal builds:
The AI Core Targets
- Archie Roberts (ESS | DEF | Proj: 101.7): Appearing in 100% of optimal builds, Roberts is primed to feast off half-back. His ability to link up, take uncontested marks, and generate rebound 50s makes him an absolute must-have against Port's forward press.
- James Rowbottom (SYD | FWD | Proj: 86.6): Forward-eligible players who rack up pure midfield numbers are gold dust. Rowbottom’s ferocious tackling and inside grunt at the SCG give him a rock-solid floor and a sky-high ceiling against North's young onballers.
- Zach Merrett (ESS | MID | Proj: 112.2): The Dons skipper is our highest-projected player on the slate. Under the roof at Marvel, Merrett will run all day, accumulate at will, and provide the elite captain-tier score you need to cash in.
- Jase Burgoyne (PA | MID | Proj: 106.5): Flying under the radar with a massive 106.5 projection, Burgoyne's line-breaking run and clean disposal in space will be vital for Port’s transition game on the fast deck.
- Alex Van Wyk (PA | RUC | Proj: 57.4): A unanimous 10/10 selection by the algorithm. Van Wyk does his job at the coalface, providing reliable hitout numbers and clearance pressure to anchor your ruck slot.
- Nate Caddy (ESS | FWD | Proj: 68.8): A consistent presence across our optimal builds, Caddy provides an imposing target inside 50 with serious contested marking and multi-goal upside.
Position-by-Position Quick Tips
- RUC: Alex Van Wyk is the consensus lock to anchor your ruck division without overcomplicating things.
- DEF: Lock in Archie Roberts and pair him with Jacob Farrow or Marcus Herbert for high-volume rebound points.
- MID: Pair premium ball-magnets like Zach Merrett and Luke Davies-Uniacke with explosive runners like Jase Burgoyne and Jack Graham.
- FWD: Target midfield-hybrid minutes with James Rowbottom and Joe Richards, supplemented by goal-kicking upside from Nate Caddy.
Ready to climb the DraftStars leaderboards? Scroll down to check out our Top 10 AI-optimised lineups and lock in your winning builds before the first bounce!