FootyBets.aiThursday Night Lights: Cats vs Crows DraftStars Cheat Sheet
Thursday night footy heads to Kardinia Park as the Geelong Cats look to defend the Cattery against a hungry Adelaide Crows outfit. Expect a fierce, contested battle down at the Pivot that will be an absolute goldmine for DraftStars fantasy coaches hunting massive scores.
Our FootyBets.ai supercomputer has crunched the numbers, and a few undeniable locks have emerged. Here are the core players you need to build your team around:
Max Holmes (Geelong, MID - 106.8 pts) Appearing in 90% of our optimal builds, Holmes boasts the highest ceiling on the slate. His elite two-way running on the outside means he’s primed to rack up a mountain of uncontested marks, link-up disposals, and driving inside 50s.
Lachlan McAndrew (Adelaide, RUC - 95.5 pts) A flawless 10/10 lock in our optimal lineups. The Crows' big man is poised to dominate the hit-outs, but it’s his ability to push around the ground for contested marks and follow-up tackles that makes him the standout ruck choice.
Tom Atkins (Geelong, MID - 92.8 pts) Pure, blue-collar midfield grunt. Atkins is another 10/10 lock because of his bulletproof floor. He is a certified tackle-machine who will feast on clearances and heavily contested disposals at the coalface.
Tom Stewart (Geelong, DEF - 87.6 pts) Death, taxes, and Tommy Stewart dominating down back at GMHBA Stadium. Locked into every single optimal lineup, expect him to control the airways with intercept marks and rack up those juicy +6 kicks from defensive rebounds.
Position-by-Position Quick Tips
- RUC: Don't overthink it—Lachlan McAndrew is the undisputed top dog in the ruck tonight.
- DEF: Anchor your backline with the sure thing in Tom Stewart, and look to mix in Isaac Cumming for his run-and-carry upside.
- MID: Stack the Cats' engine room with Holmes and Atkins, but make sure to grab Adelaide's Izak Rankine. Rankine's ability to burst from stoppages and hit the scoreboard with multiple goals gives you match-winning upside.
- FWD: Target high-work-rate forwards. Alex Neal-Bullen is the pick of the bunch, pushing high up the ground to accumulate cheap disposals and laying crucial pressure tackles.
Ready to take down the prize pool? Scroll down to see the FootyBets.ai Top 10 optimal DraftStars lineups below!