Sydney Derby DraftStars Guide: Swans Set to Feast at the SCG

The Battle of the Bridge is back, and Friday night footy doesn't get much better than a prime-time clash between the Swans and Giants at the SCG. With Sydney looking to assert dominance on their home deck, expect a fierce, tackle-heavy contest that promises to be an absolute goldmine for DFS coaches.

Our FootyBets.ai supercomputer has simulated the April 2026 clash, and it's projecting a heavy red-and-white flavour. Here are the core pieces anchoring our optimal builds:

Brodie Grundy (RUC) – 103.2 pts Appearing in 100% of our optimal builds, the big man is a set-and-forget beast. Grundy will dominate the hit-outs, but it’s his follow-up clearances and relentless tackling around the stoppages that deliver a monster fantasy ceiling.

James Rowbottom (MID) – 82.2 pts A gritty derby means contested footy, and Rowbottom is an absolute tackling machine. Expect him to stuff the stat sheet with bone-crunching tackles, centre bounce clearances, and hard-ball gets all night long.

Matt Roberts (MID) – 80.8 pts Locked into every single lineup, Roberts is primed to rack up the outside ball. He’ll score heavily by linking up through the midfield, chaining disposals together, and taking plenty of cheap uncontested marks in transition.

Tom McCartin (DEF) – 63.2 pts The steady hand down back. McCartin is perfectly positioned to gobble up intercept marks and farm rebound 50s against the incoming Giants attacks, locking down a safe floor for your defence.

Position-by-Position Quick Tips

• RUC: Lock in Brodie Grundy. Don't overthink the big-man battle—he's in every single optimal build for a reason.
• DEF: McCartin is the reliable foundation, but if you want a GWS pivot, Lachie Ash (99.8 projected) offers massive ceiling potential rebounding out of the D50.
• MID: It's a Swans block party with Rowbottom, Roberts, and Justin McInerney. Need a Giant to balance things out? Finn Callaghan is projected to push a huge 98.6 points.
• FWD: Jake Lloyd holds FWD status on this slate. Exploit that daily fantasy positional quirk to grab his classic +6s (kick and mark) as he dictates play up the ground.

Ready to dominate the Friday night slate? Scroll down to check out the Top 10 optimal FootyBets.ai lineups and build a winning roster!