FootyBets.aiHawks Ready to Hunt at the 'G: Collingwood vs Hawthorn DraftStars Preview
Thursday night footy lights up the M.C.G. as Collingwood takes on a surging Hawthorn outfit to close out April 2026. With both sides looking to make a massive statement in this blockbuster, we're expecting an absolute fantasy footy goldmine. Our FootyBets.ai algorithm has crunched the numbers, and the data is screaming one thing loud and clear: back the brown and gold.
Here are the heavy hitters dominating our top optimal builds and why they’re primed to rack up massive DraftStars points tonight:
- Massimo D'Ambrosio (MID - 82.8 pts): Appearing in 100% of our top lineups, Massimo is an absolute lock. He finds plenty of outside ball, racking up uncontested marks and linking the play perfectly across the wings.
- Connor Macdonald (FWD - 89.5 pts): A massive ceiling for Macdonald tonight. He pushes up the ground for cheap touches, lays crunching tackles, and is never shy about hitting the scoreboard.
- Dylan Moore (FWD - 85.0 pts): The ultimate hard-working half-forward. Expect him to pile on the points with his relentless forward-half pressure, tackles, and crucial goal assists.
- Jarman Impey (DEF - 98.7 pts): Boasting one of the highest projections on the slate, Jars will be on distributor duties off half-back. He's primed to feast on rebound 50s and intercept grabs all night long.
- Josh Ward (MID - 81.2 pts): The young midfield bull is set for a massive shift. With strong clearance numbers and inside ball-winning ability, his tackle count alone will keep your score ticking over.
Position-by-Position Quick Tips
- RUC: Lloyd Meek is the top dog here. He features in 70% of our optimal builds and should grind out solid points through sheer hit-out volume and around-the-ground presence.
- DEF: Load up on Hawks defenders. Impey and Josh Battle are set to control the tempo, share the kick-ins, and gobble up intercept marks.
- MID: It's a Hawthorn brigade led by D'Ambrosio and Ward, but young Pie Angus Anderson is a fantastic contrarian play, showing up in 60% of our top builds to break up the Hawks stack.
- FWD: Don't overthink it—Macdonald and Moore are your anchors. Plug them in and watch the goals flow.
Check out the full breakdown of our AI’s Top 10 optimal DraftStars lineups below and get ready to climb those leaderboards!