One of the most fun aspects of playing draft style fantasy football is making trades. It’s not like the salary cap version where you just make them, in draft you’re haggling with league mates and trying to get the best deal and sell high, buy low – all while balancing your team for a tilt at a premiership.

If you’re new to the Draft Doctors podcast, the ‘A Dozen Deals’ article has been a staple for 2 years, where each week I write about various transactions you could make; be it a BUY, SELL, HOLD, ADD or DROP. Buy, sell and hold all relate to players who are most likely owned, and add/drop to players who may or may not be, more fringe type players. I base these suggestions on a 10 team-22 player roster, so depending on your league size and format, there may be some variation in value (which I will generally specify). The whole point of the article was to give advice on making moves in your draft league. Did all the moves work out? Not quite. However, through the season there was a very high success rate and by and large they worked out.

BUY – TAYLOR ADAMS (M) – I mean, how stoked would the Adams owner be?! After watching Adams shart his way through the first 3 weeks, holding on for three missed games only to be rewarded with a 40 something versus…….Brisbane. We have enough data on Adams to know this isn’t the norm, despite Collingwood’s #new gameplan. The asking price couldn’t be lower. Remember when JPK had a crap month? B2B 120’s later…guns find a way.

SELL – CHRISTIAN PETRACCA (M/F) – OK, so I’ll be honest, if you wanted to hold over the next couple of weeks for strong matchup plays, I’m good with it, but CP5 just had a great matchup and bombed. My worry is the midfield time is drying up, with the roster getting healthier and the return of Jack Viney nearing. Parked out on a flank isn’t exactly scoring heaven. If you don’t want to play matchups for the next 2 weeks, now’s a good time to cash in.

ADD – MARK HUTCHINGS (M/F) – Has some midfield opportunity (one would imagine) with Sheed and now Shuey out. Has always had fantasy ability but often his role would hold him back. A great score on the weekend, we’ll look for Hutchings to back it up against an injury stricken GWS.

ADD – SCOTT LYCETT ( R ) – With NicNat currently suspended (if he gets off the charge – please disregard), Lycett looks set to roll as sole ruck v the GWS ruck divis……oh who are we kidding, they don’t have a ruck division. Lycett should ton up in the no NicNat scenario against GWS who just bleed points to ruckmen.

ADD – JED ANDERSON (F/M) – Putting together a nice stretch of games despite a shocking hairstyle, Anderson has found it hard to be consistently on the park, let alone score fantasy points. He’s got things going and is playing on the wing, but is showing great ability to win his own ball, something I covet when looking for upside plays. Looks more a SC pick, but is a handy addition to your forward line.

BUY – RORY LOBB (F;F/R) – Should be cheap as chips after missing time and he wasn’t going great guns anyway. Still like Lobb long term and he’s allegedly nearing a return. Don’t like trading for injured guys as a rule but he should be dirt cheap and GWS need to get him going.

ADD – TOM PAPLEY/GEORGE HEWETT (M/F) – Both of these players are reasonably lowly owned, but both are capable fantasy scorers, moreso for the SC format. Whilst they do have different roles, they both play for Sydney who are about to hit a month stretch of being heavily favoured in games. That should mean goals and fantasy points going to a few Swans and these two are a couple that I really like to have some games in that time period. If you wanted to take a chance on Dean Towers, he’s also someone I don’t mind, but just not into as much as the other two.

SELL – DION PRESTIA (M) – I can’t be bothered dealing with him. Soft tissue problems below the waist are always bad and Prestia is always first in line to have one. Couple that with the fact Richmond’s style means they don’t rack up huge fantasy scores and it’s a situation I’d rather just get out of. A total sell low, but he is still a name, so you may get a bite.

SELL – JORDAN DE GOEY (M/F) – Oh, how I love hype and talk of huge contracts and #breakout performances! Especially when it’s by players who are camped inside the forward 50 and they kick a bag of goals. Now, I love JDG in a keeper league (and own) but in a redraft, he’s a great sell. Yes, eventually he’ll go into the midfield but without injuries I have a hard time imagining it’s this year, meaning he’ll be stuck inside fifty relying on goals to pump up his fantasy scoring. But let’s remember, everyone – this game was against Brisbane. It’s quite literally the best fantasy matchup for a general forward there is. A good game should have been expected. If I can find a Collingwood fan or just anyone willing to buy high, I’m doing it.

BUY – PADDY RYDER ( R ) – If you need a ruck and the Ryder owner managed to scoop up someone usable like Bellchambers or Sinclair, you may be able to prise Ryder off them if you need a ruckman. I’m not a fan of trading for them but Ryder was obviously eased back into things with a low TOG on the allegedly, leg-destroyingly hard Optus Stadium deck and his fantasy score suffered. Tough to say what he’d cost to buy, I’m not paying too much for a ruck, but he’s interesting anyway. Maybe you want to try upgrade Goldy by throwing in some steak knives.

BUY – ANDREW McGRATH (D) – Probably dropped in a few leagues, the midfield time that we were told was coming must’ve taken some nasal spray, because it’s yet to come. Well, maybe it’s starting to turn because he was pushing up the ground a bit more on the weekend and even got a centre clearance. I’m hoping that with Essendon being so poor at clearances they give McGrath more of a go as the season progresses. Getting a bunch of contested touches on the weekend gives me hope. It’s a nice buy low, imo.

SELL – CALE HOOKER (F/D) – Coming out that Joe Daniher will miss a month with injury, on the surface it would seem there’s a chance they’ll send Hooker back forward. His fantasy output had improved with the move to defence, so if he goes forward I’d expect his scores to go back.

As always, good luck in your matchups this week and good trading!