PODs… Tasty in more ways than one! From deliciously rich Mars caramel cradled in a crispy baked wafer to selecting a player with low ownership who is a Fantasy jet… Fair to say there’s a POD out there for us all.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at a player in each position who is flying under the radar to consider in our Fantasy classic starting squads… For the purposes of this write-up, a POD is defined as a player with <10% ownership.

Now I’m not about chasing PODs for the hell of it, but if you get these selections right it will go a long way to one-upping the rest of the competition! Potentially your keys to the Hilux…

*Ownership % as of 5 February 2023*

DEFENDERS

Brandon Ellis ($761K DEF/MID – GCS | 2022 Games: 21 | 2022 Average: 85.9 | 1.32% owned)

It was well-documented that Brandon Ellis enjoyed a more fruitful fantasy role in the back end of season 2022 and he cashed in big time as a result! From R17 onwards, Ellis drifted down back and took his lion share of the kick-ins. In total, Ellis took 38 of a total 78 kick-ins from his final six outings of 2022. For the record, he played on 84% of the time to add an average of 16 points per week from cheap +3’s – yes sir! Over this time, Ellis averaged an elite 102.6, up there with the big dogs! Keep your eyes peeled over preaseason but if the role remains he’s a tempter! If Dewwy can throw in a three park super pass, perhaps the best is yet to come! The only potential flag that may become apparent is if Wil Powell does make a return early in the season and pinch Ellis’ +3’s. I imagine Lachie Weller will be due to return midseason (from a serious knee injury) which may also influence the kick-in numbers and more importantly, Brandon’s role.

Others to consider:

• Jake Lloooooooyd ($807K DEF – SYD | 2022 Games: 21 | 2022 Average: 91.1 | 2.5% ownership)
• Aaron Hall ($797K DEF – NORF | 2022 Games: 11 | 2022 Average: 90 | 3.26% ownership)

MIDFIELDERS

Josh Kelly ($899K MID – BWS | 2022 Games: 21 | 2022 Average: 101.5 | 5.58% ownership)

Kelly always seems to be a player of interest for fantasy coaches so I was surprised to log on and see his current ownership at <6%! Part of this scepticism may breed from Kelly not attending a centre bounce in the final three games of season 2022… However, with Taranto and Hopper out the door this can only be good news for the role of BWS’ Rolls-Royce! At $899K priced at 101, there’s upside there and it won’t break the bank to do it! Kelly has the runs on the board with multiple 110+ averaging seasons.

Others to consider:

• Callum ‘Pills, Thrills’ Mills ($983K MID – SYD | 2022 Games: 22 | 2022 Average: 111 | 4.17% ownership)
• Zach Merrett ($949K MID – ESS | 2022 Games: 19 | 2022 Average: 107.2 | 7.18% ownership)

RUCKS

Reilly O‘Brien ($826K RUC – CROM | 2021 Games: 20 | 2021 Average: 93.3 | 3.53% ownership)

Of all the top ruck men available, it’s big ROB who probably has the safest solo ruck role going around! Kieran Strachan (Crom’s #2) managed only two games in 2022, so fair to say Nicksy is happy to back ROB in when he’s up and going. While ROB’s consistency may be questioned, his ceiling is undeniable having posted 4×120+ scores from his 20 outings in 2022! With selecting solo ruck men borderline a non-negotiable in AFL Fantasy, ROB could be the one for the adventurous coach out there.

Others to consider:

• Brodie Grundy ($830K RUC – MELB | 2022 Games: 6 | 2022 Average: 93.3 | 5.06% ownership)

FORWARDS

Dylan Moore ($826K FWD – HAW| 2022 Games: 22 | 2022 Average: 93.3 | 6.05% ownership)

Dyl Moore and “flying under the radar”… Arguably synonymous given the criminally low ownership of the man! Moore spent most of 2022 playing as a high forward and kicked plenty of goals, particularly in the first half of the season. It was Moore’s purple patch between R17 and R21 that will have coaches excited! Over this period, Dyl was redeployed as a midfielder, averaging 109 fantasy points over a five week period in which he attended >50% of centre bounces. With Mitchell and O’Meara goneski, there are plenty of midfield minutes up for grabs at Hawthorn and you imagine Dyl will take any increased opportunity at the coalface with both hands!

Others to consider:

• Zac Butters ($764K MID/FWD – PA | 2022 Games: 20 | 2022 Average: 86.3 | 7.08% ownership)

So there you have it folks, some tasty PODs to consider for our starting squads. Anyone I missed that you are keeping a close eye on (or perhaps staying hush-hush about!)? Let me know in the comments! Thoughts, feedback and banter welcome!

Cheers legends,

Fantasy Fanatic #70