THE FANTASY gods have struck with full force this week, dishing out injuries to many of our premium stars.

It was 1986 when Queen rocked Wembley Stadium with their smash hit Another One Bites the Dust — and nearly 40 years later, not only is Roy still rocking the Freddie Mercury moustache, but those iconic lyrics have officially become the theme song of Round 11.

Injuries have dominated the headlines with players dropping left, right, and centre.

It all began in the backline, when Richmond announced that Jayden Short would miss 1–2 weeks with a soleus strain in his calf. Then the chorus kicked in … ‘And another one gone, and another one gone, another one bites the dust’.

Jason Horne-Francis, Jack Macrae and Finn Callaghan were the next to fall, leaving Fantasy coaches with some massive decisions heading into the round.

Although we might feel broken and bruised, let’s dust ourselves off, get back on our feet and tackle this round head on.

Trap or treat?

Here are some of the traps to avoid and some treats worth considering for the round ahead.

Matthew Kennedy (MID/FWD, $1.011M) – TRAP
The word ‘trap’ is a harsh word for Kennedy, who has been sensational. He has gone up $220k and is averaging 100. He is the one we missed and is now too expensive … and that’s coming from me.

Nic Martin (DEF/FWD, $1.008M) – TREAT
For the thousands of coaches shopping in the forward line, Martin needs to be at the top of the list. Martin has scored over 120 in three of his past six games and has the Richmond match-up this week.

Michael Fredrick (FWD, $599,000) – TRAP
I’m not sure which content creators out there are throwing around Fredrick’s name, but the answer is ‘no’. He did kick three goals and score 86 last week .. but before that he had 51 and 51.

Cooper Simpson (FWD, $313,000) – TREAT
Our options are running thin, but Simpson is still the best of the cheap ones. Simpson has scored 59 and 64 across his first two games and carries the lowest breakeven in the game of -9. Get on!

Angus Clarke (DEF, $230,000) – TREAT
Hang on – what’s this? A $230k rookie? That’s right, folks … Clarke will debut for the Bombers against Richmond this Friday night and scored 83, 74 and 71 from his full games in the VFL. One to watch.

Most traded in

•    Keidean Coleman (DEF, $538,000)
•    Nic Martin (DEF/FWD, $1,007,000)
•    Chad Warner (MID/FWD, $897,000)
•    Cooper Simpson (FWD, $313,000)
•    Jack Sinclair (DEF/MID, $953,000)

Good things come to those who wait and last week we finally got a look at Keidean Coleman (DEF, $538,000), who scored 73 in his first game back since injuring knee back in the Opening Round of 2024.

Coleman was managed last week in his match-up against Melbourne, only playing in 68 per cent of the game. The signs were positive, and with a breakeven of 43, he will be serviceable player only growing in value during the bye rounds that start next week.

Most traded out

• Jack Macrae (MID/FWD, $936,000)
• Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $847,000)
• Finn Callaghan (MID, $956,000)
• Riley Bice (DEF, $653,000)
• Jayden Short (DEF, $872,000)

For those Fantasy coaches with multiple forced trades, you need to prioritise which of your injured players might be back the quickest, and according to Jason Horne-Francis (MID/FWD, $847,000), he hopes to be back in a matter of weeks.

Horne-Francis was running on his injured hamstring on Tuesday and hopes to return after his bye in round 13. Fingers crossed this is the case.

Other coaches who have avoided all the injuries from the week have luxury trades. These lucky coaches are moving on Sydney’s Riley Bice (DEF, $653,000). Bice has now averaged 56 in his past three games and if you don’t have forced moves to make, then the time is right for Bice to go.

Draft: One-week wonders

A strategy in Draft is to find one-week streaming options. This means finding a player who has low ownership (most likely on the waiver wire) and is an option for a one-week play. You may require a player like this to fill any holes in your team while you wait for an injured player to return or for one of your players to gain dual-position status.

Here are some players with low ownership that might be worth a punt on for this week.

Zach Reid (DEF) v Richmond – If you’re chasing a match-up, you know this is the one to target. Reid is averaging 97 in his past three games and sits in just 33 per cent of draft leagues. 100-plus could be on the cards.

Zak Jones (MID) v Gold Coast – Jones could come in for Macrae after filing his pockets in the VFL with scores of 131 and 122. He’s available in 95 per cent of leagues and is worth a shot if he’s named.

Bailey Humphrey (FWD) v St Kilda – After back-to-back scores of 80, Humphrey is certain a player to chase. He had 74 per cent of the Suns’ CBAs last week and is undrafted in 75 per cent of draft leagues.

Draft: Captain smokies

In Draft, every player is unique so it’s important to think outside the box when it comes to finding a captain. Here are some options to consider if you’re a lucky owner.

Nic Martin v Richmond @ the MCG, FRI 7:40pm AEST
A great match-up and a player who can go 140. Perfect! Many coaches are trading into Martin this week and he’s certainly a VC option playing on Friday night. He had 102 and 104 against the Tigers last year.

Dayne Zorko v Hawthorn @ the MCG, SAT 4:15pm AEST 
Recently against the Hawks we have seen similar players to Zorko find plenty of the ball. Adding to this is the fact that he loves playing at the MCG with previous scores of 79, 127, 126, 99 and 117.

Reilly O’Brien v West Coast @ Adelaide Oval, SUN 1:10pm AEST
Recent ruckmen to battle the Eagles have absolutely had a field day. Last week we saw Marshall top score for the round with 158 and before that it was Nankervis 93, Gawn 158 and Meek 131, who all went huge.