FANTASY finals are here, and there are some huge decisions that need to be made for the round ahead.

Another week… another force trade (or two) are what coaches are faced with once again.

This week, Nic Newman (DEF, $839,000) will be missing with a hamstring injury, and he’ll be joined by Finn Callaghan (MID, $905,000) who has had season-ending ankle surgery.

These players need to be traded and now it’s more important than ever to look at players who could provide you with an instant reward this week… or players who have a great run home for the remainder of the season.

In a season like no other, now is the time to stand up, because bragging rights against your mates will last all summer long.

“There’s no second place. Second place is a first loser.” – Rick Bobby, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Trap or treat?

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

Darcy Cameron (RUCK, $869,000) – TREAT
Need a ruck and already have Max Gawn? Cameron is your man! He has dominated Geelong in the past with scores of 78 (alongside Oscar Steene), 140 and 147. Coming off a nice 137, he’ll instantly reward you.

Jarman Impey (DEF, $850,000) – TRAP
Impey has made the most of his recent ‘easy’ match-ups, scoring 147 and 137 against Essendon and Richmond. These are now gone. Even though he has a Fantasy-friendly role, his next match-ups are much harder.

Archie Roberts (DEF, $784,000) – TRAP
Since returning from injury, Roberts has scored 69, 88 and 75…. and coaches are still trading him in? The role that saw him average 132 over a six-game stretch earlier this year is no longer there. Shop in other areas.

Hugh McCluggage (MID, $666,000) – TREAT
Trap or treat? McCluggage has been both this year and here we go again. He scored 115 last week, however, he did have 38 the week before. Also in this price range, consider Tanner Bruhn and Daniel Curtin.

Most traded in

• Errol Gulden (MID, $965,000)
• Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $890,000)
• Jarman Impey (DEF, $850,000)
• Dayne Zorko (DEF, $882,000)
• Wayne Milera (DEF, $926,000)

Righteo – we’ve seen enough!

Errol Gulden‘s (MID, $965,000) score of 137 last week certainly caught our attention and this week he is the most traded in player for round 21. He’ll play St Kilda, Port Adelaide, Essendon and North Melbourne on the run home. Even though he doesn’t have a great record against these teams, he is coming off a huge score and is under a million dollars.

Most traded out

• Rowan Marshall (RUCK/FWD, $916,000)
• Nic Newman (DEF, $839,000)
• Finn Callaghan (MID, $905,000)
• Oliver Francou (MID, $484,000)
• Joel Fitzgerald (MID, $550,000)

Trading Rowan Marshall (RUCK/FWD, $916,000) is the right thing to do. Even though he still might play, the big man was a late out last week with a back issue and when you combine that with Tom De Koning… it’s not good. De Koning was great last week as St Kilda’s No. 1 ruck, something that won’t be changing any time soon.

Most popular trade

Rowan Marshall (RUCK/FWD, $916,000) to Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $890,000)

Not only does this move pocket you some money… you are trading in a player who is absolutely flying.

Over the last four weeks, Rankine has averaged 106 and attended more centre ball-ups than any other Adelaide midfielder. He plays Richmond next week, a team he scored a career-high 162 against earlier this year.

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 in the free agents) and 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.

Marcus Herbert (MID) v Richmond – Coming off 36 disposals and 118 points, this mature-aged rookie now walks into an easy match-up for defenders. Check those wavier wires because he should be good again.

Brayden Cook (MID/FWD) v Essendon – After a form slump… ‘Cooky’ has responded with 81 and 89. He faces Essendon this week and could push a triple-figure score. He features in 17 per cent of draft leagues.

Xavier O’Halloran (MID/FWD) v Port Adelaide – O’Halloran attended the most centre ball-ups of the Giants’ midfielders last week and scored 72. With Callaghan now out, he could be even better. Sits in just two per cent of leagues.

Calvin’s best captains

No.1 – Darcy Cameron v Geelong @ the MCG, THURS 7.30pm AEST
Cameron has now averaged 120 in his last three games and now faces a team that has given up huge scores to opposition rucks such as 110 (Max Gawn), 139 (Rowan Marshall) and 134 (Briggs).

No.2 – Bailey Smith v Collingwood @ the MCG, THURS 7.30pm AEST
Smith scored 127 against Collingwood earlier this year and even had 119 against it in 2025. Even though he can be a little hit and miss on his day, he’s a great VC option.

No.3 – Will Ashcroft v Carlton @ Marvel Stadium, SAT 7.40pm AEST
Ashcroft is not slowing down and has now averaged 130 in his last six games. Lately, match-ups haven’t bothered Ashcroft as he fills the stat line across all areas. He’s flying!

No.4 – Jordan Dawson v Essendon @ Marvel Stadium, SUN 4.40pm AEST
If you are a believer about chasing match-ups, then this one is for you. Essendon is still the No.1 easiest team for midfielders and Dawson is back under the roof where he had 156 this year.

No.5 – Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera v Sydney @ Marvel Stadium, SAT 1.05pm AEST
Sydney is tough and it has James Jordon as a tagger, however, it didn’t use him in round 13 at the SCG when Nas had 105. Hot form, tough opponent… this could be anything from 80 to 140.