AND we’re off! AFL Fantasy is off and racing! After a long pre-season, the greatest and most frustrating game of all has finally kicked off.

Round one is in the books and what a round it was! We saw rookies exceed all expectations and some premiums fail to deliver. We also saw our first big issues and there were none bigger than Errol Gulden (MID, $1,098,000).

So, what do 50 per cent of coaches do with Gulden, who will be on the sidelines for the next four months with a shoulder injury?

OPTION ONE: Straight swap.

There are plenty of options and by the looks of the most traded-in players, this is a path that some Fantasy coaches are taking. Swapping Gulden for a similar priced player such as Zach Merrett, Marcus Bontempelli or Caleb Serong are all great options – but they also come with their own flaws.

Merrett plays for the Bombers who will struggle this year, and he only managed 65 after quarter-time last week. Bontempelli has a bye next week and even though Serong is coming off a nice 108, can he be trusted for the remainder of the year?

OPTION TWO: Cash-up.

Downgrade Gulden to a missed rookie and get ready to launch next week to a player you love, like Nick Daicos or Max Holmes. Both players have started strongly and will be coming off their bye.

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

Zach Merrett (MID, $1,078,000) – TRAP
The fifth-most traded-in player carried the scoring load for the Bombers last week with 112 as they limped to a team total of 1343 Fantasy points. If this continues it will be hard to see Merrett consistently hitting triple figures.

Luke Jackson (RUCK, $1,013,000) – TREAT
Whether it was the new ruck rules or the fact that Jackson is an outright jet, it doesn’t matter! Jackson was awesome last week with 125, causing some coaches to do a restructure in an effort to squeeze him in.

Caleb Serong (MID, $976,000) – TRAP
How do you see Serong’s 108 last week? Was it saved by a 44-point final quarter or was that quarter a sign of things to come? Serong does have a great run coming up, however buying into Serong is not a short-term play.

Dylan Stephens (MID, $727,000) – TRAP
The highest scorer from round one was always going to turn heads, but did anyone predict it was going to be Stephens with 135. That score doubled his average from 2025 and was his fourth 100 in an 81-game career. He’s the sixth-most traded-in this week.

Brayden Cook (MID/FWD, $386,000) – TREAT
Trap or treat? This is tricky! Cook was great last week with 84 but as we know, playing on a wing at the Crows can be as cold as the Mawson Station in Antarctica. However, he does have a breakeven of zero – so he can be seen as a ‘cash play’.

Most traded in

• Milan Murdock (MID, $292,000)
• Brayden Cook (MID/FWD, $386,000)
• Caleb Serong (MID, $976,000)
• Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $1,151,000)
• Zach Merrett (MID, $1,078,000)

Not since the movie Rambo: First Blood Part 2 in 1985 have we heard someone say ‘No Murdoch … I’m coming to get you!’ Well, that’s what coaches are saying in round two.

Milan Murdock (MID, $292,000) has the lowest breakeven in the game at the moment of -26 after his huge 95 last weekend. It’s all about ‘cash generation’ this time of the year and after going up $62,000 already, he’s a player we all need.

After a replacement for Gulden, who has the same round three bye? Then Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $1,151,000) could be your man. The Bont was super-impressive last week with 135 and could offer instant reward against the Crows on Friday night. His last three scores against them have been 166, 125 and 110.

Most traded out

• Errol Gulden (MID, $1,098,000)
• Colby McKercher (DEF, $783,000)
• Lachy Blakiston (DEF, $404,000)
• Mattaes Phillipou (FWD, $595,000)
• Zeke Uwland (DEF, $344,000)

It’s interesting to see a rookie as one of the most traded-out players for this week but coaches are moving on Zeke Uwland (DEF, $344,000) after his score of 19 in round one. Uwland dropped in price whereas others around him at a similar price excelled in a big way. This is the week to fix up those small misses from round one and coaches are acting swiftly.

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.

Joe Fonti (DEF) v St Kilda – Coming off scores of 84 and 90, Fonti is a guy to target. He has only been drafted in 27 per cent of leagues and should find plenty of the ball down back against the Saints.

Lachy Blakiston (RUCK) v Port Adelaide – He let us down in Classic, but in Draft he can be a week-to-week play. Blakiston meets Visentini this week and should be much better in an easier match-up.

Cam Zurhaar (FWD) v West Coast – After kicking 2.3 against the Power and scoring 71, you could a lot worse than Zurhaar against the Eagles this week. He sits is just 10 per cent of leagues.

Live Teams Show

The Traders will be live tonight to cover all the important ins and outs as teams are announced. They break down the popular trades, discuss captains and answer all your burning questions. Watch the Live Teams Show every Thursday night via AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App and ask your questions in the comments.

Calvin’s best captains

No.1 – Noah Anderson v Richmond @ the MCG, SAT 1.15pm AEDT
Anderson meets the easiest team for midfielders to score against from 2025 and his favourite team to score against across his career. With previous scores of 123, 110, 126, 99, 134 and 141 against the Tigers, it’s hard to see Anderson taking the foot off the pedal this week.

No.2 – Zak Butters v Essendon @ Adelaide Oval, SUN 2.45pm ACDT
After a tough loss to the Kangaroos last week, Butters returns home to make amends… and it doesn’t get any easier than this. The Bombers gave up 1904 points last week and across his last four games against the Bombers, Butters has averaged 108.

No.3 – Marcus Bontempelli v Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval, FRI 7.40pm AEDT
Coming off a huge 135, Bontempelli meets a team he has destroyed in the past. In his last three games against the Crows, he has scored 166, 126 and 110. He has a great record at the Adelaide Oval and under the Friday night lights, we can expect big things.

No.4 – Tim English v Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval, FRI 7.40pm AEDT
Solid and reliable, English just gets the job done. With scores of 108 and 121 under his belt already this year, he now faces the inexperienced Lachie McAndrew. Even though Darcy Cameron (87) didn’t get the job done against him last week, English certainly will.

No.5 – Connor Rozee v Essendon @ Adelaide Oval, SUN 2.45pm ACDT
It won’t matter where Rozee plays in this game. In the middle or down back, it simply will not matter. Rozee takes marks all over the ground (seven last week) and last week against the Bombers we saw the Hawks take a total of 157.