Each week, we rely on our AFL Fantasy Projections (available to members of The Keeper League) to identify some of the best captain options for your team.
While there are always some obvious captain options, we try to dig a little deeper to find less popular options due to the widespread nature of players in keeper leagues. However, if you have Uber premium players, please don’t take this article as advice not to put the captaincy on them.
In addition to the top captain options, we’ll also look at some streamer options who may not be automatic selections in your side but have a history of performing well against their opponents. These options are worth considering if you’re looking for a differential advantage in your matchup.
Captains
Nick Daicos is already an elite AFL Fantasy scorer, boasting a 114 average in his second season. St Kilda have become the easiest team to score against, so I expect a 110 here.
I’m managing to fit at least one Ruck option in each week, Round 5 is Tim English’s turn! Tim is averaging 122 this season and is going at 124 from his last three.
I am all in on Josh Kelly this week given he is coming up against Hawthorn who have given up points galore. Kelly had 124 against Hawthorn last year and is averaging 108 on them from his last three.
Jeremy Cameron almost scored more than Hawthorn combined in Round 4 and this week he comes up against the West Coast Eagles. He doesn’t have a great record against the Eagles but he’s too good to ignore at the moment.
Lachie Whitfield notched up 100 AFL Fantasy points in Round 4 and this week he plays Hawthorn. Whitfield has averaged 121 AFL Fantasy points from his last three against Hawthorn.
Vice-Captain
Rory Laird has had an ordinary start to season 2023, however with a Thursday game I’m willing to lock him in as a Vice Captain. Laird had 130 AFL Fantasy points against Carlton last year and has a rolling three-game average of 122 against them.
Patrick Cripps has a rolling three-game average of 108 against the Adelaide Crows, which included a 135 last season. I think he’s a safe VC loop option to start your Thursday.
Caleb Serong flies under the radar of opposition coaches and he loves to play the Gold Coast Suns. Serong has averaged 96 AFL Fantasy points from his last three against the Suns including a score of 126 against them last season.
I think Chad Warner is fast becoming the most consistent of the Sydney Swans scorers. This week he plays Richmond, who gave up four 100+ AFL Fantasy points scores on the weekend.
Daniel Rioli is my smoky loophole option this week, he is coming off 105 AFL Fantasy points, averaging 99 and having scored an 89 in his last appearance at Adelaide Oval.
Streamers
Luke Jackson had 112 AFL Fantasy points on Gold Coast last season. He consistently scores against them, with a rolling three-game 103 AFL Fantasy point average against them
Harry Morrison is a steady hand in these hard AFL Fantasy times. He is averaging 86 AFL Fantasy points from his last three games and scored 108 against GWS last season.
Jake Lever has averaged 78 AFL Fantasy points from his last three against Essendon. Lever is one of Melbourne’s leading intercept options, Nick Haynes had a 128 against Essendon last Round in a similar role.
Steele Sidebottom had a hot start to the season, and I think he bounces back this week against St Kilda. He had 87 AFL Fantasy points against St Kilda last year and has a rolling 97 average against them.
Matt Flynn’s scores have fluctuated this season, but this week he plays Hawthorn. Flynn averages 81 AFL Fantasy points from his last three against the Hawks, which includes a 100 last season.
Want more projections? View the top 20 projected scores of the round here…
