Lock in Australian Rules Football to your daily fantasy sports repertoire this season. With generous daily prize pots up for grabs and only a small player pool to compete against, the odds are certainly in your favor.
You may be new to the sport (or even daily fantasy sports in general), but we’re here to answer all your burning questions and guide you to the best daily fantasy AFL site.
Here is where we recommended you play AFL DFS this season:
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Why We Play AUSFL with DraftKings?
As is evident in the table above, DraftKings is our number one pick for playing Aussie Rules DFS. Sure, our choices maybe limited for playing AFL daily fantasy at this point in time, but thankfully the quality product on offer more than makes up for our lack of choice.
DraftKings have been the innovator of bringing Fantasy Aussie Rules to the United States, and their product speaks for itself. The AUSFL service is easy to use with an intuitive design, making it perfect for first-timers. Of course, just like all things DraftKings, it’s incredibly fun. Read our full review of DraftKings to see why we use this provider for so many fantasy sports.
One of the great aspects of playing with DraftKings is that it can offer great customer flexibility at the deposit stage. After downloading the AFL fantasy app, the provider accepts payment via online banking, domestic debit and credit cards, gift cards, as well as Play+, PayPal, and many more payment methods.
With DraftKings rich daily fantasy heritage, it was unsurprising that they were the first provider to offer AFL fantasy sports betting. The introduction of AFL DFS sees it broaden its global sports DFS portfolio to more than 15 global sports. The AFL season starts just a couple weeks after the Super Bowl, so it’s the perfect timing for fantasy football fans looking for something different to do between campaigns.
We’ve been using DraftKings for years, and we know all that they have on offer. They maybe be the only operators at the time, but the big-name operators seem poised to launch their own AUSFL service in the very near future. It’s been rumored that ThriveFantasy will be launching their very own Aussie DFS game in the near future, so keep an eye out for that.
How do you Play Aussie Rules Fantasy?
Let’s quickly go over what new signups can expect when competing in DraftKings AUSFL for the first time. The operator offers a multitude of new game and tournament innovations throughout the course of the Australian Football League’s 31-week long season. However, the main game to get familiar with is salary cap contests.
With a salary cap of $50,000 to work with, participants curate a lineup by choosing players listed in the Player Pool. Each of these players will accumulate points during the game by performing actions such as kicking the football, tackling an opponent, scoring a goal, etc.
In AFL fantasy, your main concern is the performance of each of your players. In contrast to sports betting, the match outcome is irrelevant in terms of the team scores. If your lineup performs well, your overall performance is better, giving you the best chance of success.
Check out the table below to see the full list of what contributes to the score a player can accumulate in AFL Fantasy 2022. Now some of these terms may sound strange (hey, it’s a strange sport), but these terms will soon form a part of your everyday DFS vocabulary.
| Type | Points |
|---|---|
| Goal | +6 Pts |
| Tackle | +4 Pts |
| Kick | +3 Pts |
| Mark | +3 Pts |
| Handball | +2 Pts |
| Hit Out | +1 Pts |
| Behind | +1 Pts |
| Free Kick For | +1 Pts |
| Free Kick Against | -3 Pts |
Requirements for a DraftKings AFL Lineup
After loading up your AFL fantasy app, participants will be expected to choose a lineup from a set criteria. This lineup will consist of 9 Players across 4 Positions. These positions being Forward, Midfielder, Defender, and Ruck. Participants must select exactly 2 Forwards, 4 Midfielders, 2 Defenders, and 1 Ruck for their AFL DFS picks.
The Player Pool will consist of all AFL players expected to be on the active roster for any team scheduled to play in the contest Game Set. Lineups may be edited at any time leading up to games. Each individual player will become “locked” at the scheduled start time of their team’s game.
Becoming familiar with the positions in Aussie rules and how a player’s role in a lineup can influence a score is essential for anyone serious about this DFS. AFL players that spend their time in the Midfield tend to have a better chance at scoring higher compared to the Defenders or Forwards.
It’s also no coincidence that the Ruckmen tend to have the heftiest price tags in AFL DraftKings. This highly specialized position is arguably the most important in a game of Aussie rules football. Ruckmen follow the play across the entire field of play, allowing for the elite Ruckmen to rack up high scores with ease.
AUSFL fans based in the USA may not be familiar with the tremendous resources available. There is certainly enough AFL daily fantasy help out there for those searching for an edge of their competitors. We’ve covered plenty of fantasy AFL tips and tricks for new and experienced American daily fantasy players in the segment below.
Helpful Fantasy Footy Resources for US Players
Before DraftKings launched their AUSFL service, we had been playing AFL fantasy on other sites for many years. Though the format and rules may have been different compared to what is currently on offer with daily fantasy sports, this experience has certainly helped us take on the competition on DraftKings. Here’s what we’ve learnt in our time playing fantasy Aussie Rules Football.
We want more American players to discover and incorporate Aussie Rules into their second-screen gaming experience. New US based players can make an easy transition into the world of Aussie Rules DFS by adding a few things to their tool kit. As more discover the daily fantasy AFL app offered by DraftKings, we want our readers to be ahead of the competition when it comes to their Australian Rules Football knowledge.
The first thing we recommend is choosing a team and tuning in to watch live Australian Rules Football. Sure, the time difference may be challenging for people living in certain states, but it’s worth making the effort to do. Not only is the sport incredibly entertaining to watch in itself, but it’s a great way to gain quick knowledge of the different teams and their player rosters. You’ll learn quickly how players can accumulate and lose points, giving you an understanding of the type of player you should be choosing in your lineup.
Learning about the 18 AFL football teams and their game styles will be a essential when choosing an AFL fantasy lineup on match day. Certain team ideologies can influence how well individuals within these teams can score. Just like any team sport, the head coach in Australian football can have their players focused upon defense rather than offence, leading lower scores for both their players and of the opposing team.
Consider checking out some of the channels that talk all things fantasy footy on YouTube. Sure, a lot of the content is tailored towards season-campaign games (this remains the most popular format in Australia), however the information on these YouTube channels is invaluable and carries over to daily fantasy. These channels cover week-by-week news which will guide your lineup selection for upcoming fixtures. Tuning in regularly will help to uncover a few unknown AFL DFS picks and projections.
Of course, the official AFL website is a great resource to keep up to date on game schedules, injury reports, match highlights, and more. Make sure to add the AFL app to your phone so you’re always in the know about what’s happening over in Oz.
Betting on AFL Games in the USA with DraftKings
Another reason to consider downloading the DraftKings app is the option to bet on live AFL games from the USA. DraftKings is best known for its daily fantasy sport offerings, but the operator has vast sports betting options which rival any other online sportsbook.
Having played AFL fantasy football over a period of time, it’s only natural to explore the sports betting options. Of course, the betting option will only be available in certain states in America which have legal online sports betting. Be sure to check the legal status of your state before exploring this option.
There are many opportunities to have a punt on Australian Rules Football throughout the season. From the beginning of March until the last week of September, there are 198 regular season games. Things start to get real interesting during the finals series (play-offs) when the top 8 teams are fighting for their survival.
The biggest game of the year is the Grand Final, which is the Australian Rules Football equivalent of the Super-Bowl. Betting on the AFL Grand Final is a main reason to be invested (literally) in the outcome of a game when your team isn’t playing.
Individual player awards such the Brownlow Medal (the MVP as voted by the umpires) is perhaps the most exciting event in the Aussie Rules calendar to bet on. What makes this medal so entertaining is that the award is calculate by a voting system on a game-by-game basis.
After each regular season game, a player can receive 3,2 or 1 votes from the field umpires. The votes of each individual player is counted round by round. Round 23 is when things really get spicy. Just like in America, having a punt on the AFL Draft is slowly becoming more of a regular thing for bettors.
Future Features of the DraftKings App
In this section of the page, we’ll discuss what we speculate what could be the future of playing daily fantasy AFL with DraftKings. One of the main complaints of American fans of AFL is the fact that it is so difficult to watch live games. Finding out where to watch Australian Rules Football in the United States has always been a hassle.
For years the sport has been shifted from channel to channel, without truly finding a permanent home. The broadcast rights to AFL games in the United States is currently held by FOX. Hopefully the higher-ups at DraftKings are taking note of the sports growing popularity and will compete for the streaming rights when they become available again.
Having the option to tune in to live AFL football on match day from the United States is certainly something we have dreamed of when using DraftKings. Monitoring a daily fantasy sports lineup whilst watching a game of Aussie rules in America would be an ideal situation for punters.
What is AFL DreamTeam?
We mentioned earlier that we had experience playing Fantasy AFL for a number of years. Back then it went by the name AFL DreamTeam. It’s since been rebranded but it is still referred to by its original name by most punters.
This is an official AFL run online fantasy competition. There are no charges for registration and participation in all games is absolutely free. What makes DreamTeam different to DraftKings is that it is a year-long campaign, meaning you draft a lineup at the start of the year within a salary cap and then trade players in and out throughout the season.
The scoring system is close to identical to the one used in DraftKings, making it a great resource for those wanting to familiarize themselves with the different players. Your main concern will be injuries to your squad, plus there’s always the chance of dud trades ruining a season-campaign. There’s also the underutilized DreamTeam feature of finding AFL DFS projections for each round.
The stakes at play are lower than the usual DFS competition, though the winner of Fantasy AFL at the season’s conclusion wins a car (hopefully they’ll ship it to the USA) and tickets to the Grand Final. The rest of the top 10 receive prize money.
What is AFL SuperCoach?
SuperCoach is an online fantasy football game run by an Australian media company. The competition is almost exactly the same as DreamTeam, except the scoring system adds extra challenge to this game of skill. This is a season-long campaign, rather than the typical daily fantasy Aussie Rules.
Players are awarded and deducted points from an extensive list of stats. This, although a challenging element, is a benefit of playing SuperCoach since participants gain a better understanding of how players accumulate scores and, thus, how this is linked to their value.
The SuperCoach game type broader scope to more players in the AFL, which could help choosing a lineup in AUSFL. Learning about the different strategies that participants employ such as the ‘Guns & Rookies Strategy’ or ‘Mid-Pricer Strategy’, is invaluable.
Just like DreamTeam, there is no buy-in. A prize of $1,000 (Australian Dollars) is awarded each week to the highest scoring entrant of the week. There’s a grand prize of $50,000 to the entrant with the highest cumulative point total at the end of the home and away season.
At a glance, the money sounds pretty good. Though the likely hood of you being able to outrank every single other competitor. Some years there are up to 300,000 competitors, so to claim a weekly prize is extremely difficult. But, hey, it’s worth a shot.
Final Thoughts on AFL DFS
Fantasy AFL has been a thing Down Under for decades, so it’s only a matter of time before it becomes big in the USA. As more Americans embrace Australian Rules Football in their DFS rotations, we recommend getting a jump on the competition by playing with AUSFL.
We can wholeheartedly recommend signing up to DraftKings for their Aussie Rules DFS service alone. Who knows, after pulling off a few wins, maybe Aussie Rules will become your number one Daily Fantasy Sport.
| DraftKings | Deposit bonus up to $500 | Claim Bonus | Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Help is available for problem gambling. Call (888) 789-7777 or visit ccpg.org(CT). 18+ in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. |
FAQ
What is the Best Daily Fantasy AFL Site for Real Money?
The best site for playing AFL Daily Fantasy for real money is DraftKings Fantasy. The provider is a great option for US players seeking a new DFS experience.
When does AFL Fantasy Start in 2022?
The Australian Football League starts on 16 March 2022, kicking off when AFL Fantasy will begin. Those wanting to play AFL Fantasy 2022 on DraftKings can start playing at any time during the season.
How does AFL Fantasy Work?
In the DraftKings AUSFL salary cap game, a lineup of 9 Players is chosen from the Player Pool without exceeding the $50,000 salary cap. Your starting 9 Players will score points that contribute to your lineup total.
How are AFL Fantasy Points Calculated?
When a lineup is chosen, players score points through different actions during a real live game such as kicking the ball, tackling an opponent, or scoring a goal. Check out section above for more information.
What are the Best Fantasy Aussie Rules Podcasts?
There are many great podcasts which will inform your AFL DFS picks and give plenty of fantasy footy tips. Although they don't specialize in AUSFL by DraftKings specifically, we can recommend the podcast 'DreamTeam Talk' for all things AFL fantasy.
When does AFL Fantasy Lockout End?
The lockout periods are dependent on the AFL game schedule and will last for the duration of the live game, as well as a short period following the game's conclusion when player scores are confirmed and finalized.
What is the Best AFL Fantasy Strategy?
There is much debate as to what is the best strategy to employ when playing Aussie DFS. Two popular strategies are the 'Guns & Rookies Strategy' and 'Mid-Pricer Strategy'. Both have their merits and risks.