How to Win Playing on Draftstars
There are many different ways to pick your lineup. The beauty of AFL on Draftstars is that there is no one path to the top of the leaderboard, but finding a strategy which works for you will win you a lot of money in the long run. Here is a brief overview of a number of common strategies on Draftstars.
Shootouts
It is no secret that there is a link between the final score of a match and number of Draftstars points scored by players in that match. For every goal that is kicked, at least 9 Draftstars points are recorded (6 for the goal plus 3 for the kick) so it makes sense that if the match is a shootout, you can also expect high scores on Draftstars. Higher scoring matches are also generally more open, with less stoppages, meaning that ‘outside’ players and forwards are more likely to score than ‘inside’ players and ruckmen. Matches played at Etihad Stadium, or involving the Brisbane Lions are usually higher scoring, which means that they are great to target on Draftstars.
Finding Value
Especially early in the season, there is plenty of value to be found. By value, I mean players who will score at least 10 points per thousand dollars of salary they cost. The main sources of value include (with examples from round 2): a player who replaces an injured teammate in a key role (Braydon Pruess), players who has been given a new role i.e. more midfield time (Lin Jong, Ryan Burton), players at a new club (Toby Nankervis, Will Hoskin-Elliot), mature aged rookies/comeback players (Brett Eddy, Andy Otten).
Wet Weather Specialists
Contrary to popular belief, wet weather footy can be a fantasy goldmine. All you need is to select the right type of player. In and under players such as Josh Kennedy, Matt Priddis or Tom Liberatore thrive in wet conditions, with their scoring supplemented by the high number of tackles they record. Tight congested games are the general order of play in the wet, meaning that talls at either end of the ground are largely ineffective. Surprisingly, ruckmen actually score quite well in wet conditions, especially those who tackle well and take contested marks around the ground. The higher number of stoppages mean that there are plenty of points on offer through hit outs, especially with the change in the third man up rule for 2017.
Loading Up
Finding the right high priced player to build your lineup around is crucial for winning on Draftstars. There is almost nothing worse than spending the big bucks on a player who has an off day, costing you any real chance of finishing in the money. Players in a winning side tend to score better than players in losing sides and you want to avoid players who are on the receiving end of a tag. Midfielders are the safest option for your investment and defenders are usually the most risky.
Looking Left Field
Finding a player who is not owned in a large percentage of lineups that has a huge day is a great way to shoot up the leaderboard. Make sure you do your own research and take a calculated risk or two when building your lineup. The winner of the Round 2 AFL $21,000 Saturday selected Rory Sloane and Thomas Barrass who were selected by 2% of all lineups, both of these players returned over 10 points per thousand dollars salary, which made a nice point of difference for the their winning lineup.
AFL SCORING SYSTEM
Kick = 3 points
Mark = 3 points
Handball = 2 points
Goal = 6 points
Behind = 1 point
Tackle = 4 points
Free Kick For = 1 point
Free Kick Against = -3 points
Hitout = 1 point
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