Wired for Success - Picks for Round 7
With nearly a third of the AFL Fantasy season behind us, every waiver move matters more than ever. The competition is heating up, and finding those low-ownership gems could be the key to gaining an edge in your league. Whether you’re dealing with injuries, chasing form, or simply looking to strengthen your depth, the waiver wire is still packed with value—if you know where to look.
This week, we’re once again shining a spotlight on players who are owned in less than 30% of AFL Fantasy Draft leagues but have shown promising signs heading into Round 7. These are the under-the-radar options who could provide serious upside, especially with bye rounds and rotations starting to shake things up.
No matter what position you’re targeting—defenders, midfielders, forwards or even rucks—we’ve got a list of potential pickups that could slot straight into your squad and make an impact. It’s not always the big names that win leagues, but the savvy pickups at just the right time. So let’s get into the best Round 7 waiver wire targets that could give you that all-important edge.
Top Waiver Wire Picks by Position
Defenders
Fletcher (70) - Not as influential as his last two games but still scored well considering the conditions and lack of points to go around on the half back line. Had a 51-point second half so there’s plenty of potential there still, especially amongst other backline options.
McGovern (89) – Have to be mindful that the last two games for Carlton have been West Coast and North Melbourne so when you see a player like McGovern averaging 95 over the last two weeks it’s easy to get excited. He had 8 kick ins last week and 0 this week which is the good news part of it. The bad news is before the last two weeks he was averaging 55. Has West Coast and North in back-to-back matches in Rounds 14 and 15 so perhaps just wait until then to grab him as a streaming option.
Young (78) – Kept up his dual Defender role with helping chop out in the ruck but with the return of Pittonet on the horizon he’ll lose those 5-8 hitout points a game and will fade even more in to AFL Fantasy Draft irrelevancy.
Saad (43) – Just as we were getting excited there was some consistency sneaking into Saads game he goes and reminds us of his scoring floor. In Saads defence, North had less than 40 inside 50s which is very low and a lot of them were very shallow entries that McGovern could gobble up. Forgiven but not forgotten and still an option in very deep leagues.
Tucker (50) – His worst score of the year when he hasn’t been involved in the sub vests. No real explanation for this either which is the worrying part cause the ball was in his half of the ground so much. Off the watchlist for now.
Hollands (55) – Looked really lost out there today but like Saad just didn’t have the ball in his half enough to inflict maximum damage. Hurts the reputation but while he has that half back role will forever remain an option for those in deep leagues.
McGovern (86) – When Jeremy McGovern is fit he should be rostered in more leagues than he currently is. He’s a tough player to have on your field cause there’s more chance he goes off injured than he doesn’t but when he plays out a full game he’s shown he is more than capable of scoring due to his intercept marking ability and love for a kick in (5 this week). He was averaging 87 over the first 6 weeks last year and maintained an average of 80 despite getting injured in some games. We’d expect much the same this year given how much the ball should be down in defence. Only for those who need some high risk high reward options in defence.
Zach Reid (36) – McGrath was the only mainstay Essendon defender to score over 70 points this week after five of them did last week. We thought he may be a good short term option with Essendon’s run coming up, but at the end of the day, Zach Reid is a key defender first and a distributor second. Interestingly he did get 4 CBAs as he went in to the ruck following Drapers injury so that’s something to keep an eye on but until then, unless McKay miraculously finds some form he will be too focused on stopping key forwards as opposed to scoring for our AFL Fantasy Draft teams.
McDonald (82) – Another game of 100% TOG but only his second game with a score over 80. Why we have him on here though is he has Richmond and Eagles over the next two games so there are worst streaming options out there. Don’t go doing anything too rash but one to take a punt on in deep leagues over the next couple of weeks if you are chasing that 70+ score from the position.
Worner (70) - This was another great matchup for Fremantle defenders after playing Richmond last week. Was on 53 points at halftime and looking lively out of the backline but as we said last week he is too much of a lockdown defender against good teams to be an option. Corey Wagner had 27 touches in the reserves as well so if he gets named in the coming weeks the upside of Worner decreases even more.
Idun (97) – As we have stated before, las year Idun had a run of 8 games in a row where he scored 70+ and he averaged 78 post bye. He is a very reliable option that is not rostered in enough leagues at the moment. This was his third score over 80 this year which is more than we can say compared to some players that are on some teams rosters. Worth a Free agency waiver pick.
Worrell (65) – We thought this week would be the week he returns to his rebounding and intercepting ways with Murray out of the side but it was not to be. Remains on our watchlist because of his ability his showed early in the season but don’t go rushing to grab him off the waivers. If you held him, give it one more week if you can afford the luxury. Plays Fremantle next week who are giving away a lot of points to defenders at the moment.
Milera (52) – We said last week that he needs to be backing up a good score before we can go recommending him but he could not do that this week. Laird was the only defender to go over 80 for Adelaide this week and last week they had four defenders do it so there was far less ball being shared around down back. Is just too unpredictable for our AFL Fantasy Draft lineups for us to recommend him as a waiver wire addition.
Weller (82) – Richmond is such an easy team to score against in transition and today’s game was just another example of that when Lachie Weller, who had averaged 48 points from the previous three games, found his way to score over 80. Has now scored well against only Eagles and Richmond this year so as Gold Coast go into a tough fixture run we highly recommend you don’t go picking Weller.
Powell (94) – His scores were always going to suffer as soon as Noble and Rioli put pen to paper to join Gold Coast. They have indeed suffered so far this year but with Rioli taking an early knock to his ribs and clearly struggling, they moved Powell into a more aggressive half back role to great effect. Big watch on Rioli’s health as that will largely affect the potential of Powell’s scoring.
Trainor (2) – Tough one to ride for Trainor’s owners whose squads were locked in before the news of him playing sub came out. If there’s an upside, it’s that he is now well rested and for a rookie player that’s scored over 70 in his previous three games, that can only be good news.
Florent (54) – Predominantly on the wing today but struggled on the smaller ground of the SCG which is a bit of a pattern with Florent in his role. Last year he only had 3 games out of 11 scoring over 80 at the ground and never scored more than 84 points. Due to this, you’ll have to be selective when looking playing him on the field and try target the away games on the bigger grounds.
Francis (67) – Shout out to an inspired Aaron Francis who really tried to will Sydney over the line as a forward today in his first game of the season. Scored 67 points in just over a quarter of football which included three goals and he was very close to kicking his fourth after shrugging off three Port Adelaide players.
Johannisen (101) – Played in defence this week after warming himself in to things up forward. If Bramble is popping out scores like 97 than it’s no surprise we saw JJ score 101 points of his own. This is far more exciting than Williams or Bramble as we know JJ is a scorer, especially when he plays off half back. In just under half his games last year he scored 90+ points and ended up going at an average of 84 which is far more than we can say for many others on the waiver at the moment. Worth a punt for sure.
Bramble (97) – As stated above, this score by Bramble shows just how loose St Kilda’s half forwards were playing off their men. Bramble is a lockdown defender first and foremost and despite a two-round average of 92, we aren’t getting excited and would prefer others ahead of him. Reminder last year he strung scores of 84. 74 and 100 together in a patch at the start of the season but then returned to his normal floor.
Williams (110) – St Kilda lack of defensive pressure meant there were plenty of points to go around at the Bulldogs and Williams was one of the many to benefit from that. With JJ returning to defence, it meant he locked up a wing role but that isn’t the role he’s played when he’s been a good scorer in the past. With only one score over 80 before this one we can’t get too excited but he’s firmly on the watchlist.
Weddle (72) – At some point and unlikely in 2025 but the Fantasy game of Weddle will start matching the actual footy style that he plays and his scores will explode. Until then, needs to be trusted with more ruck support to be an option but remains on our watchlist.
Scrimshaw (88) – So far this year he has scored 85, 13 (subbed off in the second quarter) and now 88. Interestingly when Sicily went forward in the second half is when he really started to propel his scoring and 55 of his 88 points came in the second half. There is a definite positive scoring role for him in the side especially with the upcoming ease of fixture. As an owner you’ll be hoping that Sicily is swung forward earlier in games. A great waiver pick up for deeper leagues.
Midfielders
Long (81) - Equal leader for the pies in CBAs tonight and did his job security no harm with a very decent game. His attack on the ball could not be questioned and got burnt by his teammates a lot of times he was in space so there’s still upside as they continue to build chemistry with Long in the CBA mix. Was the fifth highest scorer of the game and had the most tackles of the game so will only benefit in more high possession games. Was our number one waiver option last week and will be our number one waiver option this week.
Pendlebury (74) - Wasn’t as dominant in this game as he has been the last couple of weeks. It was his first score under 80 at the Gabba since 2020. Pendles still had 17/26 CBAs and while the role is there, he’s better than most other options. Sidebottom noted after the game that the plan was to sub himself out and Pies will continue to do that for players like him and Pendles so there’s always the grey cloud looming, but it won’t be every game. Be wary that regardless, De Goey is a big threat to take more of his CBAs away over the coming weeks. We still prefer Long over Pendles if you are making that choice for your squad.
Stephens (75) – Back to back scores of over 70 so remains on the watchlist for now. TOG was over 90% today as well which is exciting to show his fitness increasing. Some tough matchups coming up from wingmen but remains high on the Watchlist while Bailey Scott is out of the side.
Lord (39) – Ned Long 2.0 is just waiting in the wings we tell you. Give this man a full game! Came on in the last and kicked 2 goals in a quarter for 39 points. We are aware the game was dead and buried at that point but just to remind you about Cooper Lord, in round 1 he plays midfield and has 57 points in the first half. He was then substituted out on 70 points during the third quarter. In round 2 he starts as sub and performs well when he comes on in the last quarter. He is dropped for round 3. In round 4 he returns, gets 30% CBAs and scores 74 (with a 50-point first half). In Round 5 he scores 64 from three quarters after coming on as the sub. High on the watchlist.
Sharp (73) – Keeping Jeremy Sharp firmly on the watchlist as he had his second solid game in a row. Easily would’ve scored over 80 if he kicked straight too (3 behinds). Reminder that Sharp had 10 scores of 80+ and 4 scores of 100+ only last year.
Wehr (71) – Played well last week for his 97 points on the favourable ground for his running style but we thought it was a once off given his previous career form. Still playing along the wing in a good side so we will keep one eye on him but we aren’t confident he can sustain scores over 70 for long.
Ward (41) – Proved that last week’s 108 was just a flash in the pan as he returned to his previous form of scores around the 50 mark. Too much of a floor on the veteran and needs a series of injuries in the GWS midfield to become relevant again for AFL Fantasy Draft.
Windhager (69) – Started on Ed Richards but just couldn’t go with him or hurt him on the rebound. Ended up being moved back in to defence and finished the night on only 12 CBAs. Needs the full time midfield role to give us a good score. Too much vulnerability for us but just must remain on the watchlist while he’s getting CBAs for St Kilda.
Morrison (82) – First time he scored over 80 today in the same wing role for the Hawks. Considering he has now fives scores over 70 there are worst options. A good streaming option for your midfield over the next three weeks if you need a 70+ score.
Dempsey (83) – The fact he isn’t owned by more than 70% of leagues is wrong. Plays on the wing and floats up forward to great effect. In this instance he was able to kick two goals but his all round games makes him a great option for teams midfields (or forward lines in Keeper League). This was his fourth score over 80 for the year.
Rucks
Flynn (97) – There is something different about Flynn this time round. Maybe he wasn’t fully fit in Round 1 or maybe he looked at himself a little harder in the mirror after being dropped for Bailey Williams after a strong preseason. Since then, he went back to WAFL and averaged 140 over the last two weeks before getting recalled against Essendon. He took 4 contested marks, gave a consistent four quarter effort and I don’t think McQualter will forget his critical mark and play on in the last to set up Liam Ryan for a potential match winning shot on goal.
Goldstein (DNP) – Has already been flagged to replace Draper so we thought we’d use this chance to remind you what Goldstein has done. In games where he shared the ruck load with Draper last year, he averaged 57 points but games without Draper that average goes up to 74. He Has performed Well in the VFL when called upon this year but we’re projecting an average around 65-70 points if he is to get the full-time gig until at least the mid-season bye.
Forwards
Elliot (75) - Relishing the extra responsibility without Schultz there. Backed up his 3 goals last week with 2 goals on Thursday night in his milestone game. With Schultz we’re not getting excited by his recent form and recommend you don’t get lured in.
Durdin (84) – Another one of the small forwards who racked up in this game. Durdin had 2 goals 2 and we need to see how he shapes up against a more decent defence next week when they verse Geelong. This was now only the third time in 49 games he’s scored over 70 but with no Owies there is scope for growth in the forward line.
Williams (79) – Would you look at that, another small forward for Carlton that did well. Hasn’t got the defence role we were hoping for since Cowan went down but made the most of being up forward today with 4 goals. Still not a great option.
Cottrell (75) – Is just a 70-80 guy when he doesn’t have to worry about a forward tag. Could have jobs coming up against Geelong, Adelaide and St Kilda though so we can’t go recommending him. Especially as Elijah Hollands starts building in to the season from now.
Motlop (95) – Carlton small forwards absolutely feasted on the lack of defensive structure from the Kangaroos, especially in the second half and Motlop was a benefit of that. He ended up kicking 3 goals and got 5 CBAs (around about what CBA’s been seeing all year). Considering the opponent and considering the inconsistency in his scoring this year, he is not an option yet. It’s worth noting that the next few rounds North come up against small forwards Rioli, Powell-Pepper, Perkins, Cameron, Rayner. Something to consider if you are looking for streaming options.
Wright (119) – Despite coming in to replace Nick Bryan he remained pretty much as a forward for majority of the game (only 8% CBAs). This is the third time Wright has kicked 6 or more goals in a game for Essendon so we know he is capable of this. With tall men at Essendon dropping like flies he should be stationed up forward in the short term and may start to get more CBAs to relieve Goldstein. To us, the important thing to remember is that despite showing he is capable of this before, he has also never averaged over 70 throughout a season in his 10 year career so we know that he will balance this out with a low score also at some point. However, with North only two weeks away and Bulldogs and Richmond in rounds 10 and 11, he is worth a waiver in deep leagues.
Williams (89) - 3 goals for Jack Williams today in one of his best games for the club. Interestingly it is the second time he has kicked 3 goals against Essendon so it may very well be Essendon are yet to find a good matchup for his big frame. Regardless, do not get tempted here as he is not a good fantasy player.
Hewett (77) – His best game for the Eagles today on his return from injury. It was great to see him get 15 CBAs (60%) as prior to this it felt the Eagles were really managing him through games. Is only on the watchlist for now as Eagles continue to rotate their sub options but we will be keeping an eye on his role very closely over the next couple of weeks.
Gresham (15) – I know what you’re thinking. 15 points means Gresham must have got injured early in the game and this is such a shame cause he was looking so good over the last couple of games. That was not the case at all. Gresham played close to three quarters of footy and was subbed off due to the minimal impact he was having. Maybe he was carrying something or maybe we just got lured in to his usual trap. Regardless, he’s off the wish list.
Petty (75) – May have had one ear on SEN this week as Kane Cornes went after Petty and demanded that Melbourne don’t waste energy with him as a forward. How wrong he was today though as Petty put up four goals against a very solid defence in Fremantle. Still is coming off the back of four scores under 55 so there’s nothing to see here.
Walker (80) – Respect where respect is due, this was not an easy defence to come up against and we thought we would see Walker’s score come back down to Earth. It did not though and had a very strong 53 point second half when the team needed him the most. We’ve been fighting it all year, but the facts are he has not scored under 70 since Round 1 and that makes him a solid option compared to many others available in forward lines. Has Eagles and North during the fantasy finals campaign which brings us even more on side (if he’s not injured by that time).
Long (99) – The improvement of Ben Long in AFL Fantasy is becoming very real. Has always been a confidence player and his confidence is sky high at the moment playing in such an improved team. Although Gold Coast did not get the win from a small forward perspective they did a lot right. Ben Long was able to kick 3 goals and that’s the third time this year out of five games he’s kicked 3 or more. His lowest score has been 67 and is currently averaging 77 points. Gold Coast has had a soft draw and they’ve got tough games coming up against Sydney and Brisbane but you could do a lot worst with forward options. We wouldn’t go wasting a waiver wire pick on him, but worth a shot in deeper leagues if you are playing rolling lockout and another one of your forward options fails to fire.
McLean (106) – As good as he was today his score could’ve been even better if he kicked straight and didn’t drop an absolute sitter in the goal square during the last quarter. Helped out a lot more than usual in the ruck today and became a clear focal point throughout the day. Scored 53 points in both halves to show a true four quarter effort. Before this game his top score for the year was last week’s score of 69 so only a watchlist player for now.
Rioli (79) - Big week for Rioli and it was good to see him respond on the field. Made the most of his opportunities with an impressive crumbing goal amongst the three he kicked for the game. Has North next weekend and we just saw Carlton small forward tear them to shreds so is a good one week option for next week but that’s about it.
Powell-Pepper (74) – Spent time on Blakey to start the game but the move of Blakey in to the midfield at times seem to break that tag. Is bringing consistent 70+ scores each week at the moment and like Rioli, with North next week presents himself as a good option. Unlike Rioli he’s turning himself in to more of a long term option so if we are picking between the two for next week than go with Powell-Pepper.
Georgiades (53) – As the coverage said themselves, Georgiades has really established himself as the focal point of the Port Adelaide attack. Just let a few marks through the fingers today which stopped him from a great score. North and Bulldogs in the next two still make him a good option to top up your forward lines and get a bit of a sugar hit. Remember he has three scores over 80 this year so far and all of them have been at Adelaide Oval where he takes on North next week.
Naughton (93) – Cometh the moment, cometh the man. No Darcy, no worries for Naughton as he kicked 3 goals 3 behinds. It’s worth noting he did kick 6 goals on the Saints last year so clearly likes the opponent but without Darcy and Jamarra up forward now, it will be interesting to see how he handles the load. At worst becomes a great streaming option against the weaker opponents.
Garcia (84) – Until Phillipou comes back, the Saints can not afford to take Garcia out of their midfield rotation. Had the third most CBAs for the Saints (15) and was one of the few Saints to apply pressure to the Bulldogs as shown by his match leading 10 tackles. Has become a favourite of David King’s in the media too so hopefully that helps build the confidence. With the sub vest threat removed in the short term there are far worst options and he has one of the better roles of the players still available in over 70% of leagues.
Higgins (80) – 6 tackles and 3 goals for the in form forward. Has two tough matchups in a row and then goes on a favourable run so for now we wouldn’t be wasting a waiver pick on him.
Gunston (96) – Was flagged as a good short term play last week and that should continue through the next three weeks as the Hawks come up against Eagles, Richmond and Melbourne. Has always played in good teams but has rarely found himself as much as a focal point as he has been the last few weeks and seems to be relishing the opportunity. Unfortunately didn’t have his kicking boots on today and it may have cost them the win.
Chol (88) – Like Gunston has an easy run coming up but considering his previous top score was 61 and he’s had scores of 21 and 44 already this season we wouldn’t go doing anything too drastic with Chol.
Positional Rankings at a Glance
To help you prioritise your pickups, here’s a quick ranking of the top options by position.
Defenders
Please note all players are not in Bold which means they are only worth a waiver in deep leagues or leagues where the waiver wire order resets at the conclusion of each round regardless.
Jason Johannisen
Jeremy McGovern
Connor Idun
Jaspa Fletcher
Adam Saad
Watchlist: Luke Trainor, Ryan Byrnes, Darcy Tucker. Zach Reid, Mitch McGovern, Will Powell (if Rioli is out)
Midfielders
Please note players in Bold are worth a waiver wire even in shallow leagues for AFL Fantasy Draft.
All players not in Bold are only worth a waiver in deep leagues or leagues where the waiver wire order resets at the conclusion of each round.
Ned Long
Scott Pendlebury
Oliver Dempsey
Marcus Windhager
Jeremy Sharp
Watchlist: Thomson Dow, Angus Sheldrick, Harvey Langford, Mark Blicavs, Jack Bowes,
Rucks
Please note all players are not in Bold which means they are only worth a waiver in deep leagues or leagues where the waiver wire order resets at the conclusion of each round regardless.
Matthew Flynn
Todd Goldstein
Rhys Stanley
Forwards
Please note all players are not in Bold which means they are only worth a waiver in deep leagues or leagues where the waiver wire order resets at the conclusion of each round regardless.
Jack Gunston (short term)
Hugo Garcia
Mitch Georgiades
Ben Long
Taylor Walker
Watchlist: Aaron Naughton, Peter Wright, Hayden McLean, Elijah Hewett, Ben Ainsworth, Sam Powell Pepper, Cooper Lord, Sam Lalor
Get Ahead of the Game
Use this guide to make the right waiver moves and maximise your AFL Fantasy Draft team's scoring potential heading into Round 7.
Securing those high-upside pickups at this point in the season can make all the difference. Whether you're looking to strengthen your squad for the bye rounds or chasing that next breakout star, timely waiver wire decisions are crucial to staying competitive. Players like Matthew Flynn could be the key to setting your team apart as the season heats up.
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