Wired for Success - Picks for Round 13
As Round 13 approaches, AFL Fantasy Draft coaches playing through the byes are deep in survival mode. With the byes in full swing and squad depth being tested like never before, the waiver wire has never been more valuable—or more volatile. Each pickup is a potential game-changer, and making the right move now could be the difference between locking in finals or watching from the sidelines.
Injuries, role changes, and restings are opening up new opportunities across the league, and savvy coaches know this is the time to strike. Whether you're replacing an underperformer, chasing upside, or simply plugging a hole for the week, finding value in low-ownership players is the name of the game.
This week’s waiver wire article digs into the best Round 13 options owned in less than 30% of leagues—players with the right mix of recent form, increased opportunity, and favourable matchups to give you the edge when it matters most. AFL Fantasy flags are flying, and the time to act is now.
Top Waiver Wire Picks by Position
Defenders
Answerth (89) - Matched up on Kako tonight and made the most of playing on such an inexperienced player in the wet conditions. Had 20 touches and a goal but was only his second score over 70 this year so we can’t be getting sucked in on this one.
Lester (72) - Fourths score in a row over 70 now but we still are not convinced due to him playing a lockdown role most weeks. Better options in defence.
Prior (39) - Very disappointing game from Prior who we were excited to see in Reid and McKays absence. Ended up having to play too much of a lockdown role to consider as an option. Merrett down back also stole any kick outs he was in line for this week.
Weddle (63) - After stringing together four good games, Weddle returned to his lowly scoring ways. Was still mixing his time up forward and down back but found most of his possessions in defence. Still an option for those in need down back.
Quaynor (74) - This was Quaynor’s second good game in a row, but his history has shown he is not a fantasy scorer. Still a pass from us.
Andrew (83) - Big Mac was at his intercepting best, which was made even more impressive considering the weather. However, as he is a key defender first and foremost, who will come up against Cameron at times next week, we’re not reading too much into this one.
Wagner (81) - Seem to play more on the wing today as well as his normal role in defence. No CBAs was the important part to note anyway. Still managed to get a decent score. Has the bye but with games against North, Essendon and St Kilda on the other side, is a legitimate option for those in need.
Jeffrey (75) - Backed up his century last week with a score of 75. The conditions weren’t ideal for his game so those that picked him up should not be disappointed.
Banks (87) - Another great game in Shorts absence and until Short comes back is a terrific option down back as he’s one of their prime movers out of defence.
Idun (84) - Long time readers of the article will know how big of a fan of Iduns reliability we are, and this did no harms to that cause. Richmond is an easy target for defenders so don’t go doing anything too rash. It’s also worth noting that Idun is averaging 86 at Engie Stadium this year, if you want to be selective when you stream him.
McCartin (104) - Considering how much the ball was down in Sydney’s defence, it’s no surprise McCartin managed to score a century. Don’t get sucked in though, it was his first score over 70.
Keane (99) - Considering how little the ball was in Adelaide’s defensive half, this was quite impressive by Keane. Is too unpredictable as to when and where he’ll pop up with these solid scores to pick.
Worrell (90) - Nearly as impressive as Keane all things considered. Unlike Keane is starting to hit some real form with four scores over 80 in the last five games. A real good option for those in need.
Milera (87) - Second score in a row over 80 so some would be getting excited. Had 87% TOG this week which was his highest of the season so maybe there is something in this. Wed just prefer going with Worrell over Milera.
May (99) - Saints are the easiest team to score against for key defenders by some margin and May made the most of this today. Actually, has had 21, 25 and 29 in his last three matches against St Kilda. With those two facts combined, we don’t think Mays turned a corner on the season, but he does have two soft matchups coming up where he could be used as more of an interceptor again.
McVee (76) - Had the soft matchup but the fact he’s gone 70+ in three of the last four has firmly put him on our radar. Will always be lockdown first, scorer second, but against teams like the Saints he could still be good for a 70-80 score this year.
Duncan (92) - Worked the wings well tonight providing a great outlet option when Geelong needed it most. It’s a shame there’s always a sub grey cloud hanging over Duncan, cause otherwise he’s extremely undervalued for what he is capable of producing. None better highlighted than his forty point opening term.
Cole (85) - Must be nervous with how well McCarthy did in the WAFL this week as his spot is sitting on shaky ground. Normally is no good by foot but tonight was a lot better. First time he had over 20 touches as well this year but due to job security issues he just isn’t a viable option.
O’Connor (73) – Even with this score of 73 still has a last three of 89 so will be the top of some peoples radars. Tonight was the same as last week was stationed as a defender for the entire game and this fact alone is enough to make us not be excited for him as an option. Mullin is the one who seems to be getting an uptick in CBAs over the last couple of weeks and we know O’Connor as a defender historically doesn’t score well over a sustained period of time. A 50 is just around the corner.
Midfielders
Ward (85) - This was Wards lowest CBA count since round 5 and we expect that to continue now Nash is back in the side. Enjoyed the wide expanses of the MCG today but Hawthorn isn’t back there until round 20. Not as keen on him as other options.
Nash (83) - Speaking of other options, Nash is someone who nine times last year scored over 80 and started the year going 75, 102, 75 and 82. He is often given roles against the bigger bodies but his high upside makes him one of the better options still available to us in over 70% of leagues.
Allan (80) -Ed Allan has now had two very good games in a row playing on a wing for Collingwood. We know the role can at times be a dead zone for scoring (think Sidey last year and Lipinski this year) so we aren’t as excited as other options for what he could produce this year. In saying that, while he is getting games, he is a lower ranked option for us in the midfield.
Clohessy (76) - We’ve always liked Clohessy as an option but whenever we have gone and recommended him, he’s burnt us by either popping up with a 28 or being dropped. Now has four scores in a row over 70 and is starting to make one of the wings his own. Definitely on the watchlist.
Johnson (65) - Was expecting a lot more from Johnson today considering his toughness around the ball. Still had five tackles but couldn’t get many touches to go with it. Has the bye next week now so there are better options to grab.
Prestia (111) - He won’t last long but while he’s playing you might as well juice as many scores out of him as possible. Great streaming options during byes but just be aware for all the good scores you get, an injury of 30-50 points is not far away.
McAuliffe (55) - As excited as we were last week by for McAuliffe, he got bumped by Prestia this week in the pecking order. Still got 15 CBAs but we’re cooling on him.
Cumming (97) - Two goals from Cumming helped him achieve this decent score but it’s hard to go past it as anything other than a natural boost due to the Crows dominance over Sydney. Considering he hasn’t scored over 50 in three weeks before this, he’s still not an option.
Sheldrick (88) - One of the few Swans who could hang their head high after the game. Had the most CBAs of his 2025 season this week and if Sydney’s season continues to go south his spot in the middle may not be in as much jeopardy as we thought even with Mills returning next week. One of the few options who have the potential to be a league winning pick in the second half if given the right opportunities. Don’t let us down Cox.
Berry (66) - Had an even bigger CBA role this week but just couldn’t cash in. Still a high upside option but has such high risk over his starting spot week to week. We’d prefer to take a punt with Sheldrick.
Windhager (117) - Had the role on Pickett today so was far more involved in the CBA action compared to other weeks. Has four scores over 90 on the year which is far more than many of the other options around him so continues to be one of the better options still available on over 70% of waivers.
Clark (86) - Of all the players to benefit from Macrae being out of the side, we didn’t have Clark high on the list. He wasn’t as much in the CBAs today as he was last week but still found himself around the contest more than normal. We know injury is the downfall of Clark’s potential, but he’s gone at an average over 90 over two weeks since he returned. So could be a great free agent pickup while no one is looking cause Saints are on bye.
Rucks
Fort (74) - Came up against old man Goldy and didn’t disappoint with a solid score of 74 in the wet conditions. Is only an option for those in desperate need and nothing changed about that this week.
Riccardi (108) - Just a great matchup for Riccardi today who may find himself in the ruck even more moving forward after Richardson admitted post-match that Briggs is still struggling with an injury. High risk and high reward which is what you need at this time of year. For that reason, we have him ahead of Fort.
Forwards
Morris (85) - Essendon was severely undermanned on Thursday night and he took full advantage with 5 shots on goal for the match. Only third score over 70 this year and has a few tough matchups leading into the bye. Makes you worried what Curnow and/or McKay will do next week against Essendon if the reinforcements don’t arrive.
Lohman (79) - Did well to get to this score after hobbling off with a sore ankle early. Kicked 3 goals but has been too injury prone this year to be considered even for streaming purposes.
Ah Chee (59) - 50 points in the first half made him look like a superstar pick for those who liked the look of him last week when he scored 112. Unfortunately, was back to reality in the second half with only 9 points.
Ginnivan (115) - His form is just too good to resist now, and this is likely the last time we are able to write about him in this article. His last two scores against his old side are now 122 and 115. Was getting involved high up on the wings and still managed to kick three goals. A clear top tier waiver option this week.
Mihocek (93) - Great game against a tough defence tonight. Kicked a goal in every quarter and he was actually on 87 points at three quarter time. As good of a season he is having, he’s a tough one to trust. His next three games are against Melbourne, Saints and Eagles with a bye in there too. That would make him worth a punt in deeper leagues.
Switkowski (82) - Great game in ideal conditions for a pressure forward but at the end of the day this was his first score over 70 for the year.
Fritsch (82) - That’s now two good scores in a row for Fritsch and this was most impressive cause he didn’t need goals to get there. Still only on the watchlist for now as he has shown no signs of being trusted before this one.
Turner (75) - That’s now four of the last five where he has scored over 70. Was a bit of a Mr Fixit today when Goodwin threw him forward during the third term where he didn’t make the most of his opportunities. Had a 43 point third term which set up this score, but his athleticism can’t be ignored. A solid option for those in deep leagues.
Stengle (88) - Eagles and North are the two best matchups for small forwards which is a large reason for Stengles good score on Sunday night. Had 18 touches, 4 tackles and 2 goals but did nothing to guarantee us he can do it week to week. Remains a streaming option only.
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.
Sam Banks
Nick Haynes
Ollie Hollands
Josh Weddle
Josh Worrell
Watchlist: Connor Idun, Joel Jeffrey, Ryan Byrnes Ryan Lester, Rory Atkins, Caleb Windsor, Bodhi Uwland
Midfielders
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.
Dion Prestia
Angus Sheldrick
Matt Johnson
Marcus Windhager (after the bye)
Hunter Clark (after the bye)
Watchlist: Connor Nash, Harry Morrison, Xavier Lindsay, Harvey Langford, Dylan Stephens, , Sam Berry, Cooper Lord
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.
Darcy Fort (if Big O isn’t named)
Jake Riccardi
Forwards
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.
Jack Ginnivan
Mitch Owens
Bailey Humphrey
Daniel Turner
Ben Long
Watchlist: Bailey Humphrey, Cooper Sharman, Angus Clarke, Archie Perkins
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 13.
Whether you're plugging gaps, stashing upside, or rolling the dice on a breakout, now’s the time to be bold. Players like Jack Ginnivan, who’s stepping into a more prominent role and showing signs of fantasy relevance, could be the spark your squad needs heading into the crucial mid-season stretch.
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