In GameDay Squad, weekly matchups are king. Unlike AFL Fantasy, SuperCoach, or Dream Team, where season-long strategies dominate, GameDay Squad rewards players who target favorable matchups each round.
As the 2024 season progressed, specific trends emerged, helping us identify the best teams to target for high scores. With 2025 fast approaching, let’s break down the key trends and the best teams to pick against this season for GameDay Squad AFL Fantasy Matchups 2025.
Sign up for GameDay Squad using the code 'BOBAFL' and score 3 free packs to kickstart your fantasy squad
How to Select Players in GameDay Squad: Key Matchup Factors
When selecting players each week, it’s crucial to analyze matchups beyond just player ability. Key considerations include:
✅ Weather conditions
✅ Stadium & playing surface
✅ Taggers & defensive strategies
✅ Home vs. away advantage
✅ Most importantly: Does the opponent allow high fantasy scores?
AFL fantasy scoring is not just about player talent—it’s about exploiting weak defenses, soft midfield battles, and ruck mismatches.
Key 2024 Trends That Will Influence GameDay Squad AFL Fantasy Matchups - 2025
Some teams in 2024 were absolute goldmines for fantasy scoring:
West Coast was an elite matchup in almost every position, except defenders, who struggled due to the ball living in the forward half.
Richmond was another great matchup across all positions.
Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney were tough matchups, making them teams to fade against.
Breaking Down 2024 Matchup Data
Rucks vs. Essendon scored 16 points below average (worst matchup in the league).
Midfielders vs. Essendon scored +7.63 points above average (second-best matchup).
(Big shoutout to DFS Australia for the stats!)
Best & Worst AFL Matchups by Position in 2024
Top Overall Teams to Target (Player scoring benefit across all positions)
📈 Richmond (+6.0)
📈 West Coast (+4.58)
📈 Gold Coast Suns (+3.38)
📈 Geelong (+3.08)
Best Teams to Target by Position
Defenders
🛡 St Kilda (+6.34)
🛡 Gold Coast (+6.26)
🛡 Sydney Swans (+4.08)
Midfielders
🔥 West Coast Eagles (+8.48)
🔥 Essendon (+7.51)
🔥 Gold Coast Suns (+6.51)
Rucks
🛑 Richmond (+14.52)
🛑 West Coast Eagles (+14.08)
🛑 Geelong (+13.61)
Forwards
🎯 West Coast (+7.77)
🎯 Richmond (+3.42)
🎯 Carlton (+3.08)
2025 AFL Fantasy Matchup Predictions
As 2024 showed us, some teams transitioned mid-season and became more difficult to score against.
Example:
North Melbourne was a fantasy-friendly matchup early in the season, especially for midfielders.
However, as the season progressed, Will Phillips emerged as a tagger, limiting opposition midfielders to -1.95 points per game over the last 10 games.
With 2025 approaching, here are the teams we expect to be the best fantasy matchups in GameDay Squad.
Top 3 AFL Fantasy Matchups to Target in 2025
Richmond
I believe Richmond will decline further in 2025 as their exodus of mature players comes back to bite them. Their young squad will struggle, especially in the middle and later parts of the season, against the mature bodies of stronger teams.
West Coast
I see West Coast improving as a team, but they’ve already suffered key injuries that could set them back. Dom Sheed has gone down with an ACL injury, Elliot ‘Yo-Yo’ Yeo is already injured, Harley Reid is managing a sore calf, and Matt Flynn, who I expected to take the R1 mantle, has hurt his calf and may still be R2.
St Kilda
I am tipping St Kilda to finish in the bottom four in 2025. Their high number of games at Marvel Stadium benefits both them and their opponents, as ideal conditions under the roof often lead to high-scoring matches.
Their slow, uncontested play style, which allows and accumulates a lot of marks, is excellent for fantasy scoring—particularly for defenders.
This will likely be amplified by their ongoing injury crisis:
Rowan Marshall (pelvic stress fracture) – Despite Ross Lyon stating he will be fit, this is a concern.
Matteas Philippou (femoral stress fracture) – Will miss months.
Paddy Dow – Injured again.
Brad Crouch – Retired.
With weakened midfield depth, I expect St Kilda to struggle in contests, leading to increased ball movement in their defensive half. This will result in high-scoring opportunities for opposition defenders.
Expect Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Jack Sinclair, and Jack Macrae (yes, he’s a midfielder) to rack up uncontested marks. Their opponents will likely have plenty of opportunities to do the same.
Best 2025 AFL Matchups by Position
Best Team for Defenders → St Kilda
Slow, uncontested style = lots of marks for opposition defenders.
Major injuries = more ball movement in defensive half.
Marvel Stadium = reliable scoring conditions.
Best Team for Midfielders → West Coast
Weak midfield depth = massive scores for opposition mids.
Optus Stadium’s wide spaces = increased disposal counts.
Best Team for Rucks → West Coast & Geelong
West Coast (if Flynn isn’t playing) will leak ruck points all season.
Geelong’s aging ruck setup makes them an easy team to exploit.
Sam De Koning could play ruck, boosting opposition ruck scores.
Best Team for Forwards → Richmond
Low-pressure midfield = easy inside-50 entries for opposition forwards.
No Josh Gibcus (ACL) + Noah Balta (suspended first 4 games) = early-season scoring potential.
Round 1 Target: Harry McKay & Charlie Curnow vs. Richmond.
Best Teams to Target by Position in GameDay Squad 2025
Defenders – St Kilda (Top Matchup for Defenders in GameDay Squad 2025)
As mentioned earlier, St Kilda’s slow, uncontested chip-mark defensive style will be exacerbated by their injuries and expected fall down the ladder.
With their possession-heavy game plan, they will remain one of the best teams for defenders, both for and against. Expect opposition defenders to rack up uncontested marks, while St Kilda’s own defenders will have plenty of the ball in their back half.
🔹 Fantasy Tip: Load up on defenders in matches featuring St Kilda, especially at Marvel Stadium, where controlled conditions favor high disposal counts.
Midfield – West Coast (Best Midfield Matchup in 2025)
West Coast was one of the best teams to score against in 2024, particularly for midfielders, leading many categories for conceded fantasy points.
Why will this trend continue in 2025?
✅ Injuries to key midfielders will leave them vulnerable.
✅ Ruck uncertainty could further weaken their midfield clearance work.
✅ Optus Stadium’s wide spaces and consistent weather make it a prime ground for high-disposal midfielders. MIDYij3HK1
🔹 Fantasy Tip: Target midfielders against West Coast all season, especially in games played at Optus Stadium, where space and conditions favor high-possession midfielders.
Ruck – West Coast & Geelong (Best Teams to Target for Rucks in 2025)
This one is a tough call, so I’m picking two teams that should be goldmines for ruck scoring in 2025.
West Coast (Elite Ruck Matchup if Flynn Doesn’t Play)
If Matt Flynn isn’t playing, expect West Coast to leak an incredible amount of ruck points.
Even if Flynn is playing, rucks against West Coast will still be one of the safest plays in GameDay Squad, though hit-out numbers might be slightly lower.
Geelong (Historically One of the Best Ruck Matchups)
Geelong’s ruck department has long been a fantasy-friendly matchup for rucks.
Rhys Stanley (34 years old) still leads their ruck unit, while Toby Conway is sidelined (navicular stress fracture) and Sam De Koning may take on ruck duties.
When De Koning played ruck in 2024, both he and his opponents scored well.
If De Koning plays ruck consistently in 2025, he could even become a playable fantasy card due to his defender-ruck eligibility.
🔹 Fantasy Tip: If Flynn is out, play your ruck against West Coast. Otherwise, Geelong remains the safest ruck matchup in 2025.
Forwards – Richmond (The Best Team to Target for Forwards in 2025)
Richmond will likely be the best fantasy matchup for forwards in 2025—by some margin.
🔹 Why?
Expect fast breaks out of the centre, leading to easy scoring opportunities for opposition forwards.
At times, the Richmond midfield will apply less pressure than a Carlton fan experiences in September.
Injuries & suspensions will further weaken their defensive structure.
Key Defenders Missing:❌ Josh Gibcus (ACL) – Out for the season.❌ Noah Balta – Suspended for the first four games.
🔹 Fantasy Tip: Target opposition key forwards against Richmond, especially early in the season. Round 1? Carlton’s Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow could go big!
Key Takeaways for GameDay Squad 2025
✅ For defenders → St Kilda games are goldmines, both for and against.
✅ For midfielders → West Coast’s weak midfield & Optus Stadium conditions = huge scoring potential.
✅ For rucks → If Flynn is out, West Coast leaks ruck points. Otherwise, Geelong remains an elite matchup.
✅ For forwards → Richmond’s weak defense & poor midfield pressure make them the #1 team to target.
Final Thoughts: How to Win GameDay Squad in 2025
As 2024 showed, matchups shift throughout the season. The key to winning in GameDay Squad is:
✅ Tracking team trends early
✅ Monitoring injuries, weather, and form
✅ Selecting players based on opponent weaknesses
By targeting the right matchups, you can maximize your GameDay Squad scores and gain an edge on the competition.
Stay tuned for more 2025 matchup insights to help you win GameDay Squad!
Cheers,
The Goal Practitioner
found the code MIDYij3HK1