THEY seem to be an unfashionable AFL Fantasy team but the improving Bulldogs will offer up some gold this year.

The biggest lock for the Bulldogs is... captain Ryan Griffen [MID, $571,800] 

Griffen has been building his Fantasy game over the past few seasons to finally average over three figures, posting 105.5 last year.

Of his 11 scores over the ton, six were more than 125 including a whopping 166 in round 10. Despite attracting the attention of taggers, his consistency is increasing and he should be one of the top 10 midfielders again this season.

Griffen is battling with a back injury this pre-season and didn’t take part in either of the club’s NAB Challenge games.

Although he is aiming for round one, Griffen should be targeted as an upgrade player for your Fantasy squad during the season.

A bargain on the radar is... Shaun Higgins [FWD, $305,400].

A huge amount of risk comes with picking Higgins. Since debuting in 2006, he has not played a full season due to injury. Last year a foot injury limited him to three games.

He is a very capable player, opening last season with 115 and averaging more than 80 points from 2009 to 2011. He just needs to string games together.

The 26-year-old started as substitute in his only NAB Challenge appearance but played 49 per cent of the game for an impressive 15 disposals and 58 Fantasy points.

A player of difference is… fourth-year midfielder Tom Liberatore [MID, $527,000]. 

The highly regarded father-son pick produced a classic breakout year in 2013 , finishing first in the AFL for clearances, second for contested possessions and fourth for tackles. He averaged an impressive 97.2 Fantasy points and played all 22 games.

After starting last year with back-to back-scores of 120, he went on to average 82.75 in the next 13 games before finishing the season in a blaze of glory - averaging 113.25 in his final eight matches.

The inside midfielder posted some big scores last season, with 144 and 148 in his games against Melbourne and 142 against West Coast.

Liberatore’s pre-season form has been great - 87 points against Fremantle from 76 per cent time on ground and 101 against St Kilda from 82 per cent game time.

He’s currently in less than 5 per cent of AFL Fantasy classic teams and for someone with improvement left in his game, he could be a handy point of difference for your squad.

The pre-season has taught us… 

Luke Dahlhaus [FWD, $381,100] was a form player during the NAB Challenge and he may take his game to the next level in 2014.

Heading into his fourth year, Dahlhaus has hovered around the 70 average mark throughout his career.

In his two pre-season appearances he has gathered 39 disposals, 12 tackles and kicked four goals to score 92 (73 per cent time on ground) against Fremantle and 88 (64 per cent time on ground) on the Saints.

For an extra $75K, I’d be selecting him over Higgins for durability reasons and the upside he offers.

Twitter Talk

 @AnthonyWingard asks: "@WarnieDT: Thoughts on Jack Macrae as a POD? On fire in NAB Challenge."

Jack Macrae [MID, $344,400] was one of the form players for the Bulldogs in the NAB Challenge. With 30 disposals and 129 points against Fremantle and 27 disposals and 92 points against St Kilda, he is shaping up to offer some Fantasy value this year.

He played 13 games in his debut season, wearing the substitute vest on a couple of occasions, and posting five scores over 75.

Picking a mid-priced player is usually fraught with danger, especially in the midfield. As a second year player, he should improve again and if the pre-season is anything to go by, an increase of 10-15 points will see him as a profitable point of difference for your side.
Coach Warnie currently has his eye on…
As I type this, there are no Western Bulldogs in my side! I have had my eye on cheap defenders Matthew Fuller [DEF, $151,800] and Christian Howard [DEF, $135,500] to fill bench positions. Unfortunately they’ve been injured and not competed in the NAB Challenge, they may become mid-season downgrade target when they debut for the year.

Whilst Higgins is on my 'never again' list due to being injured at crucial times for my Fantasy side, he is under consideration for my round one team if fit.

Matthew Boyd [MID, $563,300] mustn’t be written off after posting 95 and 120 in his NAB Challenge appearances.