SELECTING a Hawthorn player in your AFL Fantasy team and is always an exciting but nervous decision.
They have many premium options, like Sam Mitchell (MID, $574,000) who had his best Fantasy season in his 14-year career to average 104 in 2015.
However, on the other hand there is always that element of risk.
Only two players, Jack Gunston (FWD, $510,000) and Shaun Burgoyne (DEF, $413,000) played all the home and away games last year, and Gunston then missed two finals with injury.
At the end of the day, Hawthorn players are just too good to ignore, with their team averaging 100 points a game more than any other side last year.
So, with the Fantasy season just around the corner, who are we picking?
Click here for every Hawk's starting Fantasy price and position
Jordan Lewis (MID, $613,000): Lewis has averaged 111 and 110 over the last two seasons and is destined to be a top-eight midfielder once again. He averaged 135 in his first five games of the season and is worth the hefty price tag.
Luke Hodge (MID, $615,000): What role will Luke Hodge play in 2016? Last year you could have selected him as a defender and after losing his dual position status the question is, will he get it back? New positions are upgraded and released in rounds six, 12 and 18, and if Hodge is floating across half-back during the pre-season, he might be granted a new position next to his name sooner rather than later.
Brendan Whitecross (DEF/FWD, $232,000): Whitecross is one of only three Hawks that carry dual-position status. He has averaged 88 in the past and recently signed on for another year despite interest from rival clubs.
Jack Fitzpatrick (DEF/FWD, $188,000): The former Demon finds himself in the gold and brown as a replacement for retired ruckman-forward David Hale. Fitzpatrick can play a variety of roles and he’s worth the risk if he’s named in round one.
Kieran Lovell (MID, $163,000): He’s drawn comparisons to Sam Mitchell as this kid is a ball-winning maniac. Lovell averaged 33 touches (125 points) over the TAC Cup and will find the path into this Hawks team very tough, but when he gets his chance he’ll be a Fantasy star.
Billy Hartung (MID, $333,000): In his 18 home and awaygames last year, Hartung was the green vest specialist and with the substitute rule out the window, he is now very relevant in the Fantasy arena. In the 10 games he didn’t wear the vest, he posted scores of 100, 95, 93 and 91 and finished with an average of 81.
