SuperCoach Round 3 Targets 2026 — Cash Cows and the Bye Trap

Round 3 lockout is today. This is the last trade window before the first price movement of the season.

After today's games, SuperCoach uses three-round averages to calculate prices for the first time. Every cash cow you don't have already is one you're paying more for next week.

Here's what to do before lockout.

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The Bye Trap — Read This First

Before you touch your team, check who's on a bye.

Round 3 byes: Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Sydney Swans, Western Bulldogs.

Two of the most owned basement defenders have the bye this week:

| Player | Team | Position | Price | R3 Status | |--------|------|----------|-------|-----------| | Lachie Jaques | W. Bulldogs | DEF | $119,900 | ❌ Bye | | Jai Serong | Sydney | DEF | $119,900 | ❌ Bye |

If either player is in your starting 18 without a bench cover, you're fielding a zero. Sort your bench before lockout — not after.

These players are still worth keeping. They've been generating cash and will be back in Round 4. But they cannot score for you this week. A bench plan is not optional.

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Tier 1: Buy Before Prices Move

These are the rookies you need before lockout. All three have cleared any role uncertainty across two-plus games and are tracking toward significant price rises.

Jagga Smith — Carlton | MID | $119,900

| Round | Score | Disposals | |-------|-------|-----------| | R0 (Opening Round) | 65 | 27 | | R1 | 113 | 32 |

Two games in. Averaging 89. Carlton had a Round 2 bye, so Round 3 is only his third competitive game — meaning his price hasn't moved yet.

His 3-week price projection sits at around $270k. That's $150k in cash generation from a $119,900 starting price. If you started him, you're already ahead. If you're still looking at your bench and wondering whether to fit him in — that's your answer.

The 113 in Round 1 wasn't a fluke. He had 32 disposals and looked like a genuine mid, not a tag-along who happened to score. The role is real.

Lachlan McAndrew — Adelaide | RUC | $119,900

| Round | Score | Disposals | |-------|-------|-----------| | R1 | 88 | 13 | | R2 | 81 | 13 |

Two games of 80-plus from a $119,900 ruckman. He's averaging 84.5 and his 3-week projection is around $201k. That's the cash cow formula working exactly as it should — consistent output, climbing price, sell window coming.

He's also playing for Adelaide, who are travelling to play at home this round. Not the toughest matchup on the fixture. For coaches who need a secondary ruck slot or a reliable cash generator in the RUC position, McAndrew is the cleanest option available right now.

Jack Carroll — St Kilda | MID | $119,900

| Round | Score | Disposals | |-------|-------|-----------| | R0 (Opening Round) | 54 | 16 | | R1 | 59 | 15 | | R2 | 44 | 11 |

The numbers are trending down, which is worth noting. R2's 44 from 11 disposals is the kind of score that makes coaches nervous. But the role is still there — St Kilda are playing him, he's getting time on ground, and a 3-game average of 52.3 still projects to around $193k from $119,900.

This isn't the cash cow you brag about. It's the one that quietly generates $73k while you're busy worrying about Petracca. Don't trade him out after one bad game. If his role changes — fewer disposals, dropped to the VFL — that changes the call.

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Tier 2: Monitor

Brayden Cook — Adelaide | FWD | $158,700

| Round | Score | Disposals | |-------|-------|-----------| | R1 | 92 | 19 | | R2 | 62 | 13 |

Opened strong with 92 in Round 1, came back to earth with 62 in Round 2. The 2-game average of 77 from $158,700 gives a projection of around $218k — that's decent cash generation but he's not at the $119,900 starting price of the Tier 1 names.

If you have him, hold. His role at Adelaide is secure. If you're looking at him as a trade-in, the price-to-return ratio isn't as clean as Smith or McAndrew.

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Watch: Dyson Sharp — Essendon | MID | $149,500

| Round | Score | Disposals | |-------|-------|-----------| | R1 | 57 | 6 | | R2 | 14 | 5 |

Fourteen points in Round 2 from five disposals. That's a flag.

He's not a cash cow emergency yet — one game doesn't end a season. But the R1 score of 57 was already modest for a $149,500 entry price, and the R2 crash to 14 is the kind of data point that sticks in the average. His 3-week projection is now just $153k — barely clearing his starting price.

Check the team sheets before lockout. If he's lost his role or got tagged, that 14 is the warning shot. If he played full game time and just had a bad day, you can still hold and wait for Round 3.

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The Buy Window Closes Today

Prices don't move again until Round 4. This is the last chance to get anyone at or near basement.

The hierarchy is simple:

• Jagga Smith — buy if you don't have him, no exceptions
• Lachlan McAndrew — buy if you need a ruck or DEF/FWD swing option
• Jack Carroll — hold if you have him, ignore the R2 score
• Brayden Cook — hold, don't trade in at this price
• Dyson Sharp — watch the team sheet

And before you do anything else: sort out your bench coverage for Jaques and Serong. Missing a round of cash cow growth because of an unforced bye blunder is how seasons unravel early.

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Scores from RookieBible data. Price projections based on 3-week rolling averages — these are estimates, not guaranteed movements. All information current as of Round 3 lockout. Fixture and round data confirmed against the 2026 AFL season schedule.