Daniel Curtin – Deck of DT 2024

Everyone’s picking Daniel Curtin, right?

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Why should I pick him?

Key backmen aren’t known to be a great source of fantasy points. It’s fair to assume that successful coaches in past seasons didn’t have a fullback like Sam Taylor or Jacob Weitiering at any point – that doesn’t mean you should pass up on Daniel Curtin in 2024 though.

Hailed as the best defensive player in the 2023 draft class, Adelaide wasn’t prepared to let Curtin slip through their grasp on draft night. The Crows traded up a few spots to ensure they brought the talented WA prospect to West Lakes and he’s bound to feature consistently in the new fantasy season. Addressing an area of need following the departure of Tom Doedee, Curtin is expected to plug a hole in Adelaide’s defence – using his frame and athleticism to emerge as a strong intercepting back during the 2023 season.

Developing his footballing nous with Claremont in his final junior year, Curtin didn’t just excel in the defensive half. Displaying the ability to run through the midfield at times, it was during the U-18 championships for WA that Curtin shone around stoppages – averaging a healthy 23.5 disposals, 6.5 marks, 4.5 tackles and 101.8 fantasy points in his four matches. Fantasy coaches shouldn’t expect Curtin to feature heavily in a midfield that already boasts Rory Laird, Jordan Dawson, Matt Crouch and budding talents such as Jake Soligo, Sam Berry and Josh Rachele. Still, any MID minutes the Crows’ draftee does see will certainly enhance his scoring.

Thanks to his cheap starting price and an expectation that he’ll play big minutes early for Adelaide, the No. 8 overall pick will attract the attention of most fantasy managers as Round 1 approaches. Owning handy DEF/MID status has led to over half the competition slotting Curtin into their starting squad – likely as one of their final on-field defenders. As a first-year player we can expect some yo-yo scores, however a breakeven of 31 and the ability to play all over the ground means that there is too much upside to ignore the talented Crow.