Who Will Average the Most GDS Points in 2026?

The Race for Number One

Every preseason, the same question dominates GDS Fantasy circles: who will finish as the highest averaging player in Aussie Rules? In 2025, Bailey Smith held that crown at 139.1 GDS points per game. But the data says someone else is coming for it in 2026.

We pulled two full seasons of scoring data, CBA trends, second-half splits, and year-over-year trajectories to make this call. The numbers point to one player.

The 2025 Leaderboard

Here’s how the top 10 finished in regular season GDS averages (minimum 15 games):

Player	Team	Games	Avg GDS	2H Avg	YoY
Bailey Smith	Geelong	20	139.1	130.2	N/A
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera	St Kilda	23	135.4	142.5	+16.9
Jordan Dawson	Adelaide	23	129.4	126.7	+4.7
Marcus Bontempelli	W. Bulldogs	18	129.0	132.1	+5.9
Nick Daicos	Collingwood	23	128.7	129.3	+3.0
Max Gawn	Melbourne	23	127.4	125.2	+0.4
Harry Sheezel	North Melb	23	126.0	131.9	-4.5
Lachie Whitfield	GWS	22	125.6	119.6	-5.6
Connor Rozee	Port Adelaide	21	125.3	120.8	+12.4
Tim English	W. Bulldogs	23	124.4	131.9	+8.3

Two columns matter most here: the second-half average and the year-over-year change. Those tell us who is trending up, not just who was good.

The Prediction: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera

NWM is our pick for the highest averaging GDS player in AFL for 2026. Here’s the data trail.

The CBA Explosion

This is the single biggest indicator. NWM’s CBA% went from 11.1% in the first half of 2025 to 42.4% in the second half. That’s not a subtle shift. That’s St Kilda deliberately moving him into the midfield.

From Round 19 onwards, his CBA rates were 79%, 60%, 83%, 32%, 80%, and 67%. The Saints clearly identified him as a midfield weapon and gave him centre bounce priority. When they did, he responded with scores of 182, 181, 131, 147, 99, and 111.

CBA growth is the most important cross-position indicator in GDS scoring. It signals a player is getting closer to the ball and closer to mid-like output regardless of their position tag. NWM’s CBA trajectory is the strongest in the competition heading into 2026.

Already Elite Without CBAs

Here’s the part that separates NWM from other breakout candidates. He doesn’t need CBAs to score. Rounds 14, 15, and 16 he had literally 0% CBA and still posted 159, 151, and 137 GDS points.

That’s pure defensive output, fuelled by a kick-dominant disposal profile. His 22.3 average kicks per game was the highest among the entire top 10. Kicks score higher than handballs in GDS, and NWM is a kicking machine. He also averaged 5.3 marks and 0.7 goals per game across the full season, giving him multiple scoring avenues regardless of role.

The Year-Over-Year Trajectory

NWM’s +16.9 point jump from 2024 (118.5 average) to 2025 (135.4 average) is comfortably the biggest among all top-tier players. For context, Nick Daicos improved by just +3.0, Jordan Dawson by +4.7, and Bontempelli by +5.9.

The second-half average of 142.5 suggests the full-season number is actually being held back by his pre-CBA first half. If we project from his last 12 rounds where the midfield role was bedding in, the number jumps even higher.

Age and Positional Advantage

NWM turns 23 in 2026. This is the age window where midfield role expansion typically becomes permanent. He’s classified as DEF in GDS for 2026 based on his 2025 data, which is a significant structural advantage. A defender scoring at 135+ with increasing midfield time is gold for squad construction because the DEF position pool is shallower than MID.

Why Not the Others?

Bailey Smith (2025 avg: 139.1, MID)

Smith led the league but faded. His first-half average of 146.3 dropped to 130.2 in the second half, a 16-point regression. He scored 85 in Round 19 and just 99 in the qualifying final. There’s also no 2024 baseline to compare because he wasn’t in the dataset, which limits our ability to confirm a sustained trajectory. He played just 20 games (three fewer than the other contenders who managed 23) and his 70.4% CBA rate was stable but not growing. Strong player, but the trend line is flat to slightly down.

Marcus Bontempelli (2025 avg: 129.0, MID)

The Bont closed 2025 on fire. His last six rounds averaged roughly 143 and his CBA% climbed from 57.7% to 71.7% in the second half. The problem? He’s 30 and only managed 18 games. That’s five fewer than a full season. His standard deviation of 31.8 was also one of the highest among the top group. When he’s on, he’s a 186-point ceiling player. But you need to play 22+ games to top the averages, and the data says he hasn’t done that reliably.

Nick Daicos (2025 avg: 128.7, MID)

Daicos is the steady hand but the data suggests a plateau. His year-over-year improvement was just +3.0 points and, more concerning, his CBA% actually dropped from 79.7% to 65.0% between the first and second halves. That’s the opposite direction to NWM. His standard deviation of 32.4 was the highest of any contender, meaning the big scores (194, 182) were offset by quiet games in the 70s and low 100s. Incredible talent, but the ceiling isn’t rising.

Harry Sheezel (2025 avg: 126.0, FWD)

Sheezel is the dark horse and the one to watch. His CBA% spiked to 65–70% in the last four rounds and he posted that monster 215-point game in Round 23. At 21, he’s the youngest in this group with the most upside. But the CBA shift is only four rounds of evidence. If North Melbourne keep him in the midfield through 2026, he could absolutely challenge for this title by 2027. Right now, the sample is too small to call him the favourite over NWM, whose data spans a full second half of the season.

The Projection

If NWM’s second-half midfield role holds into 2026 (and everything from St Kilda’s second-half usage suggests it will), projecting from his second-half form of 142.5 with natural age-23 development, he’s looking at a 135 to 145 GDS average for the full 2026 season.

That would put him clear at the top.

Get a card of his in your squad now before its too late!