The position of the big dick swingers. The position everyone in your draft league wants leading the charge. However, I have some bad news – I don’t think the fullback position is as deep and sexy as it has been in previous years. Nailing the fullback spot will go a long way to winning your draft comp, and we are here to help.
Fullback Rankings
1. James Tedesco
Mr. Consistent himself – speaks for itself, really. Highest averaging fullback last year with 88.9, most points of any player last year (by some margin), and didn’t miss a game. He does it year after year, and I can’t see why anything changes this year.
Projected AVG 85–90 – Overall Pick 1–3
2. Reece Walsh
I have a feeling many people out there would have Walsh at the top of their fullback wish list, and I wouldn’t push back on it whatsoever. Five scores of 100+ in the last six games of last season – safe to assume he won many people a draft grand final. Will kick goals if Adam Reynolds goes down, Broncos will be flying again this year, and he’ll have a hand in most of it.
Projected AVG 85–90 – Overall Pick 1–3
3. Scott Drinkwater
A goal-kicking fullback with a high ceiling is music to our ears. Drinkwater has averaged either side of 80 the last two seasons, and I don’t see much changing this year. He hasn’t missed a game for the Cowboys since Round 5 of 2023, and in a time when so many big guns love an injury, his durability is an asset.
Projected AVG 78–82 – Overall Pick 5–6
4. Dylan Edwards
Not the sexiest pick, but man does this bloke continue to get it done. Can go large with four scores of 100+ in 2025 (including a 173), but more importantly, only two scores under 50. Safe as houses, and playing for Penrith with Nathan Cleary is a huge plus.
Projected AVG 78–82 – Overall Pick 7–9
5. Tom Trbojevic
Do we talk up Turbo every year? Yes.
Am I ready to be hurt again? Also yes.
Turbo looked so injured and fragile at times early last year, it genuinely hurt just watching him play. Despite this, and his subsequent move to centre for a period of time, he still averaged 70. He’s just a SuperCoach freak and can win you a comp if he turns it on. Picking Turbo is not for the faint-hearted and will likely end in heartache. If you do wish to run the gauntlet, you MUST also ensure you draft a spare fullback as a handcuff to make sure it hurts less if he is unavailable for periods of time. Options like Sua Fa’alogo and Jye Gray later in the draft would be ideal for any Turbo owner.
Projected AVG 70–75 – Overall Pick 20–25
6. Keano Kini
Everyone was keen on Kini last year, and unfortunately, it was put on hold for a year after a serious neck injury. I’m backing Kini to hit the ground running in 2026. The Titans are a horrific football side, but one thing they do is throw the ball around and score points. The perfect scenario is getting Nathan Cleary or Nicho Hynes and pairing them with Kini late Round 2 or early Round 3.
Projected AVG 70–75 – Overall Pick 20–25
7. Kalyn Ponga
This one comes with an asterisk because we are unsure if Kalyn is goal-kicking or not (maybe a Knights insider can give us the goss). We actually believe it’ll be Sandon Smith, which knocks him down a couple of ranks. Coming off an uninspired season, averaging 62 and playing only 13 matches, I think Holbrook can unlock Kalyn after he became a little stale under AOB. Wait and see if he is kicking or not before deciding how keen you are – but don’t draft on previous reputation. If Sandon takes the kicking tee, there are better fullbacks available this year.
Projected AVG 68–72 – Overall Pick 30–35
Devil’s advocate – if he is kicking goals id be sky rocketing Ponga up my pre-draft list and taking him late round 1 in the 7-10 overall pick range.
8. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow / Trai Fuller
We won’t know who’s going to play fullback at the Dolphins until trials roll around in a couple of weeks, but it’s one to keep a close eye on. Due to the Dolphins’ try-scoring ability, I like the idea of owning whoever is playing fullback. A few things to consider, though: if the Hammer moves to centre to accommodate Fuller, do not draft him on last year’s average. On top of that, if he is moved to centre, he will likely get dual status before Round 1 – so don’t draft him as your sole fullback, draft him as a CTW. Fuller has the potential to be a SC gun if he manages to win the spot.
Projected AVG 68–72 – Overall Pick 30–35
9. Isaiah Iongi
This kid is a star. I still think he’s a year or two away from being a real big dick player in the fullback position, so I urge a few of you Parramatta fans out there not to jump the gun too early. I see him continuing to improve, and he can be a great pick-up if you get him at the right time. After all the big guns have been taken, eyes go away from the fullback spot, and people scramble to fill the rest of their team. Sit back, watch carefully and wait until value presents itself.
Projected AVG 65–70 – Overall Pick 50–55
10. Jahream Bula
I think 2026 can be the year Bula puts it all together and jumps up a tier or two in the fullback ranks. He was averaging 70 up until Round 13 and then suffered an injury and didn’t quite set the world on fire in the last month of the season. I don’t see why, in an improving Tigers outfit, he couldn’t maintain a 70 average all season.
Projected AVG 65–70 – Overall Pick 50–55
Smokey – Jye Gray
He has been so impressive that he’s finally forced Wayne Bennett’s hand to move Latrell to the centres for good. He averaged 65 at fullback last year and, if we are being fair dinkum, the Souths team was so depleted with injuries at times he may as well have been playing behind a park footy side. I’m excited to see what he can do behind a fit footy side – fingers crossed for Souths fans anyway, as they deserve some luck. Very similar to Iongi in the sense that if you miss the big guns, stack the other positions and pounce on Gray when he presents value.
Projected AVG 60–65 – Overall Pick 65–70
Avoid – Clint Gutherson
This hurts to write as I love King Gutho, but I think his time as a SuperCoach option comes to an end in 2026. The Dragons are shithouse, and his body isn’t getting any younger, unfortunately. He started the 2025 season on fire, yet faded big time. Seven scores under 50 from his last 13 games of the season just isn’t good enough for a fullback. There are far better options at fullback this year.
Positional Strategy
The plan for fullback this year is ensuring you are not going too early on a fullback option and instead looking for value. As I said at the start, I don’t think fullback is as stacked as in previous years. If you are lucky enough to have a high draft pick and end up with James Tedesco, Reece Walsh or Scott Drinkwater, you should be cheering. After that, though, we get to a fair few blokes with some concerns – Turbo’s injury history, Ponga not kicking goals, does the Hammer move to centre to accommodate Trai Fuller? Don’t jump the gun. Picking up Jahream Bula in Round 7 or 8 if people forget about him and having a stacked team is far better than picking up Ponga in Round 2, when there’s every chance they might only average five points apart.
Let me know in the comments whether you agree or disagree with my rankings.
