AFL Cats vs Lions Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2025
Last updated: Sep 5, 2025, 9:32AM | Published: Aug 28, 2025, 5:32AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Cats vs Lions Finals Week 1, 2025 DFS contest starts at 7:40pm AEST on September 5, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player in the game to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests.
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the best DFS projections in the world.
With the latest AFL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more AFL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We've reviewed players from each team in the Geelong Cats vs Brisbane Lions match-up to help you find the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Dunkley (BL, MID) | $16,060 | 108.6 | 6.8 |
| Value | Sam Day (BL, FWD/RK) | $6,000 | 55.1 | 9.2 |
| Fade | Dayne Zorko (BL, DEF) | $14,670 | 90.1 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Ty Gallop (BL, FWD) | $6,000 | 46.5 | 7.7 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks provide the most "bang for your buck," meaning they are expected to perform well relative to their salary.
Conversely, a "fade" is a player considered to offer lower value for money, based on their expected score relative to their salary. For budget-conscious strategies, "cheapie" options refer to the best value players at lower price points not already mentioned.
In fantasy sports, understanding value—assessing a player's potential output against their salary—is crucial, as players scoring high relative to their cost are key in crafting the optimal line-up.
The "Pts/$1K" metric shows the predicted points for every $1,000 of a player's salary. A higher number indicates better value, making it easier to spot players who could outperform their cost.
Positional Breakdown
DEF (Defender)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dayne Zorko (BL) | $14,670 | 90.1 | 6.1 |
| Value | Darcy Gardiner (BL) | $6,000 | 45.1 | 7.5 |
| Fade | Jaspa Fletcher (BL) | $12,900 | 82.1 | 6.4 |
| Cheapie | Sam De Koning (GEEL) | $6,350 | 47.9 | 7.5 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Dunkley (BL) | $16,060 | 108.6 | 6.8 |
| Value | Jack Bowes (GEEL) | $9,000 | 69.4 | 7.7 |
| Fade | Bailey Smith (GEEL) | $17,210 | 108.5 | 6.3 |
| Cheapie | Oisin Mullin (GEEL) | $6,860 | 48 | 7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Gryan Miers (GEEL) | $13,580 | 91.1 | 6.7 |
| Value | Sam Day (BL) | $6,000 | 55.1 | 9.2 |
| Fade | Patrick Dangerfield (GEEL) | $10,310 | 67.1 | 6.5 |
| Cheapie | Shannon Neale (GEEL) | $9,810 | 75.8 | 7.7 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shannon Neale (GEEL) | $9,810 | 75.8 | 7.7 |
| Value | Sam Day (BL) | $6,000 | 55.1 | 9.2 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Cats vs Lions Finals Week 1, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Sam Day. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Josh Dunkley is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Ty Gallop.
On the other hand, according to our model, Dayne Zorko is one of the worst value options in this game, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Cats vs Lions slate closes at 7:40pm AEST on Friday. ENTER NOW!
As with all AFL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven AFL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the AFL Cats vs Lions Finals Week 1 slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your AFL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised AFL Cats vs Lions line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
Please note that if you use our DFS tips for betting purposes, ensure you gamble responsibly and keep track of your money. For free and confidential support, call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
