AFL Crows vs Hawks Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Semi-Finals, 2025
Last updated: Sep 11, 2025, 9:32AM | Published: Sep 10, 2025, 9:32AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Crows vs Hawks Semi-Finals, 2025 DFS contest kicks off at 7:40pm AEST on September 12, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player in the game to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build 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 come up with some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
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 have reviewed players from each team in the Adelaide Crows vs Hawthorn match-up to help you make the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL, MID) | $16,840 | 105.6 | 6.3 |
| Value | Sam Butler (HAW, FWD) | $6,690 | 59.5 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Jarman Impey (HAW, DEF) | $14,490 | 86.4 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Josh Rachele (ADEL, MID/FWD) | $8,150 | 67.8 | 8.3 |
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 | Rory Laird (ADEL) | $14,970 | 89.8 | 6 |
| Value | Brodie Smith (ADEL) | $7,850 | 62.1 | 7.9 |
| Fade | Jarman Impey (HAW) | $14,490 | 86.4 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Mitchell Hinge (ADEL) | $7,850 | 61.3 | 7.8 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL) | $16,840 | 105.6 | 6.3 |
| Value | Josh Rachele (ADEL) | $8,150 | 67.8 | 8.3 |
| Fade | Jai Newcombe (HAW) | $14,120 | 84.4 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Massimo D'Ambrosio (HAW) | $9,700 | 63.8 | 6.6 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Riley Thilthorpe (ADEL) | $12,970 | 86.2 | 6.6 |
| Value | Sam Butler (HAW) | $6,690 | 59.5 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Ben Keays (ADEL) | $11,340 | 69.6 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Josh Rachele (ADEL) | $8,150 | 67.8 | 8.3 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lloyd Meek (HAW) | $14,970 | 97.6 | 6.5 |
| Value | Mabior Chol (HAW) | $8,640 | 63.5 | 7.3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Crows vs Hawks Semi-Finals, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Sam Butler. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jordan Dawson is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Josh Rachele.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jarman Impey is one of the lowest value options in this game, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Crows vs Hawks 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 Crows vs Hawks Semi-Finals slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your AFL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised AFL Crows vs Hawks 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.
