AFL Crows vs Magpies Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2025
Last updated: Aug 30, 2025, 6:33PM | Published: Aug 28, 2025, 5:32AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Crows vs Magpies Finals Week 1, 2025 DFS contest starts at 7:40pm AEST on September 4, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player in the game to help you build 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, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the best DFS projections in the world.
With the best 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 Adelaide Crows vs Collingwood match-up to help you find the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL, MID) | $16,610 | 110 | 6.6 |
| Value | Finlay Macrae (COLL, MID/FWD) | $6,000 | 63.1 | 10.5 |
| Fade | Josh Worrell (ADEL, DEF) | $11,680 | 71.9 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Oscar Ryan (ADEL, DEF) | $6,000 | 57.7 | 9.6 |
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're 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 highlight 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 | Josh Daicos (COLL) | $14,290 | 91.7 | 6.4 |
| Value | Oscar Ryan (ADEL) | $6,000 | 57.7 | 9.6 |
| Fade | Josh Worrell (ADEL) | $11,680 | 71.9 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Jakob Ryan (COLL) | $6,000 | 53.8 | 9 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL) | $16,610 | 110 | 6.6 |
| Value | Finlay Macrae (COLL) | $6,000 | 63.1 | 10.5 |
| Fade | Jake Soligo (ADEL) | $12,440 | 76.6 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Sid Draper (ADEL) | $6,000 | 51.6 | 8.6 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Riley Thilthorpe (ADEL) | $12,710 | 87.4 | 6.9 |
| Value | Finlay Macrae (COLL) | $6,000 | 63.1 | 10.5 |
| Fade | Lachie Schultz (COLL) | $11,340 | 74.9 | 6.6 |
| Cheapie | Charlie West (COLL) | $6,000 | 52 | 8.7 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Darcy Cameron (COLL) | $14,460 | 94.4 | 6.5 |
| Value | Lachlan McAndrew (ADEL) | $6,000 | 50 | 8.3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Crows vs Magpies Finals Week 1, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Finlay Macrae. 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, check out our cheapie options, including Oscar Ryan.
On the other hand, according to our model, Josh Worrell is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Crows vs Magpies slate closes at 7:40pm AEST on Thursday. 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 Magpies Finals Week 1 contest. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your AFL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised AFL Crows vs Magpies 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.
