AFL Demons vs Blues Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2026
Last updated: Aug 29, 2026, 9:36AM | Published: Aug 26, 2026, 9:35AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Demons vs Blues Finals Week 1, 2026 DFS contest commences at 7:36pm AEST on August 29, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player in the game to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together 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 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've reviewed players from each team in the Melbourne vs Carlton match-up to help you make the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB, RK) | $16,900 | 108.8 | 6.4 |
| Value | Tom McDonald (MELB, FWD/RK) | $6,420 | 52.4 | 8.2 |
| Fade | Oliver Florent (CARL, DEF) | $13,800 | 84.2 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Xavier Lindsay (MELB, DEF) | $6,750 | 54.6 | 8.1 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks offer 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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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 | Jake Bowey (MELB) | $13,390 | 90.5 | 6.8 |
| Value | Xavier Lindsay (MELB) | $6,750 | 54.6 | 8.1 |
| Fade | Oliver Florent (CARL) | $13,800 | 84.2 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Xavier Taylor (MELB) | $6,000 | 44.4 | 7.4 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sam Walsh (CARL) | $15,270 | 102 | 6.7 |
| Value | Ed Langdon (MELB) | $9,210 | 72.4 | 7.9 |
| Fade | George Hewett (CARL) | $15,110 | 96.9 | 6.4 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Windsor (MELB) | $7,500 | 56.2 | 7.5 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Harry McKay (CARL) | $10,210 | 72 | 7 |
| Value | Tom McDonald (MELB) | $6,420 | 52.4 | 8.2 |
| Fade | Ben Ainsworth (CARL) | $10,330 | 71.2 | 6.9 |
| Cheapie | Mitch McGovern (CARL) | $7,600 | 59.6 | 7.8 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $16,900 | 108.8 | 6.4 |
| Value | Tom McDonald (MELB) | $6,420 | 52.4 | 8.2 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Demons vs Blues Finals Week 1, 2026 teams, consider starting with a value player like Tom McDonald. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Max Gawn is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Xavier Lindsay.
On the other hand, according to our model, Oliver Florent is one of the worst value options in this game, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Demons vs Blues slate closes at 7:36pm AEST on Saturday. 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 Demons vs Blues 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 Demons vs Blues 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.
