AFL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2025
Last updated: Sep 4, 2025, 9:33AM | Published: Aug 28, 2025, 2:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Finals Week 1, 2025 DFS contest kicks off at 7:40pm AEST on September 4, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate includes the following matches:
- Geelong Cats vs Brisbane Lions
- Adelaide Crows vs Collingwood
- Fremantle vs Gold Coast SUNS
- GWS GIANTS vs Hawthorn
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 strongest 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL, MID) | $16,610 | 109.8 | 6.6 |
| Value | Sam Day (BL, FWD/RK) | $6,000 | 55.1 | 9.2 |
| Fade | Noah Anderson (GC, MID) | $15,670 | 92.8 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Ethan Read (GC, RK/FWD) | $6,000 | 53.9 | 9 |
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 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 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 | Lachie Whitfield (GWS) | $15,950 | 107 | 6.7 |
| Value | Sam Collins (GC) | $6,600 | 53.1 | 8 |
| Fade | Jordan Clark (FRE) | $13,750 | 82.1 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Wil Parker (COLL) | $6,000 | 46.7 | 7.8 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL) | $16,610 | 109.8 | 6.6 |
| Value | Sam Butler (HAW) | $7,270 | 62.7 | 8.6 |
| Fade | Noah Anderson (GC) | $15,670 | 92.8 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Sam Marshall (BL) | $7,450 | 58.7 | 7.9 |
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 | Dylan Moore (HAW) | $13,530 | 83.7 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 53.9 | 9 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lloyd Meek (HAW) | $14,930 | 93.4 | 6.3 |
| Value | Sam Day (BL) | $6,000 | 55.1 | 9.2 |
| Fade | Luke Jackson (FRE) | $13,920 | 88.7 | 6.4 |
| Cheapie | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 53.9 | 9 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Finals Week 1, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Sam Day. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Ethan Read.
On the other hand, according to our model, Noah Anderson is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Full Round 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 Finals Week 1 slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your AFL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised AFL Full Round 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.
