AFL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2026
Last updated: Aug 26, 2026, 12:37PM | Published: Aug 26, 2026, 9:36AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Finals Week 1, 2026 DFS contest commences at 7:40pm AEST on August 28, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate features the following games:
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 strongest 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 every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nick Daicos (COLL, MID) | $17,450 | 117.6 | 6.7 |
| Value | Tom Campbell (MELB, RK/FWD) | $6,000 | 62.2 | 10.4 |
| Fade | Sam Swadling (COLL, MID/DEF) | $12,180 | 61.3 | 5 |
| Cheapie | Max Heath (MELB, RK) | $6,360 | 59 | 9.3 |
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'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 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 | Bailey Dale (WB) | $15,300 | 101.3 | 6.6 |
| Value | Christian Salem (MELB) | $8,320 | 76.5 | 9.2 |
| Fade | Sam Swadling (COLL) | $12,180 | 61.3 | 5 |
| Cheapie | Jakob Ryan (COLL) | $6,000 | 51.9 | 8.7 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nick Daicos (COLL) | $17,450 | 117.6 | 6.7 |
| Value | Jack Henderson (MELB) | $6,000 | 51.6 | 8.6 |
| Fade | Sam Swadling (COLL) | $12,180 | 61.3 | 5 |
| Cheapie | Ben Camporeale (CARL) | $6,000 | 51.5 | 8.6 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sam Darcy (WB) | $10,710 | 79.1 | 7.4 |
| Value | Tom Campbell (MELB) | $6,000 | 62.2 | 10.4 |
| Fade | Jacob van Rooyen (MELB) | $10,660 | 62.4 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Christian Salem (MELB) | $8,320 | 76.5 | 9.2 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $16,900 | 108.8 | 6.4 |
| Value | Tom Campbell (MELB) | $6,000 | 62.2 | 10.4 |
| Fade | Jacob van Rooyen (MELB) | $10,660 | 62.4 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Max Heath (MELB) | $6,360 | 59 | 9.3 |
Please note that we will update our AFL Draftstars tips as soon as teams are officially announced.
Conclusion
In AFL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Finals Week 1, 2026 teams, consider starting with a value player like Tom Campbell. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nick Daicos is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Max Heath.
On the other hand, according to our model, Sam Swadling is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Full Round 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 Finals Week 1 contest. 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.
