AFL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Preliminary Finals, 2026
Last updated: Sep 9, 2026, 5:00PM | Published: Sep 9, 2026, 11:43AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Preliminary Finals, 2026 DFS contest commences at 8:10pm AEST on September 11, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate consists of the following games:
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bailey Smith (GEEL, MID) | $17,290 | 120.4 | 7 |
| Value | Adam Sweid (FRE, FWD/MID) | $6,000 | 56.2 | 9.4 |
| Fade | Patrick Dangerfield (GEEL, FWD/MID) | $10,950 | 66 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Sean Darcy (FRE, RK) | $6,210 | 56.7 | 9.1 |
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 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 | Dayne Zorko (BL) | $15,200 | 104 | 6.8 |
| Value | Chayce Jones (ADEL) | $6,000 | 53.5 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Jordan Clark (FRE) | $13,100 | 85.3 | 6.5 |
| Cheapie | Luke Beecken (BL) | $6,000 | 53.1 | 8.9 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bailey Smith (GEEL) | $17,290 | 120.4 | 7 |
| Value | Adam Sweid (FRE) | $6,000 | 56.2 | 9.4 |
| Fade | Patrick Dangerfield (GEEL) | $10,950 | 66 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Daniel Annable (BL) | $6,000 | 54.5 | 9.1 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zac Bailey (BL) | $13,600 | 95.8 | 7 |
| Value | Adam Sweid (FRE) | $6,000 | 56.2 | 9.4 |
| Fade | Patrick Dangerfield (GEEL) | $10,950 | 66 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Toby Murray (ADEL) | $6,000 | 48.4 | 8.1 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luke Jackson (FRE) | $16,570 | 102.4 | 6.2 |
| Value | Sean Darcy (FRE) | $6,210 | 56.7 | 9.1 |
| Fade | Toby Conway (GEEL) | $10,820 | 68.1 | 6.3 |
| Cheapie | Henry Smith (BL) | $6,000 | 52.6 | 8.8 |
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 Preliminary Finals, 2026 teams, consider starting with a value player like Adam Sweid. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Bailey Smith 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 Sean Darcy.
On the other hand, according to our model, Patrick Dangerfield 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 Full Round slate closes at 8:10pm 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 Preliminary Finals 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 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.
