AFL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 17, 2025
Last updated: Jul 3, 2025, 9:34AM | Published: Jul 2, 2025, 9:34AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Round 17 DFS contest commences at 7:33pm AEST on July 3, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 17.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate includes the following match-ups:
- Geelong Cats vs Richmond
- St Kilda vs Hawthorn
- North Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs
- Brisbane Lions vs Port Adelaide
- Essendon vs Gold Coast SUNS
- Sydney Swans vs Fremantle
- Carlton vs Collingwood
- West Coast Eagles vs GWS GIANTS
- Adelaide Crows vs Melbourne
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 most accurate DFS projections available.
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 picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB, RK) | $17,440 | 111.9 | 6.4 |
| Value | James Leake (GWS, MID) | $6,000 | 58.5 | 9.8 |
| Fade | Tom McCarthy (WCE, DEF) | $13,690 | 63.3 | 4.6 |
| Cheapie | Alixzander Tauru (STK, DEF) | $6,000 | 57.2 | 9.5 |
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 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 | Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK) | $16,670 | 106.2 | 6.4 |
| Value | Alixzander Tauru (STK) | $6,000 | 57.2 | 9.5 |
| Fade | Tom McCarthy (WCE) | $13,690 | 63.3 | 4.6 |
| Cheapie | Angus Hastie (STK) | $6,000 | 53.3 | 8.9 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bailey Smith (GEEL) | $18,310 | 111.8 | 6.1 |
| Value | James Leake (GWS) | $6,000 | 58.5 | 9.8 |
| Fade | Ryan Maric (WCE) | $11,630 | 65 | 5.6 |
| Cheapie | Koltyn Tholstrup (MELB) | $6,000 | 53.7 | 8.9 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Harry Sheezel (NMFC) | $14,390 | 104.2 | 7.2 |
| Value | Koltyn Tholstrup (MELB) | $6,000 | 53.7 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Jack Gunston (HAW) | $11,180 | 61.6 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 53.6 | 8.9 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $17,440 | 111.9 | 6.4 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 53.6 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Jake Riccardi (GWS) | $11,810 | 68.6 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Finnbar Maley (NMFC) | $6,000 | 53.2 | 8.9 |
Conclusion
In AFL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Round 17 teams, consider starting with a value player like James Leake. 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 Alixzander Tauru.
On the other hand, according to our model, Tom McCarthy 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 7:33pm 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 Round 17 slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
