AFL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 18, 2026
Last updated: Jul 9, 2026, 9:44AM | Published: Jul 8, 2026, 9:45AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Round 18 DFS contest starts at 8:10pm AEST on July 9, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 18.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate includes these games:
- Collingwood vs North Melbourne
- St Kilda vs Port Adelaide
- Carlton vs Hawthorn
- GWS GIANTS vs Geelong Cats
- Brisbane Lions vs Essendon
- Adelaide Crows vs Gold Coast SUNS
- Melbourne vs Richmond
- Fremantle vs Sydney Swans
- Western Bulldogs vs West Coast Eagles
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Harry Sheezel (NMFC, MID) | $17,340 | 121.6 | 7 |
| Value | Jack Ough (GWS, MID) | $6,000 | 56 | 9.3 |
| Fade | Rowan Marshall (STK, RK) | $15,730 | 84.2 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Oliver Greeves (HAW, MID) | $6,000 | 52.1 | 8.7 |
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) | $16,940 | 113.2 | 6.7 |
| Value | Tobie Travaglia (STK) | $6,370 | 53.3 | 8.4 |
| Fade | Darcy Byrne-Jones (PORT) | $12,960 | 77.6 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Jedd Busslinger (WB) | $6,620 | 53.6 | 8.1 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Harry Sheezel (NMFC) | $17,340 | 121.6 | 7 |
| Value | Jack Ough (GWS) | $6,000 | 56 | 9.3 |
| Fade | Joel Fitzgerald (MELB) | $10,720 | 60.4 | 5.6 |
| Cheapie | Oliver Greeves (HAW) | $6,000 | 52.1 | 8.7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jason Horne-Francis (PORT) | $14,660 | 96.3 | 6.6 |
| Value | Louis Emmett (WB) | $6,000 | 48.7 | 8.1 |
| Fade | Logan Morris (BL) | $11,650 | 69.4 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Tom Burton (RICH) | $6,000 | 48.8 | 8.1 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $16,730 | 110.5 | 6.6 |
| Value | Louis Emmett (WB) | $6,000 | 48.7 | 8.1 |
| Fade | Rowan Marshall (STK) | $15,730 | 84.2 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Dante Visentini (PORT) | $6,000 | 46.3 | 7.7 |
Conclusion
In AFL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Round 18 teams, consider starting with a value player like Jack Ough. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Harry Sheezel is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Oliver Greeves.
On the other hand, according to our model, Rowan Marshall 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 8:10pm 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 18 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.
