AFL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 9, 2025
Last updated: May 8, 2025, 8:33AM | Published: May 7, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Round 9 DFS contest kicks off at 8:10pm AEST on May 8, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy 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 and improve your Supercoach team for Round 9.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Melbourne vs Hawthorn
- Fremantle vs Collingwood
- Geelong Cats vs GWS GIANTS
- North Melbourne vs Brisbane Lions
- Gold Coast SUNS vs Western Bulldogs
- Essendon vs Sydney Swans
- Port Adelaide vs Adelaide Crows
- St Kilda vs Carlton
- Richmond vs West Coast Eagles
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 make the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB, RK) | $16,900 | 111.7 | 6.6 |
| Value | Harry Rowston (GWS, MID) | $6,000 | 65.6 | 10.9 |
| Fade | Elijah Hewett (WCE, FWD/MID) | $10,600 | 57 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Ted Clohesy (GEEL, FWD) | $6,000 | 58.2 | 9.7 |
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'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 | Lachie Whitfield (GWS) | $17,050 | 110.7 | 6.5 |
| Value | Jaxon Binns (CARL) | $6,420 | 59.3 | 9.2 |
| Fade | Ryan Maric (WCE) | $13,830 | 75.9 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Lewis Hayes (ESS) | $6,000 | 53.6 | 8.9 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS) | $16,810 | 108.8 | 6.5 |
| Value | Harry Rowston (GWS) | $6,000 | 65.6 | 10.9 |
| Fade | Elijah Hewett (WCE) | $10,600 | 57 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Kane McAuliffe (RICH) | $6,000 | 51.8 | 8.6 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christian Petracca (MELB) | $15,190 | 96.3 | 6.3 |
| Value | Ted Clohesy (GEEL) | $6,000 | 58.2 | 9.7 |
| Fade | Elijah Hewett (WCE) | $10,600 | 57 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Jack Darling (NMFC) | $6,000 | 54.2 | 9 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $16,900 | 111.7 | 6.6 |
| Value | Jack Darling (NMFC) | $6,000 | 54.2 | 9 |
| Fade | Toby Nankervis (RICH) | $15,480 | 88.9 | 5.7 |
| Cheapie | Dante Visentini (PORT) | $6,910 | 61.9 | 9 |
Please note that we will update our AFL Draftstars tips as soon as teams are officially announced.
Conclusion
When building your AFL Round 9 teams, consider starting with a value player like Harry Rowston. 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, check out our cheapie options, including Ted Clohesy.
On the other hand, according to our model, Elijah Hewett 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 9 slate. 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.
