AFL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 9, 2026
Last updated: May 7, 2026, 9:35AM | Published: May 6, 2026, 9:35AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Round 9 DFS contest commences at 8:10pm AEST on May 7, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 9.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate includes these matches:
- GWS GIANTS vs Essendon
- North Melbourne vs Sydney Swans
- Geelong Cats vs Collingwood
- Fremantle vs Hawthorn
- Melbourne vs West Coast Eagles
- Richmond vs Adelaide Crows
- Brisbane Lions vs Carlton
- Port Adelaide vs Western Bulldogs
- Gold Coast SUNS vs St Kilda
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 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 choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nick Daicos (COLL, MID) | $16,090 | 118.1 | 7.3 |
| Value | Noah Roberts-Thomson (RICH, MID) | $6,000 | 54.5 | 9.1 |
| Fade | Milan Murdock (WCE, FWD/MID) | $11,800 | 65.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Lloyd Meek (HAW, RK) | $9,090 | 81.3 | 8.9 |
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 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) | $16,500 | 112.5 | 6.8 |
| Value | Griffin Logue (NMFC) | $6,000 | 49.1 | 8.2 |
| Fade | Josh Lindsay (WCE) | $10,260 | 60.2 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Lachlan Blakiston (ESS) | $6,000 | 47.2 | 7.9 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nick Daicos (COLL) | $16,090 | 118.1 | 7.3 |
| Value | Noah Roberts-Thomson (RICH) | $6,000 | 54.5 | 9.1 |
| Fade | Milan Murdock (WCE) | $11,800 | 65.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Ben Jepson (GC) | $6,000 | 48.3 | 8 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kysaiah Pickett (MELB) | $15,920 | 100 | 6.3 |
| Value | Bailey Laurie (MELB) | $6,040 | 53.5 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Milan Murdock (WCE) | $11,800 | 65.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Billy Cootee (SYD) | $6,000 | 48.8 | 8.1 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Brodie Grundy (SYD) | $16,100 | 114.9 | 7.1 |
| Value | Lloyd Meek (HAW) | $9,090 | 81.3 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Noah Balta (RICH) | $10,680 | 62.2 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Samson Ryan (RICH) | $6,000 | 50.1 | 8.3 |
Conclusion
In AFL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Round 9 teams, consider starting with a value player like Noah Roberts-Thomson. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Lloyd Meek.
On the other hand, according to our model, Milan Murdock is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out 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 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.
