AFL Giants vs Hawks Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2025
Last updated: Sep 6, 2025, 4:32AM | Published: Aug 28, 2025, 5:32AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Giants vs Hawks Finals Week 1, 2025 DFS contest kicks off at 3:15pm AEST on September 6, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player in the game to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy 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.
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 best 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 players from each team in the GWS GIANTS vs Hawthorn match-up to help you make the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lachie Whitfield (GWS, DEF) | $15,950 | 107 | 6.7 |
| Value | Sam Butler (HAW, MID) | $7,270 | 62.7 | 8.6 |
| Fade | Stephen Coniglio (GWS, MID) | $10,770 | 65.5 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Nick Watson (HAW, FWD) | $7,010 | 54.2 | 7.7 |
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 | Lachie Whitfield (GWS) | $15,950 | 107 | 6.7 |
| Value | Tom Barrass (HAW) | $6,000 | 41.5 | 6.9 |
| Fade | Connor Idun (GWS) | $10,620 | 66.2 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Jack Scrimshaw (HAW) | $8,430 | 57.2 | 6.8 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Finn Callaghan (GWS) | $15,290 | 98.3 | 6.4 |
| Value | Sam Butler (HAW) | $7,270 | 62.7 | 8.6 |
| Fade | Stephen Coniglio (GWS) | $10,770 | 65.5 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Toby Bedford (GWS) | $8,080 | 56.3 | 7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Moore (HAW) | $13,530 | 83.7 | 6.2 |
| Value | Calsher Dear (HAW) | $6,960 | 54.1 | 7.8 |
| Fade | Toby Greene (GWS) | $13,240 | 81.8 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Nick Watson (HAW) | $7,010 | 54.2 | 7.7 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lloyd Meek (HAW) | $14,930 | 93.4 | 6.3 |
| Value | Mabior Chol (HAW) | $8,990 | 63.2 | 7 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Giants vs Hawks Finals Week 1, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Sam Butler. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Lachie Whitfield 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 Nick Watson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Stephen Coniglio is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Giants vs Hawks slate closes at 3:15pm AEST on Saturday. 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 Giants vs Hawks Finals Week 1 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 Giants vs Hawks 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.
