AFL Magpies vs Lions Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Preliminary Finals, 2025
Last updated: Sep 20, 2025, 6:32AM | Published: Sep 17, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Magpies vs Lions Preliminary Finals, 2025 DFS contest starts at 5:15pm AEST on September 20, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player in the game 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.
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
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 have reviewed players from each team in the Collingwood vs Brisbane Lions match-up to help you find the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Dunkley (BL, MID) | $17,830 | 115.4 | 6.5 |
| Value | Ty Gallop (BL, FWD) | $6,000 | 51 | 8.5 |
| Fade | Darcy Cameron (COLL, RK) | $14,810 | 91.5 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Darcy Gardiner (BL, DEF) | $6,000 | 48.6 | 8.1 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks offer 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 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 | Dayne Zorko (BL) | $15,120 | 95.9 | 6.3 |
| Value | Darcy Gardiner (BL) | $6,000 | 48.6 | 8.1 |
| Fade | Jaspa Fletcher (BL) | $13,180 | 82.1 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Starcevich (BL) | $6,000 | 48.1 | 8 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Dunkley (BL) | $17,830 | 115.4 | 6.5 |
| Value | Sam Marshall (BL) | $7,080 | 53.9 | 7.6 |
| Fade | Jordan De Goey (COLL) | $11,860 | 73.4 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Beau McCreery (COLL) | $7,900 | 59.1 | 7.5 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zac Bailey (BL) | $13,140 | 83.6 | 6.4 |
| Value | Ty Gallop (BL) | $6,000 | 51 | 8.5 |
| Fade | Cam Rayner (BL) | $11,270 | 76.1 | 6.8 |
| Cheapie | Mason Cox (COLL) | $6,930 | 53.8 | 7.8 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Darcy Cameron (COLL) | $14,810 | 91.5 | 6.2 |
| Value | Mason Cox (COLL) | $6,930 | 53.8 | 7.8 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Magpies vs Lions Preliminary Finals, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Ty Gallop. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Josh Dunkley 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 Darcy Gardiner.
On the other hand, according to our model, Darcy Cameron is one of the worst value options in this game, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Magpies vs Lions slate closes at 5:15pm 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 Magpies vs Lions Preliminary Finals 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 Magpies vs Lions 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.
