AFL Magpies vs Lions Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Preliminary Finals, 2025
Last updated: Sep 17, 2025, 11:32AM | Published: Sep 17, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Magpies vs Lions Preliminary Finals, 2025 DFS contest begins at 5:15pm AEST on September 20, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player in the game to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is essential 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, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
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 players from each team in the Collingwood vs Brisbane Lions match-up to help you find the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Dunkley (BL, MID) | $17,830 | 115.4 | 6.5 |
| Value | Deven Robertson (BL, FWD) | $6,000 | 64 | 10.7 |
| Fade | Darcy Cameron (COLL, RK) | $14,810 | 91.5 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Finlay Macrae (COLL, FWD/MID) | $6,000 | 63.1 | 10.5 |
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 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 | Jakob Ryan (COLL) | $6,000 | 53.8 | 9 |
| Fade | Jaspa Fletcher (BL) | $13,180 | 82.1 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Reef McInnes (COLL) | $6,000 | 52.2 | 8.7 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Dunkley (BL) | $17,830 | 115.4 | 6.5 |
| Value | Finlay Macrae (COLL) | $6,000 | 63.1 | 10.5 |
| Fade | Jordan De Goey (COLL) | $11,860 | 73.4 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Luke Beecken (BL) | $6,000 | 57.2 | 9.5 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zac Bailey (BL) | $13,140 | 83.6 | 6.4 |
| Value | Deven Robertson (BL) | $6,000 | 64 | 10.7 |
| Fade | Cam Rayner (BL) | $11,270 | 76.1 | 6.8 |
| Cheapie | Finlay Macrae (COLL) | $6,000 | 63.1 | 10.5 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Darcy Cameron (COLL) | $14,810 | 91.5 | 6.2 |
| Value | Henry Smith (BL) | $6,000 | 54.2 | 9 |
Please note that we will update our AFL Draftstars tips as soon as teams are officially announced.
Conclusion
When building your AFL Magpies vs Lions Preliminary Finals, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Deven Robertson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Josh Dunkley is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Finlay Macrae.
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.
