AFL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 17, 2025
Last updated: Jul 5, 2025, 1:39AM | Published: Jul 2, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Saturday Round 17 DFS contest begins at 12:35pm AEST on July 5, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 17.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Saturday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Essendon vs Gold Coast SUNS
- Brisbane Lions vs Port Adelaide
- Geelong Cats vs Richmond
- St Kilda vs Hawthorn
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bailey Smith (GEEL, MID) | $18,310 | 111.6 | 6.1 |
| Value | Alixzander Tauru (STK, DEF) | $6,000 | 58 | 9.7 |
| Fade | Sam Banks (RICH, DEF) | $12,680 | 69.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Ethan Read (GC, RK/FWD) | $6,000 | 54.5 | 9.1 |
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 | Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK) | $16,670 | 106 | 6.4 |
| Value | Alixzander Tauru (STK) | $6,000 | 58 | 9.7 |
| Fade | Sam Banks (RICH) | $12,680 | 69.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Angus Hastie (STK) | $6,000 | 53.2 | 8.9 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bailey Smith (GEEL) | $18,310 | 111.6 | 6.1 |
| Value | Angus Hastie (STK) | $6,000 | 53.2 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Levi Ashcroft (BL) | $11,600 | 67.7 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | George Stevens (GEEL) | $6,000 | 51.4 | 8.6 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Gryan Miers (GEEL) | $14,690 | 93 | 6.3 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 54.5 | 9.1 |
| Fade | Jack Gunston (HAW) | $11,180 | 62.3 | 5.6 |
| Cheapie | Darcy Gardiner (BL) | $6,000 | 52.1 | 8.7 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rowan Marshall (STK) | $15,520 | 99.2 | 6.4 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 54.5 | 9.1 |
| Fade | Lloyd Meek (HAW) | $13,840 | 86.1 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Jordon Sweet (PORT) | $8,780 | 75.7 | 8.6 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Saturday Round 17 teams, consider starting with a value player like Alixzander Tauru. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Bailey Smith 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 Ethan Read.
On the other hand, according to our model, Sam Banks is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Saturday slate closes at 12:35pm 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 Saturday Round 17 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 Saturday 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.
