AFL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 20, 2025
Last updated: Jul 26, 2025, 2:33AM | Published: Jul 23, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Saturday Round 20 DFS contest begins at 1:20pm AEST on July 26, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 20.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Saturday slate features these matches:
- North Melbourne vs Geelong Cats
- Gold Coast SUNS vs Brisbane Lions
- Fremantle vs West Coast Eagles
- Adelaide Crows vs Port Adelaide
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the most accurate 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 choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL, MID) | $16,140 | 106.5 | 6.6 |
| Value | Hugh Jackson (PORT, FWD/MID) | $6,000 | 55.6 | 9.3 |
| Fade | Shai Bolton (FRE, FWD/MID) | $12,140 | 67.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Finnbar Maley (NMFC, FWD/RK) | $6,000 | 55.7 | 9.3 |
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 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 | Connor Rozee (PORT) | $15,730 | 97.8 | 6.2 |
| Value | Darcy Gardiner (BL) | $6,000 | 50.7 | 8.5 |
| Fade | Ryan Maric (WCE) | $10,930 | 63.6 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Oscar McDonald (FRE) | $6,420 | 51.5 | 8 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL) | $16,140 | 106.5 | 6.6 |
| Value | Hugh Jackson (PORT) | $6,000 | 55.6 | 9.3 |
| Fade | Shai Bolton (FRE) | $12,140 | 67.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Nick Holman (GC) | $6,340 | 51.8 | 8.2 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Harry Sheezel (NMFC) | $15,950 | 103.6 | 6.5 |
| Value | Hugh Jackson (PORT) | $6,000 | 55.6 | 9.3 |
| Fade | Shai Bolton (FRE) | $12,140 | 67.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Finnbar Maley (NMFC) | $6,000 | 55.7 | 9.3 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luke Jackson (FRE) | $14,030 | 91.7 | 6.5 |
| Value | Finnbar Maley (NMFC) | $6,000 | 55.7 | 9.3 |
| Fade | Matt Flynn (WCE) | $11,910 | 75 | 6.3 |
| Cheapie | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 52.1 | 8.7 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Saturday Round 20 teams, consider starting with a value player like Hugh Jackson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jordan Dawson 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 Finnbar Maley.
On the other hand, according to our model, Shai Bolton 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 Saturday slate closes at 1:20pm 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 20 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.
