AFL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 23, 2025
Last updated: Aug 15, 2025, 6:32PM | Published: Aug 13, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Saturday Round 23 DFS contest starts at 12:35pm AEST on August 16, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build 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 23.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Saturday slate consists of the following matches:
- Gold Coast SUNS vs GWS GIANTS
- Carlton vs Port Adelaide
- Hawthorn vs Melbourne
- Adelaide Crows vs Collingwood
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 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL, MID) | $17,310 | 113.8 | 6.6 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC, RK/FWD) | $6,000 | 53.8 | 9 |
| Fade | Tom De Koning (CARL, RK) | $12,870 | 74.6 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Billy Wilson (CARL, DEF) | $6,000 | 52.8 | 8.8 |
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 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 | Lachie Whitfield (GWS) | $15,800 | 104.1 | 6.6 |
| Value | Billy Wilson (CARL) | $6,000 | 52.8 | 8.8 |
| Fade | Josh Worrell (ADEL) | $11,810 | 70.3 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Lewis Young (CARL) | $6,000 | 50.6 | 8.4 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL) | $17,310 | 113.8 | 6.6 |
| Value | Harry Sharp (MELB) | $6,000 | 50.4 | 8.4 |
| Fade | Sam Berry (ADEL) | $11,770 | 68.4 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Christian Moraes (PORT) | $6,980 | 54.5 | 7.8 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kysaiah Pickett (MELB) | $13,680 | 87.3 | 6.4 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 53.8 | 9 |
| Fade | Jack Ginnivan (HAW) | $12,420 | 74.5 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Corey Durdin (CARL) | $6,000 | 51.7 | 8.6 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $16,460 | 110 | 6.7 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 53.8 | 9 |
| Fade | Tom De Koning (CARL) | $12,870 | 74.6 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Jack Whitlock (PORT) | $6,000 | 50.6 | 8.4 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Saturday Round 23 teams, consider starting with a value player like Ethan Read. 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, explore our cheapie options, including Billy Wilson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Tom De Koning is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out 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 23 contest. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
