AFL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 9, 2025
Last updated: May 10, 2025, 2:32AM | Published: May 7, 2025, 9:32AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Saturday Round 9 DFS contest commences at 1:20pm AEST on May 10, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 9.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Saturday slate features the following match-ups:
- Port Adelaide vs Adelaide Crows
- Essendon vs Sydney Swans
- Melbourne vs Hawthorn
- Gold Coast SUNS vs Western Bulldogs
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 | Max Gawn (MELB, RK) | $16,900 | 111.7 | 6.6 |
| Value | Dante Visentini (PORT, RK) | $6,910 | 61.9 | 9 |
| Fade | Jason Johannisen (WB, DEF) | $11,750 | 70.5 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Lewis Hayes (ESS, DEF) | $6,000 | 53.6 | 8.9 |
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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "cheapie" options refer to 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) | $15,390 | 103.4 | 6.7 |
| Value | Lewis Hayes (ESS) | $6,000 | 53.6 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Jason Johannisen (WB) | $11,750 | 70.5 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Ben Paton (SYD) | $6,000 | 50.5 | 8.4 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS) | $16,810 | 108.8 | 6.5 |
| Value | Harry Sharp (MELB) | $6,000 | 49.9 | 8.3 |
| Fade | Archie Roberts (ESS) | $12,630 | 76.7 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Archer Day-Wicks (ESS) | $6,000 | 49.6 | 8.3 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christian Petracca (MELB) | $15,190 | 96.3 | 6.3 |
| Value | Matthew Jefferson (MELB) | $6,000 | 50.6 | 8.4 |
| Fade | Alex Neal-Bullen (ADEL) | $11,700 | 71.7 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Harry Sharp (MELB) | $6,000 | 49.9 | 8.3 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $16,900 | 111.7 | 6.6 |
| Value | Dante Visentini (PORT) | $6,910 | 61.9 | 9 |
| Fade | Peter Wright (ESS) | $11,110 | 70.7 | 6.4 |
| Cheapie | Jacob van Rooyen (MELB) | $7,200 | 50.6 | 7 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Saturday Round 9 teams, consider starting with a value player like Dante Visentini. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Max Gawn 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 Lewis Hayes.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jason Johannisen is one of the worst 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 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 9 contest. 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.
