AFL Saturday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 1, 2026
Last updated: Mar 14, 2026, 7:38AM | Published: Mar 11, 2026, 8:34AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Saturday Late Round 1 DFS contest begins at 7:11pm AEDT on March 14, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable 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 improve your Supercoach team for Round 1.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Saturday Late slate consists of these match-ups:
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
With the latest 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 | Nick Daicos (COLL, MID) | $17,080 | 116.2 | 6.8 |
| Value | Luke Pedlar (ADEL, FWD) | $6,290 | 53.9 | 8.6 |
| Fade | Josh Worrell (ADEL, DEF) | $12,800 | 75 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Roan Steele (COLL, MID) | $6,000 | 49.1 | 8.2 |
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 | Dayne Zorko (BL) | $16,330 | 108.3 | 6.6 |
| Value | Callum Mills (SYD) | $11,750 | 91.9 | 7.8 |
| Fade | Josh Worrell (ADEL) | $12,800 | 75 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Dane Rampe (SYD) | $6,530 | 50.5 | 7.7 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nick Daicos (COLL) | $17,080 | 116.2 | 6.8 |
| Value | Roan Steele (COLL) | $6,000 | 49.1 | 8.2 |
| Fade | Josh Rachele (ADEL) | $11,150 | 68.3 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Edward Allan (COLL) | $6,880 | 56.1 | 8.1 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Chad Warner (SYD) | $13,040 | 91.1 | 7 |
| Value | Luke Pedlar (ADEL) | $6,290 | 53.9 | 8.6 |
| Fade | Riley Thilthorpe (ADEL) | $12,650 | 75.9 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Tom Papley (SYD) | $7,840 | 62.6 | 8 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Brodie Grundy (SYD) | $16,220 | 113.4 | 7 |
| Value | Sam Draper (BL) | $10,120 | 79 | 7.8 |
| Fade | Riley Thilthorpe (ADEL) | $12,650 | 75.9 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Toby Murray (ADEL) | $6,000 | 47 | 7.8 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Saturday Late Round 1 teams, consider starting with a value player like Luke Pedlar. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nick Daicos 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 Roan Steele.
On the other hand, according to our model, Josh Worrell is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Saturday Late slate closes at 7:11pm AEDT 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 Late Round 1 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 Late 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.
