AFL Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 16, 2026
Last updated: Jun 27, 2026, 10:33AM | Published: Jun 24, 2026, 9:35AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Sunday Round 16 DFS contest kicks off at 3:15pm AEST on June 28, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential 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 16.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Sunday slate consists of these games:
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 strongest DFS projections in the world.
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 choices on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS, MID/DEF) | $17,450 | 114.3 | 6.5 |
| Value | Jarrod Witts (GC, RK) | $8,770 | 78.9 | 9 |
| Fade | Cooper Trembath (NMFC, FWD/RK) | $10,060 | 58.6 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Sean Darcy (FRE, RK) | $7,890 | 65.2 | 8.3 |
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'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 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 | Zach Merrett (ESS) | $17,450 | 114.3 | 6.5 |
| Value | Heath Chapman (FRE) | $8,080 | 64.2 | 7.9 |
| Fade | Mac Andrew (GC) | $11,520 | 71.9 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Josh Goater (NMFC) | $6,000 | 47.4 | 7.9 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS) | $17,450 | 114.3 | 6.5 |
| Value | Ben Jepson (GC) | $6,000 | 48.4 | 8.1 |
| Fade | Sam Durham (ESS) | $13,600 | 84.9 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Nick Holman (GC) | $6,000 | 45.7 | 7.6 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Touk Miller (GC) | $12,290 | 88.8 | 7.2 |
| Value | Harrison Jones (ESS) | $6,000 | 45.9 | 7.6 |
| Fade | Cooper Trembath (NMFC) | $10,060 | 58.6 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Nick Holman (GC) | $6,000 | 45.7 | 7.6 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luke Jackson (FRE) | $16,630 | 104.4 | 6.3 |
| Value | Jarrod Witts (GC) | $8,770 | 78.9 | 9 |
| Fade | Cooper Trembath (NMFC) | $10,060 | 58.6 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Sean Darcy (FRE) | $7,890 | 65.2 | 8.3 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Sunday Round 16 teams, consider starting with a value player like Jarrod Witts. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Zach Merrett 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 Sean Darcy.
On the other hand, according to our model, Cooper Trembath is one of the lowest 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 Sunday slate closes at 3:15pm AEST on Sunday. 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 Sunday Round 16 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 Sunday 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.
