AFL Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 9, 2026
Last updated: May 10, 2026, 2:41AM | Published: May 6, 2026, 9:34AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Sunday Round 9 DFS contest starts at 1:10pm AEST on May 10, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential 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 9.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Sunday slate consists of the following 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 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 make the best choices on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB, RK) | $17,010 | 113.2 | 6.7 |
| Value | Bailey Laurie (MELB, FWD) | $6,040 | 53.5 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Milan Murdock (WCE, MID/FWD) | $11,800 | 65.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Toby Murray (ADEL, FWD/RK) | $6,550 | 50.2 | 7.7 |
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 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 | Jayden Short (RICH) | $14,250 | 94.6 | 6.6 |
| Value | Ben Miller (RICH) | $6,810 | 52.1 | 7.6 |
| Fade | Josh Lindsay (WCE) | $10,260 | 60.2 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Reuben Ginbey (WCE) | $7,030 | 52.7 | 7.5 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL) | $16,540 | 109.7 | 6.6 |
| Value | James Trezise (RICH) | $7,520 | 54.8 | 7.3 |
| Fade | Milan Murdock (WCE) | $11,800 | 65.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Windsor (MELB) | $9,760 | 68.5 | 7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kysaiah Pickett (MELB) | $15,920 | 100 | 6.3 |
| Value | Bailey Laurie (MELB) | $6,040 | 53.5 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Milan Murdock (WCE) | $11,800 | 65.1 | 5.5 |
| Cheapie | Toby Murray (ADEL) | $6,550 | 50.2 | 7.7 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $17,010 | 113.2 | 6.7 |
| Value | Toby Murray (ADEL) | $6,550 | 50.2 | 7.7 |
| Fade | Noah Balta (RICH) | $10,680 | 62.2 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Max Heath (MELB) | $7,600 | 56.8 | 7.5 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Sunday Round 9 teams, consider starting with a value player like Bailey Laurie. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Max Gawn is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Toby Murray.
On the other hand, according to our model, Milan Murdock 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 Sunday slate closes at 1:10pm 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 9 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.
