AFL Suns vs Magpies Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 18, 2025
Last updated: Jul 11, 2025, 9:32AM | Published: Jul 9, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Suns vs Magpies Round 18 DFS contest starts at 7:40pm AEST on July 11, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player in the game to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 18.
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 strongest DFS projections in the world.
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've reviewed players from each team in the Gold Coast SUNS vs Collingwood match-up to help you make the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nick Daicos (COLL, MID) | $16,650 | 105.4 | 6.3 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC, RK/FWD) | $6,000 | 54.7 | 9.1 |
| Fade | Brayden Fiorini (GC, MID) | $12,200 | 72 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Jed Walter (GC, FWD) | $6,000 | 50.1 | 8.4 |
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'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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | Josh Daicos (COLL) | $14,690 | 93.5 | 6.4 |
| Value | Isaac Quaynor (COLL) | $8,790 | 65.6 | 7.5 |
| Fade | John Noble (GC) | $13,930 | 84.5 | 6.1 |
| Cheapie | Mac Andrew (GC) | $7,130 | 52.1 | 7.3 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nick Daicos (COLL) | $16,650 | 105.4 | 6.3 |
| Value | Will Hoskin-Elliott (COLL) | $7,320 | 55.6 | 7.6 |
| Fade | Brayden Fiorini (GC) | $12,200 | 72 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Connor Budarick (GC) | $6,900 | 51 | 7.4 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sam Flanders (GC) | $12,510 | 76.8 | 6.1 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 54.7 | 9.1 |
| Fade | Bailey Humphrey (GC) | $10,820 | 67 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Jed Walter (GC) | $6,000 | 50.1 | 8.4 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Darcy Cameron (COLL) | $15,000 | 98.4 | 6.6 |
| Value | Ethan Read (GC) | $6,000 | 54.7 | 9.1 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Suns vs Magpies Round 18 teams, consider starting with a value player like Ethan Read. 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 Jed Walter.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brayden Fiorini 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 Suns vs Magpies slate closes at 7:40pm AEST on Friday. 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 Suns vs Magpies Round 18 slate. 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 Suns vs Magpies line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
For more on this game, dive into our full Gold Coast SUNS vs Collingwood prediction, where you will find the latest odds and tips for the main betting markets.
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.
