NFL Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 22, 2025
Last updated: Dec 18, 2025, 1:07PM | Published: Dec 18, 2025, 1:07AM
Draftstars Australia's NFL Monday DFS contest begins at 5:00am AEDT on December 22, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NFL contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on December 22 and beyond.
Featured NFL Games
Draftstars' NFL Monday slate features the following match-ups:
- Detroit Lions vs Pittsburgh Steelers
- Arizona Cardinals vs Atlanta Falcons
- Denver Broncos vs Jacksonville Jaguars
- Houston Texans vs Las Vegas Raiders
- Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Chargers
- New York Giants vs Minnesota Vikings
- New Orleans Saints vs New York Jets
- Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cleveland Browns vs Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Tennessee Titans vs Kansas City Chiefs
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
With the latest NFL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NFL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Allen (BUF, QB) | $18,330 | 23 | 1.3 |
| Value | Troy Franklin (DEN, FLEX/WR) | $6,000 | 9.4 | 1.6 |
| Fade | Audric Estime (NO, FLEX/RB) | $10,320 | 8.7 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Emeka Egbuka (TB, WR/FLEX) | $8,530 | 11.7 | 1.4 |
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 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
QB (Quarterback)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Allen (BUF) | $18,330 | 23 | 1.3 |
| Value | J.J. McCarthy (MIN) | $12,140 | 18 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Joe Burrow (CIN) | $16,180 | 17.7 | 1.1 |
| Cheapie | Cam Ward (TEN) | $9,840 | 11.6 | 1.2 |
WR (Wide Receiver)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET) | $18,190 | 20.6 | 1.1 |
| Value | Troy Franklin (DEN) | $6,000 | 9.4 | 1.6 |
| Fade | Jalen Coker (CAR) | $10,190 | 9.3 | 0.9 |
| Cheapie | Emeka Egbuka (TB) | $8,530 | 11.7 | 1.4 |
TE (Tight End)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Trey McBride (ARI) | $16,250 | 18.4 | 1.1 |
| Value | Dalton Schultz (HOU) | $7,540 | 10.3 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Brock Bowers (LV) | $11,220 | 12.4 | 1.1 |
| Cheapie | Mike Gesicki (CIN) | $5,670 | 7.4 | 1.3 |
RB (Running Back)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | De'Von Achane (MIA) | $17,820 | 22.5 | 1.3 |
| Value | Chase Brown (CIN) | $12,680 | 16.3 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Audric Estime (NO) | $10,320 | 8.7 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Kareem Hunt (KC) | $8,350 | 9.8 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NFL Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Troy Franklin. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Josh Allen 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 Emeka Egbuka.
On the other hand, according to our model, Audric Estime 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' NFL Monday slate closes at 5:00am AEDT on Monday. ENTER NOW!
As with all NFL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven NFL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the NFL Monday slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your NFL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NFL Monday 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.
