NRL Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 26, 2025
Last updated: Aug 28, 2025, 3:22AM | Published: Aug 27, 2025, 9:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Friday Round 26 DFS contest starts at 6:00pm AEST on August 29, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 26.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Friday slate features these matches:
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 NRL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NRL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best picks on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Erin Clark (WAR, FLEX/FWD) | $17,030 | 57 | 3.3 |
| Value | Alec MacDonald (MEL, FWD/FLEX) | $8,000 | 40.7 | 5.1 |
| Fade | Leka Halasima (WAR, FWD/FLEX) | $10,490 | 26.6 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Marion Seve (MEL, OB/FLEX) | $8,000 | 34.2 | 4.3 |
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 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
OB (Outside Back)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | James Tedesco (SYD) | $16,730 | 52 | 3.1 |
| Value | Marion Seve (MEL) | $8,000 | 34.2 | 4.3 |
| Fade | Ryan Papenhuyzen (MEL) | $13,500 | 37.4 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Rocco Berry (WAR) | $8,000 | 33.3 | 4.2 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tanah Boyd (WAR) | $14,760 | 51.9 | 3.5 |
| Value | Bronson Garlick (MEL) | $9,380 | 35.7 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Cameron Munster (MEL) | $17,880 | 49.2 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Joash Papalii (PAR) | $8,000 | 24.2 | 3 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Erin Clark (WAR) | $17,030 | 57 | 3.3 |
| Value | Alec MacDonald (MEL) | $8,000 | 40.7 | 5.1 |
| Fade | Leka Halasima (WAR) | $10,490 | 26.6 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Joe Chan (MEL) | $8,460 | 33.9 | 4 |
Conclusion
When building your NRL Friday Round 26 teams, consider starting with a value player like Alec MacDonald. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Erin Clark is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Marion Seve.
On the other hand, according to our model, Leka Halasima is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NRL Friday slate closes at 6:00pm AEST on Friday. ENTER NOW!
As with all NRL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven NRL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the NRL Friday Round 26 slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your NRL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NRL Friday 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.
