NRL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2025
Last updated: Sep 12, 2025, 9:22AM | Published: Sep 10, 2025, 9:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Finals Week 1, 2025 DFS contest commences at 7:50pm AEST on September 12, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate consists of these games:
- Melbourne Storm vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
- New Zealand Warriors vs Penrith Panthers
- Canberra Raiders vs Brisbane Broncos
- Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs Sydney Roosters
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
With the latest NRL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NRL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $25,060 | 79.7 | 3.2 |
| Value | Jonah Pezet (MEL, HH/FLEX) | $8,000 | 35.2 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Toby Sexton (BUL, HH/FLEX) | $13,300 | 14.9 | 1.1 |
| Cheapie | Luke Sommerton (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $8,000 | 32.6 | 4.1 |
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 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
OB (Outside Back)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | James Tedesco (SYD) | $16,020 | 51.5 | 3.2 |
| Value | Savelio Tamale (CAN) | $9,140 | 36.6 | 4 |
| Fade | Reece Walsh (BRI) | $21,050 | 48 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Joe Chan (MEL) | $8,000 | 30.7 | 3.8 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN) | $25,060 | 79.7 | 3.2 |
| Value | Jonah Pezet (MEL) | $8,000 | 35.2 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Toby Sexton (BUL) | $13,300 | 14.9 | 1.1 |
| Cheapie | Luke Sommerton (PEN) | $8,000 | 32.6 | 4.1 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Payne Haas (BRI) | $22,920 | 78.5 | 3.4 |
| Value | Isaah Yeo (PEN) | $16,990 | 65.9 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Luke Garner (PEN) | $13,040 | 24.5 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Spencer Leniu (SYD) | $9,200 | 34.6 | 3.8 |
Conclusion
In NRL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Finals Week 1, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Jonah Pezet. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nathan Cleary is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Luke Sommerton.
On the other hand, according to our model, Toby Sexton is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate closes at 7:50pm 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 Finals Week 1 slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your NRL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NRL Full Round 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.
