NRL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 18, 2025
Last updated: Jul 4, 2025, 9:41AM | Published: Jul 2, 2025, 9:22AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Round 18 DFS contest commences at 8:00pm AEST on July 4, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 18.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate includes the following match-ups:
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Brisbane Broncos
- Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
- North Queensland Cowboys vs Melbourne Storm
- Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers
- Canberra Raiders vs St. George Illawarra Dragons
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 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Terrell May (WST, FLEX/FWD) | $22,140 | 71.9 | 3.2 |
| Value | Tyran Wishart (MEL, HH/FLEX) | $8,020 | 49.1 | 6.1 |
| Fade | Trey Mooney (CAN, FLEX/FWD) | $13,240 | 26.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Tyson Smoothy (BRI, FLEX/HH) | $8,000 | 42.2 | 5.3 |
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'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
OB (Outside Back)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | James Tedesco (SYD) | $17,900 | 61.7 | 3.4 |
| Value | Lehi Hopoate (MAN) | $10,080 | 44.5 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Charlie Staines (WST) | $11,270 | 24.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Joe Chan (MEL) | $8,000 | 34.4 | 4.3 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jahrome Hughes (MEL) | $19,170 | 66.8 | 3.5 |
| Value | Tyran Wishart (MEL) | $8,020 | 49.1 | 6.1 |
| Fade | Peter Mamouzelos (SOU) | $12,670 | 29.1 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Tyson Smoothy (BRI) | $8,000 | 42.2 | 5.3 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Terrell May (WST) | $22,140 | 71.9 | 3.2 |
| Value | Xavier Willison (BRI) | $11,570 | 53.2 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Trey Mooney (CAN) | $13,240 | 26.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Kai O'Donnell (NQL) | $8,000 | 36.8 | 4.6 |
Conclusion
When building your NRL Round 18 teams, consider starting with a value player like Tyran Wishart. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Terrell May 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 Tyson Smoothy.
On the other hand, according to our model, Trey Mooney is one of the lowest 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 8:00pm 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 Round 18 contest. 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.
