NRL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 20, 2025
Last updated: Jul 17, 2025, 8:23AM | Published: Jul 16, 2025, 9:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Round 20 DFS contest commences at 7:50pm AEST on July 17, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers 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 put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 20.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate features the following match-ups:
- Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs Sydney Roosters
- Melbourne Storm vs Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
- Dolphins vs North Queensland Cowboys
- Wests Tigers vs Gold Coast Titans
- Newcastle Knights vs New Zealand Warriors
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs St. George Illawarra Dragons
- Canberra Raiders vs Parramatta Eels
- Penrith Panthers vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
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 find the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Herbie Farnworth (DOL, FLEX/OB) | $20,830 | 71.9 | 3.5 |
| Value | Jeral Skelton (WST, FLEX/OB) | $8,320 | 43.4 | 5.2 |
| Fade | Alofiana Khan-Pereira (GOL, FLEX/OB) | $11,120 | 7.2 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Connelly Lemuelu (DOL, FWD/FLEX) | $9,000 | 43.6 | 4.8 |
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 | Herbie Farnworth (DOL) | $20,830 | 71.9 | 3.5 |
| Value | Jeral Skelton (WST) | $8,320 | 43.4 | 5.2 |
| Fade | Alofiana Khan-Pereira (GOL) | $11,120 | 7.2 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Taylan May (WST) | $8,000 | 35.3 | 4.4 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Isaiya Katoa (DOL) | $19,100 | 68.9 | 3.6 |
| Value | Brad Schneider (PEN) | $10,400 | 49.2 | 4.7 |
| Fade | Tyson Gamble (NEW) | $12,380 | 10.8 | 0.9 |
| Cheapie | Joash Papalii (PAR) | $8,000 | 29.6 | 3.7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Terrell May (WST) | $21,470 | 68.9 | 3.2 |
| Value | Connelly Lemuelu (DOL) | $9,000 | 43.6 | 4.8 |
| Fade | Michael Molo (STG) | $13,420 | 25.6 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Oryn Keeley (DOL) | $8,390 | 37.8 | 4.5 |
Conclusion
In NRL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Round 20 teams, consider starting with a value player like Jeral Skelton. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Herbie Farnworth 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 Connelly Lemuelu.
On the other hand, according to our model, Alofiana Khan-Pereira is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate closes at 7:50pm AEST on Thursday. 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 20 contest. The unique insights here can give you an edge 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.
