NRL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 22, 2025
Last updated: Jul 31, 2025, 9:24AM | Published: Jul 30, 2025, 9:24AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Round 22 DFS contest begins at 7:50pm AEST on July 31, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy 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 enhance your Supercoach team for Round 22.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate includes the following games:
- Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys
- Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles vs Sydney Roosters
- Gold Coast Titans vs Penrith Panthers
- St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Canberra Raiders
- Brisbane Broncos vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
- Parramatta Eels vs Melbourne Storm
- New Zealand Warriors vs Dolphins
- Wests Tigers vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $23,210 | 78.3 | 3.4 |
| Value | Siosifa Talakai (CRO, FLEX/OB) | $9,090 | 42.1 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Brad Schneider (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $10,530 | 8.1 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Corey Waddell (MAN, FLEX/FWD) | $9,740 | 43.4 | 4.5 |
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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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 | Herbie Farnworth (DOL) | $20,090 | 67.4 | 3.4 |
| Value | Siosifa Talakai (CRO) | $9,090 | 42.1 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Simi Sasagi (CAN) | $10,850 | 21.9 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Joash Papalii (PAR) | $8,000 | 35.7 | 4.5 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN) | $23,210 | 78.3 | 3.4 |
| Value | Ben Hunt (BRI) | $8,880 | 38.6 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Brad Schneider (PEN) | $10,530 | 8.1 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Samuel Healey (WAR) | $8,080 | 34.5 | 4.3 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Terrell May (WST) | $21,410 | 70.1 | 3.3 |
| Value | Corey Waddell (MAN) | $9,740 | 43.4 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Billy Burns (CRO) | $10,310 | 12.8 | 1.2 |
| Cheapie | Egan Butcher (SYD) | $8,720 | 38.4 | 4.4 |
Conclusion
In NRL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Round 22 teams, consider starting with a value player like Siosifa Talakai. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nathan Cleary 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 Corey Waddell.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brad Schneider is one of the worst 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 22 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.
