NRL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Semi-Finals, 2025
Last updated: Sep 18, 2025, 12:23AM | Published: Sep 17, 2025, 8:23PM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Semi-Finals, 2025 DFS contest starts at 7:50pm AEST on September 20, 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 essential for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate includes the following matches:
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 choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $24,220 | 78.6 | 3.2 |
| Value | Bailey Hayward (BUL, FLEX/HH) | $8,240 | 33.3 | 4 |
| Fade | Luke Garner (PEN, FLEX/FWD) | $11,840 | 16 | 1.3 |
| Cheapie | Kurt Mann (BUL, FLEX/FWD) | $8,300 | 32.2 | 3.9 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks provide 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 | KL Iro (CRO) | $13,170 | 44.6 | 3.4 |
| Value | Matthew Timoko (CAN) | $11,150 | 42 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Matt Burton (BUL) | $17,220 | 40.6 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Sebastian Kris (CAN) | $8,440 | 31.7 | 3.8 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN) | $24,220 | 78.6 | 3.2 |
| Value | Bailey Hayward (BUL) | $8,240 | 33.3 | 4 |
| Fade | Reed Mahoney (BUL) | $10,510 | 15.6 | 1.5 |
| Cheapie | Luke Sommerton (PEN) | $8,000 | 28.3 | 3.5 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Isaah Yeo (PEN) | $18,320 | 61.8 | 3.4 |
| Value | Toby Rudolf (CRO) | $10,550 | 42 | 4 |
| Fade | Luke Garner (PEN) | $11,840 | 16 | 1.3 |
| Cheapie | Kurt Mann (BUL) | $8,300 | 32.2 | 3.9 |
Conclusion
In NRL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Semi-Finals, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Bailey Hayward. 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 Kurt Mann.
On the other hand, according to our model, Luke Garner is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate closes at 7:50pm AEST on Saturday. 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 Semi-Finals 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.
