NRL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 18, 2025
Last updated: Jul 5, 2025, 7:22AM | Published: Jul 2, 2025, 9:22AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Saturday Round 18 DFS contest starts at 5:30pm AEST on July 5, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 18.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Saturday slate consists of the following match-ups:
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 best 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 Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jahrome Hughes (MEL, HH/FLEX) | $19,170 | 70.8 | 3.7 |
| Value | Kai O'Donnell (NQL, FLEX/FWD) | $8,000 | 36.8 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Trey Mooney (CAN, FLEX/FWD) | $13,240 | 26.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Tyran Wishart (MEL, FLEX/HH) | $8,020 | 36.3 | 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'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 | Scott Drinkwater (NQL) | $14,770 | 45.7 | 3.1 |
| Value | Nick Meaney (MEL) | $9,560 | 43.3 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Braidon Burns (NQL) | $12,140 | 31.2 | 2.6 |
| 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 | 70.8 | 3.7 |
| Value | Tyran Wishart (MEL) | $8,020 | 36.3 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Kyle Flanagan (STG) | $16,130 | 37.8 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Thomas Duffy (NQL) | $8,000 | 36 | 4.5 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Eliesa Katoa (MEL) | $16,760 | 56.4 | 3.4 |
| Value | Kai O'Donnell (NQL) | $8,000 | 36.8 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Trey Mooney (CAN) | $13,240 | 26.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Tui Kamikamica (MEL) | $8,000 | 35.6 | 4.5 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Saturday Round 18 teams, consider starting with a value player like Kai O'Donnell. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jahrome Hughes is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Tyran Wishart.
On the other hand, according to our model, Trey Mooney 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 Saturday slate closes at 5:30pm 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 Saturday Round 18 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 Saturday 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.
