NRL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 20, 2025
Last updated: Jul 17, 2025, 9:23AM | Published: Jul 16, 2025, 9:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Saturday Round 20 DFS contest begins at 3:00pm AEST on July 19, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 20.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Saturday slate features these games:
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs St. George Illawarra Dragons
- Canberra Raiders vs Parramatta Eels
- Melbourne Storm vs Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
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 picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jahrome Hughes (MEL, FLEX/HH) | $19,020 | 64.5 | 3.4 |
| Value | Lachlan Galvin (BUL, FLEX/HH) | $12,010 | 51.7 | 4.3 |
| Fade | Michael Molo (STG, FLEX/FWD) | $13,420 | 25.6 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Xavier Savage (CAN, FLEX/OB) | $8,170 | 31.5 | 3.9 |
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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | Jacob Kiraz (BUL) | $15,250 | 51.7 | 3.4 |
| Value | Xavier Savage (CAN) | $8,170 | 31.5 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Isaiah Iongi (PAR) | $12,220 | 32 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Lehi Hopoate (MAN) | $9,220 | 35.4 | 3.8 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jahrome Hughes (MEL) | $19,020 | 64.5 | 3.4 |
| Value | Lachlan Galvin (BUL) | $12,010 | 51.7 | 4.3 |
| Fade | Ryley Smith (PAR) | $12,460 | 27.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Joash Papalii (PAR) | $8,000 | 29.6 | 3.7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Hudson Young (CAN) | $17,080 | 60.7 | 3.6 |
| Value | Corey Waddell (MAN) | $10,160 | 41.8 | 4.1 |
| Fade | Michael Molo (STG) | $13,420 | 25.6 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Emre Guler (STG) | $9,960 | 36.1 | 3.6 |
Conclusion
When building your NRL Saturday Round 20 teams, consider starting with a value player like Lachlan Galvin. 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 Xavier Savage.
On the other hand, according to our model, Michael Molo is one of the lowest 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 3:00pm 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 20 contest. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
