NRL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 21, 2025
Last updated: Jul 26, 2025, 4:22AM | Published: Jul 23, 2025, 9:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Saturday Round 21 DFS contest starts at 3:00pm AEST on July 26, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you create 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 enhance your Supercoach team for Round 21.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Saturday slate features the following match-ups:
- Penrith Panthers vs Wests Tigers
- New Zealand Warriors vs Gold Coast Titans
- South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
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 strongest 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $22,610 | 83.8 | 3.7 |
| Value | Klese Haas (GOL, FWD/FLEX) | $8,400 | 43 | 5.1 |
| Fade | Brad Schneider (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $11,030 | 11 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Alick-Wiencke (GOL, OB/FLEX) | $8,000 | 39.8 | 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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | Dylan Edwards (PEN) | $18,590 | 55.2 | 3 |
| Value | Jacob Alick-Wiencke (GOL) | $8,000 | 39.8 | 5 |
| Fade | Tallis Duncan (SOU) | $16,500 | 39.1 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Siosifa Talakai (CRO) | $9,090 | 42.8 | 4.7 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN) | $22,610 | 83.8 | 3.7 |
| Value | Lewis Dodd (SOU) | $8,000 | 36.8 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Brad Schneider (PEN) | $11,030 | 11 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Siliva Havili (SOU) | $8,280 | 32.3 | 3.9 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Terrell May (WST) | $21,610 | 70.7 | 3.3 |
| Value | Klese Haas (GOL) | $8,400 | 43 | 5.1 |
| Fade | Jacob Host (SOU) | $10,370 | 17.7 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Billy Burns (CRO) | $9,100 | 43.8 | 4.8 |
Conclusion
When building your NRL Saturday Round 21 teams, consider starting with a value player like Klese Haas. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nathan Cleary is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Jacob Alick-Wiencke.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brad Schneider is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building 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 21 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 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.
