NRL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 21, 2026
Last updated: Jul 23, 2026, 4:36PM | Published: Jul 22, 2026, 9:32AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Saturday Round 21 DFS contest commences at 3:00pm AEST on July 25, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 21.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Saturday slate features the following games:
- North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos
- Canberra Raiders vs Wests Tigers
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs New Zealand Warriors
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 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 find the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Terrell May (WST, FLEX/FWD) | $19,930 | 66.9 | 3.4 |
| Value | Ethan Roberts (WST, FWD/FLEX) | $8,000 | 35.9 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Matty Nicholson (CAN, FWD/FLEX) | $12,110 | 3.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Gehamat Shibasaki (BRI, FLEX/OB) | $8,000 | 35.2 | 4.4 |
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 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 | Reece Walsh (BRI) | $15,870 | 62.4 | 3.9 |
| Value | Gehamat Shibasaki (BRI) | $8,000 | 35.2 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Matt Burton (BUL) | $15,110 | 35.9 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Deine Mariner (BRI) | $9,500 | 40.1 | 4.2 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tom Dearden (NQL) | $17,810 | 59.6 | 3.3 |
| Value | Ezra Mam (BRI) | $8,270 | 35.5 | 4.3 |
| Fade | Billy Walters (BRI) | $10,480 | 9.9 | 0.9 |
| Cheapie | Tom Starling (CAN) | $9,690 | 40.4 | 4.2 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Terrell May (WST) | $19,930 | 66.9 | 3.4 |
| Value | Ethan Roberts (WST) | $8,000 | 35.9 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Matty Nicholson (CAN) | $12,110 | 3.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Morgan Smithies (CAN) | $9,640 | 39.2 | 4.1 |
Conclusion
When building your NRL Saturday Round 21 teams, consider starting with a value player like Ethan Roberts. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Terrell May 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 Gehamat Shibasaki.
On the other hand, according to our model, Matty Nicholson is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering 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 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.
