NRL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 27, 2025
Last updated: Sep 6, 2025, 4:22AM | Published: Sep 3, 2025, 9:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Saturday Round 27 DFS contest starts at 3:00pm AEST on September 6, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers 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 put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 27.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Saturday slate consists of the following matches:
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
- St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Penrith Panthers
- Gold Coast Titans vs Wests Tigers
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 choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $22,910 | 76.5 | 3.3 |
| Value | Keano Kini (GOL, OB/FLEX) | $8,000 | 45.4 | 5.7 |
| Fade | Daine Laurie (PEN, FLEX/OB) | $10,990 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Daniel Atkinson (CRO, FLEX/HH) | $8,000 | 42.5 | 5.3 |
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 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 | Dylan Edwards (PEN) | $15,290 | 57 | 3.7 |
| Value | Keano Kini (GOL) | $8,000 | 45.4 | 5.7 |
| Fade | Daine Laurie (PEN) | $10,990 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Heamasi Makasini (WST) | $8,000 | 31.8 | 4 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN) | $22,910 | 76.5 | 3.3 |
| Value | Daniel Atkinson (CRO) | $8,000 | 42.5 | 5.3 |
| Fade | Lyhkan King-Togia (STG) | $12,820 | 37.3 | 2.9 |
| Cheapie | Latu Fainu (WST) | $8,560 | 36 | 4.2 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Terrell May (WST) | $21,550 | 69.1 | 3.2 |
| Value | Toby Rudolf (CRO) | $8,980 | 37.4 | 4.2 |
| Fade | Isaiah Papali'i (PEN) | $15,070 | 36.8 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Billy Burns (CRO) | $9,620 | 39.7 | 4.1 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Saturday Round 27 teams, consider starting with a value player like Keano Kini. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Daniel Atkinson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Daine Laurie 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 27 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.
