NRL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 9, 2026
Last updated: Apr 30, 2026, 11:22AM | Published: Apr 29, 2026, 9:43AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Saturday Round 9 DFS contest commences at 3:00pm AEST on May 2, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential 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 9.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Saturday slate includes these match-ups:
- Gold Coast Titans vs Canberra Raiders
- Sydney Roosters vs Brisbane Broncos
- Parramatta Eels 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 make some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
With the latest 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 | Jayden Campbell (GOL, FLEX/HH) | $22,470 | 74.3 | 3.3 |
| Value | Jayden Brailey (CAN, FLEX/HH) | $8,000 | 40.1 | 5 |
| Fade | Luke Metcalf (WAR, FLEX/HH) | $17,380 | 5.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Ata Mariota (CAN, FLEX/FWD) | $8,010 | 36.6 | 4.6 |
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 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 | James Tedesco (SYD) | $18,570 | 58.4 | 3.1 |
| Value | Keano Kini (GOL) | $11,190 | 50.6 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Reece Walsh (BRI) | $22,080 | 57.1 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (WAR) | $9,930 | 42.4 | 4.3 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayden Campbell (GOL) | $22,470 | 74.3 | 3.3 |
| Value | Jayden Brailey (CAN) | $8,000 | 40.1 | 5 |
| Fade | Luke Metcalf (WAR) | $17,380 | 5.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Ryley Smith (PAR) | $9,780 | 34.2 | 3.5 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jackson Ford (WAR) | $20,470 | 61.2 | 3 |
| Value | Ata Mariota (CAN) | $8,010 | 36.6 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Kelma Tuilagi (PAR) | $13,840 | 8.3 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Luca Moretti (PAR) | $9,690 | 42.5 | 4.4 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Saturday Round 9 teams, consider starting with a value player like Jayden Brailey. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jayden Campbell 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 Ata Mariota.
On the other hand, according to our model, Luke Metcalf is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together 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 9 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.
