NRL Storm vs Bulldogs Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2025
Last updated: Sep 12, 2025, 9:23AM | Published: Sep 10, 2025, 9:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Storm vs Bulldogs Finals Week 1, 2025 DFS contest starts at 7:50pm AEST on September 12, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player in the game to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate 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.
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 players from each team in the Melbourne Storm vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs match-up to help you make the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob Preston (BUL, FWD/FLEX) | $18,750 | 56.3 | 3 |
| Value | Jonah Pezet (MEL, HH/FLEX) | $8,000 | 35.2 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Toby Sexton (BUL, FLEX/HH) | $13,300 | 14.9 | 1.1 |
| Cheapie | Joe Chan (MEL, FLEX/OB) | $8,000 | 30.7 | 3.8 |
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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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 | Jacob Kiraz (BUL) | $13,490 | 44.2 | 3.3 |
| Value | Joe Chan (MEL) | $8,000 | 30.7 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Enari Tuala (BUL) | $12,830 | 30.9 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Grant Anderson (MEL) | $8,820 | 29.3 | 3.3 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Harry Grant (MEL) | $15,860 | 52.4 | 3.3 |
| Value | Jonah Pezet (MEL) | $8,000 | 35.2 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Toby Sexton (BUL) | $13,300 | 14.9 | 1.1 |
| Cheapie | Bailey Hayward (BUL) | $9,290 | 34.3 | 3.7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob Preston (BUL) | $18,750 | 56.3 | 3 |
| Value | Trent Loiero (MEL) | $14,060 | 48.5 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Sitili Tupouniua (BUL) | $11,000 | 27.3 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Kurt Mann (BUL) | $8,700 | 29.9 | 3.4 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Storm vs Bulldogs Finals Week 1, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Jonah Pezet. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jacob Preston is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Joe Chan.
On the other hand, according to our model, Toby Sexton is one of the lowest value options in this game, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NRL Storm vs Bulldogs slate closes at 7:50pm AEST on Friday. 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 Storm vs Bulldogs Finals Week 1 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 Storm vs Bulldogs 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.
