NRL Storm vs Sharks Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Preliminary Finals, 2025
Last updated: Sep 26, 2025, 12:22AM | Published: Sep 24, 2025, 9:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Storm vs Sharks Preliminary Finals, 2025 DFS contest kicks off at 7:50pm AEST on September 26, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player in the game to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble 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 produce 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 have reviewed players from each team in the Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks match-up to help you find the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Harry Grant (MEL, HH/FLEX) | $15,520 | 56.2 | 3.6 |
| Value | Ativalu Lisati (MEL, FLEX/FWD) | $8,850 | 33.7 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Briton Nikora (CRO, FWD/FLEX) | $11,810 | 18.7 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Xavier Coates (MEL, OB/FLEX) | $9,630 | 35.4 | 3.7 |
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 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 | KL Iro (CRO) | $14,400 | 45.8 | 3.2 |
| Value | Xavier Coates (MEL) | $9,630 | 35.4 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Sione Katoa (CRO) | $12,110 | 36.4 | 3 |
| Cheapie | William Kennedy (CRO) | $8,480 | 29.5 | 3.5 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Harry Grant (MEL) | $15,520 | 56.2 | 3.6 |
| Value | Harry Grant (MEL) | $15,520 | 56.2 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Tyran Wishart (MEL) | $10,700 | 17 | 1.6 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Eliesa Katoa (MEL) | $18,830 | 55 | 2.9 |
| Value | Ativalu Lisati (MEL) | $8,850 | 33.7 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Briton Nikora (CRO) | $11,810 | 18.7 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Braden Hamlin-Uele (CRO) | $8,000 | 24.3 | 3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Storm vs Sharks Preliminary Finals, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Ativalu Lisati. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Harry Grant 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 Xavier Coates.
On the other hand, according to our model, Briton Nikora 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 Storm vs Sharks 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 Sharks Preliminary Finals slate. 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 Sharks 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.
