Draftstars Australia’s AFL Semi-Finals, 2025 DFS contest starts at 7:40pm AEST on September 12, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.

An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars’ AFL contests.

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Draftstars’ AFL Full Round slate features these match-ups:

Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the most accurate DFS projections available.

With the latest AFL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you’re set to win in more AFL fantasy contests.

 

Cheat Sheet and Projections

We’ve reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Friday’s slate.

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Josh Dunkley (BL, MID)
$17,560
112.7
6.4

Value
Henry Hustwaite (HAW, MID)
$6,160
70.1
11.4

Fade
Jarman Impey (HAW, DEF)
$14,490
86.4
6

Cheapie
Deven Robertson (BL, FWD)
$6,000
64
10.7

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’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
DEF (Defender)

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Dayne Zorko (BL)
$15,330
95.2
6.2

Value
Jai Serong (HAW)
$6,000
58.8
9.8

Fade
Jarman Impey (HAW)
$14,490
86.4
6

Cheapie
Oscar Ryan (ADEL)
$6,000
57.7
9.6

MID (Midfielder)

Selection
Salary
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Josh Dunkley (BL)
$17,560
112.7
6.4

Value
Henry Hustwaite (HAW)
$6,160
70.1
11.4

Fade
Jai Newcombe (HAW)
$14,120
84.4
6

Cheapie
Luke Beecken (BL)
$6,000
57.2
9.5

FWD (Forward)

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Riley Thilthorpe (ADEL)
$12,970
86.2
6.6

Value
Deven Robertson (BL)
$6,000
64
10.7

Fade
Ben Keays (ADEL)
$11,340
69.6
6.1

Cheapie
Max Ramsden (HAW)
$6,110
56.5
9.3

RK (Ruckman)

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Lloyd Meek (HAW)
$14,970
97.6
6.5

Value
Max Ramsden (HAW)
$6,110
56.5
9.3

Fade
Reilly O’Brien (ADEL)
$13,930
88
6.3

Cheapie
Henry Smith (BL)
$6,000
54.2
9

Please note that we will update our AFL Draftstars tips as soon as teams are officially announced.

Conclusion

In AFL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Semi-Finals, 2025 teams, consider starting with a value player like Henry Hustwaite. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Josh Dunkley 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 Deven Robertson.

On the other hand, according to our model, Jarman Impey 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’ AFL Full Round slate closes at 7:40pm AEST on Friday. ENTER NOW!

As with all AFL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider’s data-driven AFL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the AFL Semi-Finals slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your AFL DFS line-ups.

For the latest projections and optimised AFL Full Round 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.