Draftstars Australia’s NRL Round 21 DFS contest begins at 7:50pm AEST on July 24, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate 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 put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars’ NRL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 21.

Featured NRL Games

Draftstars’ NRL Full Round slate includes the following matches:

Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the most reliable 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 every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Thursday’s slate.

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Nathan Cleary (PEN, HH/FLEX)
$22,610
83.8
3.7

Value
Klese Haas (GOL, FWD/FLEX)
$8,400
43
5.1

Fade
Tyson Gamble (NEW, HH/FLEX)
$10,040
8
0.8

Cheapie
Billy Burns (CRO, FLEX/FWD)
$9,100
43.8
4.8

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 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
Scott Drinkwater (NQL)
$15,150
57.3
3.8

Value
Siosifa Talakai (CRO)
$9,090
42.8
4.7

Fade
Tallis Duncan (SOU)
$16,500
39.1
2.4

Cheapie
Kurt Capewell (WAR)
$8,620
38.5
4.5

HH (Half/Hooker)

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Nathan Cleary (PEN)
$22,610
83.8
3.7

Value
Lewis Dodd (SOU)
$8,000
36.8
4.6

Fade
Tyson Gamble (NEW)
$10,040
8
0.8

Cheapie
Thomas Duffy (NQL)
$9,040
36.1
4

FWD (Forward)

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Payne Haas (BRI)
$22,130
71.1
3.2

Value
Klese Haas (GOL)
$8,400
43
5.1

Fade
Jacob Host (SOU)
$10,370
17.7
1.7

Cheapie
Billy Burns (CRO)
$9,100
43.8
4.8

Conclusion

When building your NRL Round 21 teams, consider starting with a value player like Klese Haas. 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, explore our cheapie options, including Billy Burns.

On the other hand, according to our model, Tyson Gamble 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’ NRL Full Round slate closes at 7:50pm AEST on Thursday. 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 Round 21 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 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.