Draftstars Australia’s NRL Cowboys vs Broncos Round 26 DFS contest begins at 7:35pm AEST on August 30, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player in the game to help you make winning line-ups.

An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 26.

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 strongest DFS projections in the world.

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 have reviewed players from each team in the North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos match-up to help you find the best selections on Saturday’s slate.

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Payne Haas (BRI, FLEX/FWD)
$23,610
74.8
3.2

Value
Billy Walters (BRI, FLEX/HH)
$9,030
35.3
3.9

Fade
Braidon Burns (NQL, FLEX/OB)
$16,530
38.6
2.3

Cheapie
Jaiyden Hunt (BRI, FLEX/FWD)
$8,000
30.8
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 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
Scott Drinkwater (NQL)
$17,480
51.2
2.9

Value
Deine Mariner (BRI)
$11,600
39.2
3.4

Fade
Braidon Burns (NQL)
$16,530
38.6
2.3

Cheapie
Zac Laybutt (NQL)
$8,270
11.3
1.4

HH (Half/Hooker)

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Tom Dearden (NQL)
$15,520
48.6
3.1

Value
Billy Walters (BRI)
$9,030
35.3
3.9

Fade
Reece Robson (NQL)
$13,640
43.5
3.2

Cheapie
Cory Paix (BRI)
$9,840
32.5
3.3

FWD (Forward)

Selection
Player
Salary
Proj. Pts
Pts/$1K

Stud
Payne Haas (BRI)
$23,610
74.8
3.2

Value
Jaiyden Hunt (BRI)
$8,000
30.8
3.8

Fade
Harrison Edwards (NQL)
$11,710
30.4
2.6

Cheapie
Corey Jensen (BRI)
$9,540
35.6
3.7

Conclusion

When building your NRL Cowboys vs Broncos Round 26 teams, consider starting with a value player like Billy Walters. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Payne Haas is a strong option. If you’re looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Jaiyden Hunt.

On the other hand, according to our model, Braidon Burns is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.

Ready to go? Draftstars’ NRL Cowboys vs Broncos slate closes at 7:35pm 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 Cowboys vs Broncos Round 26 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 Cowboys vs Broncos line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It’s free to use when you’re logged in.

For more on this game, dive into our full North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos prediction, where you will find the latest odds and tips for the main betting markets.

 

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.