AFL Demons vs Bombers Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 5, 2025
Apr 9, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Demons vs Bombers Round 5 DFS contest kicks off at 7:35pm AEST on April 12, 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 crucial for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 5.
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
With the best 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 players from each team in the Melbourne vs Essendon match-up to help you make the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS, MID) | $16,950 | 108.7 | 6.4 |
| Value | Harvey Langford (MELB, MID) | $6,000 | 60.1 | 10 |
| Fade | Clayton Oliver (MELB, MID) | $15,230 | 88.9 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Jack Henderson (MELB, FWD) | $6,000 | 56.7 | 9.5 |
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 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 | Christian Salem (MELB) | $12,730 | 87.7 | 6.9 |
| Value | Harrison Petty (MELB) | $6,000 | 56 | 9.3 |
| Fade | Archie Roberts (ESS) | $12,050 | 71.8 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Ben McKay (ESS) | $6,000 | 51.6 | 8.6 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS) | $16,950 | 108.7 | 6.4 |
| Value | Harvey Langford (MELB) | $6,000 | 60.1 | 10 |
| Fade | Clayton Oliver (MELB) | $15,230 | 88.9 | 5.8 |
| Cheapie | Xavier Lindsay (MELB) | $8,160 | 64.2 | 7.9 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nic Martin (ESS) | $14,700 | 97.6 | 6.6 |
| Value | Jack Henderson (MELB) | $6,000 | 56.7 | 9.5 |
| Fade | Christian Petracca (MELB) | $14,460 | 89.7 | 6.2 |
| Cheapie | Isaac Kako (ESS) | $6,000 | 52 | 8.7 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Gawn (MELB) | $15,280 | 100.7 | 6.6 |
| Value | Sam Draper (ESS) | $10,060 | 73.8 | 7.3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Demons vs Bombers Round 5 teams, consider starting with a value player like Harvey Langford. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Zach Merrett 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 Jack Henderson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Clayton Oliver is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Demons vs Bombers slate closes at 7:35pm AEST on Saturday. 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 Demons vs Bombers Round 5 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 Demons vs Bombers 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 Melbourne vs Essendon 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.
