AFL Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 6, 2025
Apr 16, 2025, 9:32AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Friday Round 6 DFS contest begins at 3:20pm AEST on April 18, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 6.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Friday slate features these games:
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 best DFS projections in the world.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS, MID) | $17,640 | 111.3 | 6.3 |
| Value | Ben McKay (ESS, DEF) | $6,000 | 50.7 | 8.5 |
| Fade | Dylan Shiel (ESS, MID) | $14,680 | 79.1 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Tyrell Dewar (WCE, DEF) | $6,880 | 53.9 | 7.8 |
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'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 | Caleb Daniel (NMFC) | $14,060 | 96.9 | 6.9 |
| Value | Ben McKay (ESS) | $6,000 | 50.7 | 8.5 |
| Fade | Archie Roberts (ESS) | $13,600 | 76.2 | 5.6 |
| Cheapie | Tyrell Dewar (WCE) | $6,880 | 53.9 | 7.8 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS) | $17,640 | 111.3 | 6.3 |
| Value | Jack Hutchinson (WCE) | $6,620 | 51.3 | 7.8 |
| Fade | Dylan Shiel (ESS) | $14,680 | 79.1 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Saad El-Hawli (ESS) | $8,000 | 61.9 | 7.7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nic Martin (ESS) | $16,290 | 98.6 | 6.1 |
| Value | Archer Reid (WCE) | $6,000 | 46.6 | 7.8 |
| Fade | Charlie Curnow (CARL) | $12,390 | 67.2 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Will White (CARL) | $6,660 | 51.4 | 7.7 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tristan Xerri (NMFC) | $15,320 | 104.1 | 6.8 |
| Value | Archer Reid (WCE) | $6,000 | 46.6 | 7.8 |
| Fade | Sam Draper (ESS) | $13,120 | 77.2 | 5.9 |
| Cheapie | Lewis Young (CARL) | $8,070 | 57.6 | 7.1 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Friday Round 6 teams, consider starting with a value player like Ben McKay. 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, check out our cheapie options, including Tyrell Dewar.
On the other hand, according to our model, Dylan Shiel is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Friday slate closes at 3:20pm 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 Friday Round 6 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 Friday 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.
