AFL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 5, 2025
Apr 9, 2025, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Round 5 DFS contest starts at 7:40pm AEST on April 10, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 5.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate features these games:
- St Kilda vs GWS GIANTS
- North Melbourne vs Gold Coast SUNS
- Richmond vs Fremantle
- Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane Lions
- Adelaide Crows vs Geelong Cats
- Melbourne vs Essendon
- Collingwood vs Sydney Swans
- Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn
- Carlton vs West Coast Eagles
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL, MID) | $16,380 | 111.5 | 6.8 |
| Value | Henry Hustwaite (HAW, MID) | $6,000 | 65.8 | 11 |
| Fade | Ryan Maric (WCE, DEF) | $12,060 | 63.2 | 5.2 |
| Cheapie | James Aish (FRE, MID) | $6,590 | 68.7 | 10.4 |
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 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
DEF (Defender)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lachie Whitfield (GWS) | $17,560 | 111.4 | 6.3 |
| Value | Saad El-Hawli (ESS) | $6,000 | 60.7 | 10.1 |
| Fade | Ryan Maric (WCE) | $12,060 | 63.2 | 5.2 |
| Cheapie | Jai Serong (HAW) | $6,000 | 58.8 | 9.8 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jordan Dawson (ADEL) | $16,380 | 111.5 | 6.8 |
| Value | Henry Hustwaite (HAW) | $6,000 | 65.8 | 11 |
| Fade | Shai Bolton (FRE) | $11,940 | 63.8 | 5.3 |
| Cheapie | James Aish (FRE) | $6,590 | 68.7 | 10.4 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sam Flanders (GC) | $14,790 | 98.9 | 6.7 |
| Value | Will Lorenz (PORT) | $6,000 | 61.7 | 10.3 |
| Fade | Charlie Curnow (CARL) | $12,250 | 65 | 5.3 |
| Cheapie | Jack Henderson (MELB) | $6,000 | 56.7 | 9.5 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rowan Marshall (STK) | $17,090 | 111.3 | 6.5 |
| Value | Liam Reidy (FRE) | $6,140 | 59.2 | 9.6 |
| Fade | Ivan Soldo (PORT) | $10,870 | 62.1 | 5.7 |
| Cheapie | Samson Ryan (RICH) | $6,000 | 48.8 | 8.1 |
Conclusion
In AFL DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your AFL Round 5 teams, consider starting with a value player like Henry Hustwaite. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jordan Dawson is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including James Aish.
On the other hand, according to our model, Ryan Maric is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' AFL Full Round slate closes at 7:40pm AEST on Thursday. 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 Round 5 slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge 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.
