AFL Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Finals Week 1, 2024
Last updated: Sep 7, 2024, 4:32AM | Published: Aug 30, 2024, 1:32AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Saturday Finals Week 1 DFS contest starts at 3:20pm AEST on September 7, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Saturday slate includes 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 most accurate DFS projections available.
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 Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lachie Whitfield (GWS, DEF) | $16,910 | 117.6 | 7 |
| Value | Jack Payne (BL, DEF) | $6,000 | 52.9 | 8.8 |
| Fade | Callum Mills (SYD, MID/DEF) | $13,050 | 81.7 | 6.3 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Starcevich (BL, DEF) | $6,000 | 51.9 | 8.7 |
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 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
DEF (Defender)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lachie Whitfield (GWS) | $16,910 | 117.6 | 7 |
| Value | Jack Payne (BL) | $6,000 | 52.9 | 8.8 |
| Fade | Callum Mills (SYD) | $13,050 | 81.7 | 6.3 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Starcevich (BL) | $6,000 | 51.9 | 8.7 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lachie Neale (BL) | $15,510 | 105.2 | 6.8 |
| Value | James Jordon (SYD) | $7,910 | 60.2 | 7.6 |
| Fade | Callum Mills (SYD) | $13,050 | 81.7 | 6.3 |
| Cheapie | Callan Ward (GWS) | $9,540 | 72.5 | 7.6 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Isaac Heeney (SYD) | $15,030 | 99.9 | 6.6 |
| Value | Logan Morris (BL) | $6,000 | 49.8 | 8.3 |
| Fade | Elijah Hollands (CARL) | $12,320 | 77.7 | 6.3 |
| Cheapie | Toby McMullin (GWS) | $6,130 | 47.4 | 7.7 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kieren Briggs (GWS) | $13,510 | 95.3 | 7.1 |
| Value | Lachlan Keeffe (GWS) | $6,000 | 45 | 7.5 |
| Fade | Brodie Grundy (SYD) | $14,030 | 90 | 6.4 |
| Cheapie | Aaron Cadman (GWS) | $6,290 | 46.3 | 7.4 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Saturday Finals Week 1 teams, consider starting with a value player like Jack Payne. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Lachie Whitfield 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 Brandon Starcevich.
On the other hand, according to our model, Callum Mills 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' AFL Saturday slate closes at 3:20pm 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 Saturday Finals Week 1 contest. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your AFL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised AFL Saturday 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.
