AFL Saturday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 18, 2024
Last updated: Jul 13, 2024, 8:33AM | Published: Jul 10, 2024, 9:33AM
Draftstars Australia's AFL Saturday Late Round 18 DFS contest kicks off at 7:30pm AEST on July 13, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for AFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' AFL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 18.
Featured AFL Games
Draftstars' AFL Saturday Late slate features these match-ups:
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the best DFS projections in the world.
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 every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rowan Marshall (STK, RK) | $15,890 | 113.2 | 7.1 |
| Value | Zac Taylor (ADEL, MID) | $6,000 | 60.9 | 10.1 |
| Fade | Sam Draper (ESS, RK) | $10,770 | 57.9 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Lachlan Murphy (ADEL, FWD) | $6,000 | 59.9 | 10 |
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 | Nic Martin (ESS) | $14,850 | 104.2 | 7 |
| Value | Hugh Bond (ADEL) | $6,000 | 53.2 | 8.9 |
| Fade | Trent Rivers (MELB) | $14,180 | 84.4 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Dougal Howard (STK) | $6,000 | 49 | 8.2 |
MID (Midfielder)
| Selection | Salary | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach Merrett (ESS) | $16,140 | 107.8 | 6.7 |
| Value | Zac Taylor (ADEL) | $6,000 | 60.9 | 10.1 |
| Fade | Trent Rivers (MELB) | $14,180 | 84.4 | 6 |
| Cheapie | Zak Jones (STK) | $7,040 | 56.8 | 8.1 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Taylor Walker (ADEL) | $9,500 | 76.4 | 8 |
| Value | Lachlan Murphy (ADEL) | $6,000 | 59.9 | 10 |
| Fade | Alex Neal-Bullen (MELB) | $11,490 | 73.6 | 6.4 |
| Cheapie | Dan Butler (STK) | $6,610 | 54.7 | 8.3 |
RK (Ruckman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rowan Marshall (STK) | $15,890 | 113.2 | 7.1 |
| Value | Rowan Marshall (STK) | $15,890 | 113.2 | 7.1 |
| Fade | Sam Draper (ESS) | $10,770 | 57.9 | 5.4 |
| Cheapie | Elliott Himmelberg (ADEL) | $8,160 | 54.9 | 6.7 |
Conclusion
When building your AFL Saturday Late Round 18 teams, consider starting with a value player like Zac Taylor. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Rowan Marshall 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 Lachlan Murphy.
On the other hand, according to our model, Sam Draper is one of the worst 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 Saturday Late slate closes at 7:30pm 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 Late Round 18 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 Late 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.
