NRL Bulldogs vs Knights Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 5, 2025
Apr 2, 2025, 8:23AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Bulldogs vs Knights Round 5 DFS contest commences at 6:15pm AEST on April 6, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player in the game to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL 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 produce some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
With the latest NRL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NRL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We have reviewed players from each team in the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Newcastle Knights match-up to help you make the best choices on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob Preston (BUL, FLEX/FWD) | $19,040 | 56.9 | 3 |
| Value | Bailey Hayward (BUL, FLEX/HH) | $9,340 | 42.2 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Kalyn Ponga (NEW, OB/FLEX) | $19,560 | 51.3 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Blake Wilson (BUL, OB/FLEX) | $8,000 | 33.8 | 4.2 |
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 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
OB (Outside Back)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dane Gagai (NEW) | $14,770 | 52.2 | 3.5 |
| Value | Blake Wilson (BUL) | $8,000 | 33.8 | 4.2 |
| Fade | Kalyn Ponga (NEW) | $19,560 | 51.3 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Stephen Crichton (BUL) | $9,840 | 36.5 | 3.7 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Toby Sexton (BUL) | $16,130 | 49.7 | 3.1 |
| Value | Bailey Hayward (BUL) | $9,340 | 42.2 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Fletcher Sharpe (NEW) | $17,140 | 46.9 | 2.7 |
| Cheapie | Jayden Brailey (NEW) | $8,000 | 25.8 | 3.2 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob Preston (BUL) | $19,040 | 56.9 | 3 |
| Value | Thomas Cant (NEW) | $11,040 | 43.5 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Jaeman Salmon (BUL) | $11,590 | 31.9 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Jack Hetherington (NEW) | $8,340 | 26.6 | 3.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NRL Bulldogs vs Knights Round 5 teams, consider starting with a value player like Bailey Hayward. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jacob Preston 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 Blake Wilson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kalyn Ponga 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' NRL Bulldogs vs Knights slate closes at 6:15pm AEST on Sunday. ENTER NOW!
As with all NRL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven NRL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the NRL Bulldogs vs Knights Round 5 slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your NRL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NRL Bulldogs vs Knights 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 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Newcastle Knights 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.
