NRL Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 8, 2025
Last updated: Apr 25, 2025, 5:22AM | Published: Apr 23, 2025, 9:22AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Friday Round 8 DFS contest begins at 4:00pm AEST on April 25, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests and improve your Supercoach team for Round 8.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Friday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- New Zealand Warriors vs Newcastle Knights
- Sydney Roosters vs St. George Illawarra Dragons
- Melbourne Storm vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jahrome Hughes (MEL, HH/FLEX) | $17,000 | 60.6 | 3.6 |
| Value | Kalyn Ponga (NEW, OB/FLEX) | $12,270 | 49.3 | 4 |
| Fade | Thomas Cant (NEW, FWD/FLEX) | $16,970 | 31.3 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Bronson Garlick (MEL, HH/FLEX) | $8,000 | 30.9 | 3.9 |
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
OB (Outside Back)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | James Tedesco (SYD) | $17,340 | 55.9 | 3.2 |
| Value | Ali Leiataua (WAR) | $10,230 | 41 | 4 |
| Fade | Mark Nawaqanitawase (SYD) | $11,130 | 28 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Sione Finau (STG) | $8,000 | 30.9 | 3.9 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jahrome Hughes (MEL) | $17,000 | 60.6 | 3.6 |
| Value | Bronson Garlick (MEL) | $8,000 | 30.9 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Jacob Liddle (STG) | $12,340 | 25.6 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Tyran Wishart (MEL) | $9,930 | 30.8 | 3.1 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Toby Couchman (STG) | $20,360 | 56.4 | 2.8 |
| Value | Euan Aitken (SOU) | $12,030 | 46.9 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Thomas Cant (NEW) | $16,970 | 31.3 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Egan Butcher (SYD) | $8,000 | 28.7 | 3.6 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NRL Friday Round 8 teams, consider starting with a value player like Kalyn Ponga. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jahrome Hughes 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 Bronson Garlick.
On the other hand, according to our model, Thomas Cant 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' NRL Friday slate closes at 4:00pm AEST on Friday. 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 Friday Round 8 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 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.
