NRL Full Round Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 5, 2025
Apr 2, 2025, 8:22AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Round 5 DFS contest commences at 8:00pm AEDT on April 3, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests and enhance your Supercoach team for Round 5.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Full Round slate features these matches:
- Parramatta Eels vs St. George Illawarra Dragons
- Penrith Panthers vs North Queensland Cowboys
- Brisbane Broncos vs Wests Tigers
- Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles vs Melbourne Storm
- South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Sydney Roosters
- Gold Coast Titans vs Dolphins
- Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs Newcastle Knights
- Canberra Raiders vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
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 most reliable 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $23,270 | 80.2 | 3.4 |
| Value | Billy Burns (CRO, FWD/FLEX) | $8,000 | 40.1 | 5 |
| Fade | Brad Schneider (PEN, HH/FLEX) | $11,000 | 9.5 | 0.9 |
| Cheapie | Bailey Hayward (BUL, FLEX/HH) | $9,340 | 42.2 | 4.5 |
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 | Reece Walsh (BRI) | $15,340 | 60.6 | 3.9 |
| Value | Selwyn Cobbo (BRI) | $9,440 | 42.5 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Tyrell Sloan (STG) | $14,020 | 29.8 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Moses Suli (STG) | $8,900 | 39.8 | 4.5 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nathan Cleary (PEN) | $23,270 | 80.2 | 3.4 |
| Value | Bailey Hayward (BUL) | $9,340 | 42.2 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Brad Schneider (PEN) | $11,000 | 9.5 | 0.9 |
| Cheapie | Latu Fainu (WST) | $9,880 | 38.8 | 3.9 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Payne Haas (BRI) | $25,000 | 71.4 | 2.9 |
| Value | Billy Burns (CRO) | $8,000 | 40.1 | 5 |
| Fade | Luke Garner (PEN) | $10,200 | 25.4 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Brendan Piakura (BRI) | $8,000 | 33.6 | 4.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NRL Round 5 teams, consider starting with a value player like Billy Burns. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nathan Cleary is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Bailey Hayward.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brad Schneider 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 Full Round slate closes at 8:00pm AEDT on Thursday. 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 Round 5 contest. 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 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.
