NRL Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for Round 8, 2024
Last updated: Apr 25, 2024, 3:23AM | Published: Apr 24, 2024, 1:32AM
Draftstars Australia's NRL Thursday Round 8 DFS contest commences at 2:00pm AEST on April 25, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NRL fantasy players. This DFS preview aims to help you in assembling your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NRL contests or enhancing your Supercoach team in Round 8.
Featured NRL Games
Draftstars' NRL Thursday slate features the following matches:
- St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Sydney Roosters
- Melbourne Storm vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
- New Zealand Warriors vs Gold Coast Titans
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
With the best 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 picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shaun Johnson (WAR, FLEX/HH) | $21,350 | 70.6 | 3.3 |
| Value | Dominic Young (SYD, OB/FLEX) | $9,720 | 46 | 4.7 |
| Fade | Zac Lomax (STG, OB/FLEX) | $14,880 | 40.4 | 2.7 |
| Cheapie | Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (SYD, FLEX/OB) | $9,960 | 45.2 | 4.5 |
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 budget-conscious strategies, "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) | $15,580 | 57.1 | 3.7 |
| Value | Dominic Young (SYD) | $9,720 | 46 | 4.7 |
| Fade | Zac Lomax (STG) | $14,880 | 40.4 | 2.7 |
| Cheapie | Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (SYD) | $9,960 | 45.2 | 4.5 |
HH (Half/Hooker)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shaun Johnson (WAR) | $21,350 | 70.6 | 3.3 |
| Value | Connor Watson (SYD) | $10,910 | 48.3 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Damien Cook (SOU) | $17,210 | 48.3 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Kieran Foran (GOL) | $9,650 | 36.2 | 3.7 |
FWD (Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tohu Harris (WAR) | $17,480 | 57.2 | 3.3 |
| Value | Jacob Laban (WAR) | $8,000 | 34.9 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Siua Wong (SYD) | $11,220 | 31.7 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Hame Sele (STG) | $8,830 | 33.8 | 3.8 |
Conclusion
When building your NRL Thursday Round 8 teams, consider starting with a value player like Dominic Young. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Shaun Johnson 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 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.
On the other hand, according to our model, Zac Lomax is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NRL Thursday slate closes at 2:00pm AEST 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 Thursday Round 8 contest. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your NRL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NRL Thursday 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.
