Friday Night Football in Round 8 shapes as another strong two-game NRL Draftstars slate, with both matchups carrying very different DFS dynamics. The early contest sees the Sharks travel to Townsville to take on a Cowboys side getting key troops back, including Jeremiah Nanai, Murray Taulagi and Reed Mahoney. That injects more punch into North Queensland’s attack, but it also creates a game environment where metres, tackle busts and attacking stats should be available on both sides. Cronulla have also been boosted by the return of Cameron McInnes, and with Siosifa Talakai back in the starting side at centre, there are a number of mid-range and premium options who bring both role security and upside.
The late game at Suncorp is where the slate really opens up from a roster-construction perspective. The Broncos are again dealing with major disruption through the middle, and while Jesse Arthars was named to start at fullback, his injury opens up a real opportunity for a bottom dollar OB. Xavier Willison has been elevated into a much more important role with the Broncos short on proven middle forwards. Canterbury arrives with one of the most fantasy-friendly premium forwards in Jacob Preston, and that gives this matchup a really interesting blend of safe base-stat anchors and high-upside outside backs. On a short slate like this, balancing workload players with one or two attacking ceilings is likely to be the key to getting inside the cash.
With multiple premium options and several key value plays emerging through role changes and early season form, lineup construction will be critical. Draftstars contests on offer include:
- NRL $6,000 – Cowboys vs Sharks
- NRL $6,000 – Broncos vs Bulldogs
- NRL $3,000 – Friday Night doubleheader
NRL Daily Fantasy Lineup Tips: Round 8 Friday
NRL Friday Round 8: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Siosifa Talakai ($8,000) looks underpriced now that he is back in Cronulla’s starting side at centre, with the official team list confirming he has pushed into the run on side while Sione Katoa drops to the reserves. Talakai’s value comes from the rare mix of try scoring upside at centre, yardage carries and tackle breaking power, and against a Cowboys edge that can concede points when shape gets stretched, he has clear upside well beyond this salary. He is not a pure base stat machine, but at bottom dollar he only needs one big attacking moment on top of his usual carries to become one of the better salary saving options on the board.
Hayze Perham ($8,000) Perham has been promoted into the starting 13 with the confirmed loss of Jesse Arthars, and a fullback at bottom dollar is simply too hard to ignore. The obvious concern is a late switch, which is something we can’t account for given the Broncos v Bulldogs game is the second on the slate. What I would suggest is not putting all your eggs in the Perham basket, but you should definitely have some exposure to Perham given his price and likely upside. I prefer him in the FLX position here, as there is some high upside outside backs in this slate.
NRL Friday Round 8: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Jaxon Purdue ($13,150) continues to profile as one of the stronger mid-range outside backs because his scoring is not purely try dependent. He is named at centre again for North Queensland and already has five tries on the season, while he also features prominently in tackle breaks, line breaks, as well as try and line-break assists. He gets a Sharks side that will be stronger through the middle with McInnes back, but the Cowboys have enough strike to get early ball to their centres, and Purdue’s mix of carry work, finishing ability and big play upside gives him a very live path to 50+ again.
Xavier Willison ($13,770) is one of the standout mid-range plays because Brisbane’s injuries have turned him into a genuine forward leader this week. Once again starting at lock, Willison will look to continue in his role from last week, where he dominated with 172 run metres, 68 post-contact metres, 54 tackles, four tackle breaks and two offloads. His season averages also back up the play, sitting at 100 running metres and 40.9 fantasy points per game, and with Haas, Carrigan and Jensen all absent or limited by injury concerns around this period, the workload case is obvious. Willison is also very dangerous close to the line, so has that try scoring upside.
NRL Friday Round 8: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Jacob Preston ($19,720) is expensive, but he deserves it because he is one of the safest premium forwards in the game. He is named to start in the back row again for Canterbury, and his fantasy profile is built on huge effort areas, whilst also being one of the most dangerous ball runners in the game. Against a Broncos pack that is short on established middle depth, Preston should be heavily involved on both sides of the ball, and on a two-game slate that combination of minutes, tackles, carries and line running gives him one of the clearest 50+ pathways available. Easily the highest upside of any forward in the slate, and potentially of any player named.
Nicholas Hynes ($18,280) is the premium playmaker ceiling option of the slate and makes a lot of sense if you want to pay up at half without forcing in a more balanced stars-and-scrubs build elsewhere. He is named at halfback again for Cronulla and remains central to everything they do through kicking metres, try assists and direct running. The matchup in Townsville should be friendlier for attack than a grind at Suncorp, and Hynes has also looked comfortable this season mixing things up with Braydon Trindall, which only adds to the appeal. If the Sharks post a winning score, there is a strong chance Hynes is involved in a large chunk of it.
Suggested NRL Friday Draftstars Lineup
NRL Round 8 Friday Match Info & Betting Odds
Cowboys ($2.00) vs Sharks ($1.81)
Line: Sharks (-1.5)
Points: 52.5
Broncos ($2.30) vs Bulldogs ($1.62)
Line: Bulldogs (-3.5)
Points: 49.5
Also, be sure to check out our full NRL Previews and Betting Tips for each match. Our experts break down each individual game and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
