NBA Post Season Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 16, 2024
Last updated: May 15, 2024, 10:57PM | Published: May 15, 2024, 8:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Post Season Thursday DFS contest starts at 9:03am AEST on May 16, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview aims to guide you in building your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contestsas well as enhancing your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Post Season Thursday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks
- Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers
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 best NBA fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NBA fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We have 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 | Luka Doncic (DAL, PG) | $23,660 | 65.4 | 2.8 |
| Value | Dereck Lively (DAL, C) | $8,110 | 26 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Jrue Holiday (BOS, PG) | $12,510 | 29.7 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Payton Pritchard (BOS, PG) | $7,400 | 20.9 | 2.8 |
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 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 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
PG (Point Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Doncic (DAL) | $23,660 | 65.4 | 2.8 |
| Value | Payton Pritchard (BOS) | $7,400 | 20.9 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Jrue Holiday (BOS) | $12,510 | 29.7 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Cason Wallace (OKC) | $6,000 | 13.6 | 2.3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $15,020 | 46.6 | 3.1 |
| Value | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $15,020 | 46.6 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Kyrie Irving (DAL) | $16,130 | 44.1 | 2.7 |
| Cheapie | Aaron Wiggins (OKC) | $6,000 | 16.3 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,480 | 58.6 | 3 |
| Value | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $15,020 | 46.6 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Luguentz Dort (OKC) | $10,280 | 25 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Aaron Wiggins (OKC) | $6,000 | 16.3 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,480 | 58.6 | 3 |
| Value | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,480 | 58.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Al Horford (BOS) | $10,210 | 24.3 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Derrick Jones (DAL) | $7,560 | 19.1 | 2.5 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Chet Holmgren (OKC) | $15,990 | 45.2 | 2.8 |
| Value | Dereck Lively (DAL) | $8,110 | 26 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Al Horford (BOS) | $10,210 | 24.3 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Luke Kornet (BOS) | $6,030 | 14.4 | 2.4 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Post Season Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Dereck Lively. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Doncic 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 Payton Pritchard.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jrue Holiday is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Post Season Thursday slate closes at 9:03am AEST on Thursday. ENTER NOW!
As with all NBA DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven NBA fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the NBA Post Season Thursday slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Post Season 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.
