NBA Early Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 17, 2025
Mar 16, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Early Monday DFS contest begins at 4:10am AEDT on March 17, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Monday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Early Monday slate features these match-ups:
- Dallas Mavericks vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $23,590 | 63.9 | 2.7 |
| Value | Ricky Council (PHI, SF/PF) | $8,110 | 26.5 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Naji Marshall (DAL, SF/PF) | $16,590 | 36.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Goodwin (LAL, SG/PG) | $7,200 | 22.3 | 3.1 |
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
PG (Point Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $23,590 | 63.9 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jordan Goodwin (LAL) | $7,200 | 22.3 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Brandon Williams (DAL) | $12,620 | 29.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Gabe Vincent (LAL) | $6,000 | 15.9 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Devin Booker (PHX) | $16,690 | 46.9 | 2.8 |
| Value | Jordan Goodwin (LAL) | $7,200 | 22.3 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Quentin Grimes (PHI) | $15,790 | 34.6 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Dunn (PHX) | $7,240 | 21.2 | 2.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Franz Wagner (ORL) | $16,230 | 44.7 | 2.8 |
| Value | Ricky Council (PHI) | $8,110 | 26.5 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Naji Marshall (DAL) | $16,590 | 36.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Dunn (PHX) | $7,240 | 21.2 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paolo Banchero (ORL) | $20,220 | 50.9 | 2.5 |
| Value | Ricky Council (PHI) | $8,110 | 26.5 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Naji Marshall (DAL) | $16,590 | 36.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Dean Wade (CLE) | $6,090 | 16.1 | 2.6 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jarrett Allen (CLE) | $14,230 | 32.5 | 2.3 |
| Value | Dean Wade (CLE) | $6,090 | 16.1 | 2.6 |
| Fade | Nick Richards (PHX) | $10,340 | 22.9 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Jaxson Hayes (LAL) | $9,690 | 24.7 | 2.5 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Early Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Ricky Council. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Dončić 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 Jordan Goodwin.
On the other hand, according to our model, Naji Marshall is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Early Monday slate closes at 4:10am AEDT on Monday. 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 Early Monday 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 Early Monday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
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