NBA Early Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 12, 2025
Last updated: Jan 11, 2025, 7:58PM | Published: Jan 11, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Early Sunday DFS contest kicks off at 7:10am AEDT on January 12, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 January 12 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Early Sunday slate consists of these games:
- Phoenix Suns vs Utah Jazz
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
With the latest 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 find the best choices on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Devin Booker (PHX, SG) | $17,360 | 51.3 | 3 |
| Value | Devin Booker (PHX, SG) | $17,360 | 51.3 | 3 |
| Fade | Walker Kessler (UTA, C) | $14,010 | 32.9 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Tyus Jones (PHX, PG) | $9,870 | 28.3 | 2.9 |
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 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
PG (Point Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Collin Sexton (UTA) | $13,640 | 35.7 | 2.6 |
| Value | Tyus Jones (PHX) | $9,870 | 28.3 | 2.9 |
| Cheapie | Isaiah Collier (UTA) | $9,640 | 22.1 | 2.3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Devin Booker (PHX) | $17,360 | 51.3 | 3 |
| Value | Devin Booker (PHX) | $17,360 | 51.3 | 3 |
| Fade | Collin Sexton (UTA) | $13,640 | 35.7 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Grayson Allen (PHX) | $8,770 | 24.4 | 2.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Lauri Markkanen (UTA) | $15,930 | 43.3 | 2.7 |
| Value | Bradley Beal (PHX) | $12,060 | 34.7 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Bradley Beal (PHX) | $12,060 | 34.7 | 2.9 |
| Cheapie | Grayson Allen (PHX) | $8,770 | 24.4 | 2.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Durant (PHX) | $17,150 | 45.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Lauri Markkanen (UTA) | $15,930 | 43.3 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Lauri Markkanen (UTA) | $15,930 | 43.3 | 2.7 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Filipowski (UTA) | $7,000 | 16.7 | 2.4 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Walker Kessler (UTA) | $14,010 | 32.9 | 2.3 |
| Value | Mason Plumlee (PHX) | $8,940 | 23.6 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Filipowski (UTA) | $7,000 | 16.7 | 2.4 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Early Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Devin Booker. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Devin Booker 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 Tyus Jones.
On the other hand, according to our model, Walker Kessler 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' NBA Early Sunday slate closes at 7:10am AEDT on Sunday. 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 Sunday 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 Sunday 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.
