NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 20, 2024
Last updated: Dec 19, 2024, 11:57PM | Published: Dec 18, 2024, 11:58PM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest kicks off at 11:05am AEDT on December 20, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable 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 December 20 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate includes the following games:
- Phoenix Suns vs Indiana Pacers
- Orlando Magic vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors
- Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls
- Detroit Pistons vs Utah Jazz
- San Antonio Spurs vs Atlanta Hawks
- Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets
- Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets
- Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs New York Knicks
- Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans
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 best DFS projections in the world.
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 Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $26,190 | 71.4 | 2.7 |
| Value | Clint Capela (ATL, C) | $11,540 | 42 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Scotty Pippen (MEM, PG) | $11,780 | 16.5 | 1.4 |
| Cheapie | Day'Ron Sharpe (BKN, C) | $9,120 | 29 | 3.2 |
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're 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 | Cade Cunningham (DET) | $21,400 | 56.7 | 2.6 |
| Value | Tre Jones (SAS) | $6,000 | 18.4 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Scotty Pippen (MEM) | $11,780 | 16.5 | 1.4 |
| Cheapie | Jamal Shead (TOR) | $6,000 | 16.6 | 2.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $17,410 | 47 | 2.7 |
| Value | Seth Curry (CHA) | $6,000 | 18.8 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Norman Powell (LAC) | $13,420 | 27.5 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Ja'Kobe Walter (TOR) | $7,040 | 21.8 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,410 | 50.9 | 2.5 |
| Value | Brice Sensabaugh (UTA) | $6,000 | 17.9 | 3 |
| Fade | Royce O'Neale (PHX) | $11,730 | 22.4 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Bogdan Bogdanović (ATL) | $8,880 | 26.4 | 3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,410 | 50.9 | 2.5 |
| Value | Lauri Markkanen (UTA) | $13,120 | 39 | 3 |
| Fade | Royce O'Neale (PHX) | $11,730 | 22.4 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Brice Sensabaugh (UTA) | $6,000 | 17.9 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $26,190 | 71.4 | 2.7 |
| Value | Clint Capela (ATL) | $11,540 | 42 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Mark Williams (CHA) | $10,770 | 19.4 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Day'Ron Sharpe (BKN) | $9,120 | 29 | 3.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Clint Capela. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Day'Ron Sharpe.
On the other hand, according to our model, Scotty Pippen 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 Friday slate closes at 11:05am AEDT on Friday. 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 Friday slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Friday 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.
