NBA Friday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 25, 2025
Last updated: Apr 25, 2025, 12:57AM | Published: Apr 24, 2025, 8:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday Late DFS contest begins at 11:30am AEST on April 25, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Friday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday Late slate includes the following match-ups:
- LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder
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 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 find the best selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,840 | 73.4 | 3 |
| Value | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC, PG) | $20,400 | 64.6 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Russell Westbrook (DEN, PG) | $10,830 | 27.8 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Cason Wallace (OKC, SF/SG) | $6,350 | 18.2 | 2.9 |
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 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 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $20,400 | 64.6 | 3.2 |
| Value | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $20,400 | 64.6 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Russell Westbrook (DEN) | $10,830 | 27.8 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Alex Caruso (OKC) | $7,930 | 21.1 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jamal Murray (DEN) | $15,820 | 46.9 | 3 |
| Value | Desmond Bane (MEM) | $15,300 | 46.4 | 3 |
| Fade | Scotty Pippen (MEM) | $11,510 | 32 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Cason Wallace (OKC) | $6,350 | 18.2 | 2.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,720 | 48.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | Desmond Bane (MEM) | $15,300 | 46.4 | 3 |
| Fade | Michael Porter (DEN) | $10,390 | 29.3 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Cason Wallace (OKC) | $6,350 | 18.2 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,720 | 48.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | Aaron Gordon (DEN) | $12,530 | 36.4 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Chet Holmgren (OKC) | $17,050 | 44.3 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Derrick Jones (LAC) | $6,000 | 15.2 | 2.5 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,840 | 73.4 | 3 |
| Value | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,840 | 73.4 | 3 |
| Fade | Chet Holmgren (OKC) | $17,050 | 44.3 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Marvin Bagley (MEM) | $6,000 | 13.4 | 2.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Friday Late teams, consider starting with a value player like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Cason Wallace.
On the other hand, according to our model, Russell Westbrook 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 Friday Late slate closes at 11:30am AEST 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 Late slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Friday Late 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.
