NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 12, 2025
Apr 11, 2025, 8:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest begins at 9:10am AEST on April 12, 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 put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Saturday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate includes these match-ups:
- New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers vs Orlando Magic
- Chicago Bulls vs Washington Wizards
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Brooklyn Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks
- Denver Nuggets vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Boston Celtics vs Charlotte Hornets
- Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets
- Utah Jazz vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Phoenix Suns vs San Antonio Spurs
- Detroit Pistons vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings vs LA Clippers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the strongest 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 make the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $26,850 | 71.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jock Landale (HOU, C) | $6,970 | 29.1 | 4.2 |
| Fade | Russell Westbrook (DEN, PG) | $12,110 | 19.5 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Dillon Jones (OKC, PF) | $6,300 | 25.6 | 4.1 |
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'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 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) | $20,870 | 57.9 | 2.8 |
| Value | T.J. McConnell (IND) | $8,000 | 32.2 | 4 |
| Fade | Russell Westbrook (DEN) | $12,110 | 19.5 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Scotty Pippen (MEM) | $9,050 | 34.1 | 3.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,980 | 49.2 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jamal Cain (NOP) | $6,000 | 23 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Jalen Green (HOU) | $10,090 | 16.8 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Cam Whitmore (HOU) | $9,550 | 33.9 | 3.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $18,980 | 49.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jarace Walker (IND) | $6,950 | 26.8 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Nick Smith (CHA) | $10,030 | 18.7 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Jamal Cain (NOP) | $6,000 | 23 | 3.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $25,140 | 63.2 | 2.5 |
| Value | Dillon Jones (OKC) | $6,300 | 25.6 | 4.1 |
| Fade | Al Horford (BOS) | $11,500 | 19.9 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Jarace Walker (IND) | $6,950 | 26.8 | 3.9 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $26,850 | 71.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jock Landale (HOU) | $6,970 | 29.1 | 4.2 |
| Fade | Al Horford (BOS) | $11,500 | 19.9 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Thomas Bryant (IND) | $6,000 | 24.1 | 4 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jock Landale. 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, explore our cheapie options, including Dillon Jones.
On the other hand, according to our model, Russell Westbrook is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate closes at 9:10am AEST on Saturday. 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 Saturday 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 Saturday 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.
