NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 19, 2025
Apr 17, 2025, 10:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest kicks off at 9:05am AEST on April 19, 2025, 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 assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Saturday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate features the following games:
- Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Dallas Mavericks
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Davis (DAL, PF/C) | $19,350 | 61.2 | 3.2 |
| Value | Daniel Gafford (DAL, C) | $6,330 | 27.9 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Kel'el Ware (MIA, C) | $12,070 | 22.5 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Scotty Pippen (MEM, SG/PG) | $8,650 | 35.9 | 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 | Trae Young (ATL) | $16,530 | 57.3 | 3.5 |
| Value | Scotty Pippen (MEM) | $8,650 | 35.9 | 4.1 |
| Fade | Davion Mitchell (MIA) | $10,290 | 26.3 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Williams (DAL) | $7,250 | 20.9 | 2.9 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Desmond Bane (MEM) | $14,810 | 50.6 | 3.4 |
| Value | Scotty Pippen (MEM) | $8,650 | 35.9 | 4.1 |
| Fade | Dyson Daniels (ATL) | $12,340 | 41.8 | 3.4 |
| Cheapie | Klay Thompson (DAL) | $9,530 | 29.7 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Desmond Bane (MEM) | $14,810 | 50.6 | 3.4 |
| Value | Desmond Bane (MEM) | $14,810 | 50.6 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Andrew Wiggins (MIA) | $14,180 | 38.4 | 2.7 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Anderson (MIA) | $6,000 | 19.5 | 3.3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Davis (DAL) | $19,350 | 61.2 | 3.2 |
| Value | Jaren Jackson (MEM) | $14,040 | 49.2 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Bam Adebayo (MIA) | $16,840 | 41.4 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Anderson (MIA) | $6,000 | 19.5 | 3.3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Davis (DAL) | $19,350 | 61.2 | 3.2 |
| Value | Daniel Gafford (DAL) | $6,330 | 27.9 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Kel'el Ware (MIA) | $12,070 | 22.5 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Dereck Lively (DAL) | $9,550 | 22.5 | 2.4 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Daniel Gafford. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Anthony Davis is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Scotty Pippen.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kel'el Ware 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 9:05am 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 contest. 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 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.
