NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 5, 2025
Apr 4, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest begins at 10:10am AEDT on April 5, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on April 5 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate includes the following games:
- San Antonio Spurs vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Toronto Raptors vs Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Charlotte Hornets vs Sacramento Kings
- Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets
- Chicago Bulls vs Portland Trail Blazers
- LA Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks
- Indiana Pacers vs Utah Jazz
- Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns
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 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,710 | 68.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Donovan Clingan (POR, C) | $9,220 | 36.5 | 4 |
| Fade | Peyton Watson (DEN, SF) | $10,280 | 16.9 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Jusuf Nurkić (CHA, C) | $9,070 | 34.2 | 3.8 |
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 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) | $21,880 | 62.4 | 2.9 |
| Value | Malik Monk (SAC) | $12,240 | 37.3 | 3 |
| Fade | Dalano Banton (POR) | $10,020 | 18.5 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | T.J. McConnell (IND) | $8,030 | 21.5 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Austin Reaves (LAL) | $15,720 | 47.4 | 3 |
| Value | Malik Monk (SAC) | $12,240 | 37.3 | 3 |
| Fade | Dalano Banton (POR) | $10,020 | 18.5 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Moses Moody (GSW) | $8,170 | 24.4 | 3 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,170 | 58.9 | 3.1 |
| Value | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,170 | 58.9 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Peyton Watson (DEN) | $10,280 | 16.9 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Moses Moody (GSW) | $8,170 | 24.4 | 3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,170 | 58.9 | 3.1 |
| Value | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,170 | 58.9 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Al Horford (BOS) | $11,510 | 20.8 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | DaQuan Jeffries (CHA) | $6,850 | 20.9 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,710 | 68.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Donovan Clingan (POR) | $9,220 | 36.5 | 4 |
| Fade | Al Horford (BOS) | $11,510 | 20.8 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Jusuf Nurkić (CHA) | $9,070 | 34.2 | 3.8 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Donovan Clingan. 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 Jusuf Nurkić.
On the other hand, according to our model, Peyton Watson is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate closes at 10:10am AEDT 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.
