NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 21, 2024
Last updated: Dec 20, 2024, 5:57PM | Published: Dec 20, 2024, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest starts at 11:00am AEDT on December 21, 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 essential 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 December 21 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate features the following match-ups:
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets
- Miami Heat vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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 selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL, C/PF) | $23,560 | 69.2 | 2.9 |
| Value | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL, C/PF) | $23,560 | 69.2 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Andre Drummond (PHI, C) | $12,020 | 19.6 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Khris Middleton (MIL, SG/SF) | $9,970 | 28.5 | 2.9 |
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 are 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 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $21,190 | 52.4 | 2.5 |
| Value | Terry Rozier (MIA) | $9,130 | 24.9 | 2.7 |
| Fade | LaMelo Ball (CHA) | $22,680 | 45.8 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Lowry (PHI) | $6,000 | 13.1 | 2.2 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul George (PHI) | $16,890 | 42.6 | 2.5 |
| Value | Khris Middleton (MIL) | $9,970 | 28.5 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Brandon Miller (CHA) | $14,680 | 31.1 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Gary Trent (MIL) | $7,780 | 20.8 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul George (PHI) | $16,890 | 42.6 | 2.5 |
| Value | Khris Middleton (MIL) | $9,970 | 28.5 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Brandon Miller (CHA) | $14,680 | 31.1 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Gary Trent (MIL) | $7,780 | 20.8 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $23,560 | 69.2 | 2.9 |
| Value | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $23,560 | 69.2 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Evan Mobley (CLE) | $15,020 | 32.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Cody Martin (CHA) | $8,440 | 20 | 2.4 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $23,560 | 69.2 | 2.9 |
| Value | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $23,560 | 69.2 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Andre Drummond (PHI) | $12,020 | 19.6 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Brook Lopez (MIL) | $9,900 | 26.1 | 2.6 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Giannis Antetokounmpo. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Giannis Antetokounmpo 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 Khris Middleton.
On the other hand, according to our model, Andre Drummond is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate closes at 11:00am 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 contest. 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 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.
