NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 1, 2025
Last updated: Feb 28, 2025, 5:57PM | Published: Feb 28, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest begins at 11:00am AEDT on March 1, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy 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 enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on March 1 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate features these match-ups:
- Memphis Grizzlies vs New York Knicks
- Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Los Angeles Lakers vs LA Clippers
- Atlanta Hawks vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Chicago Bulls vs Toronto Raptors
- Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers
- Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Detroit Pistons vs Denver Nuggets
- Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz vs Minnesota Timberwolves
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 most reliable DFS projections available.
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 picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,610 | 72.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Terrence Shannon (MIN, SF/SG) | $6,000 | 29.8 | 5 |
| Fade | Jose Alvarado (NOP, PG) | $11,970 | 24.3 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Rob Dillingham (MIN, PG) | $6,000 | 22.5 | 3.7 |
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 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $20,430 | 60.4 | 3 |
| Value | Rob Dillingham (MIN) | $6,000 | 22.5 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Jose Alvarado (NOP) | $11,970 | 24.3 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Bruce Brown (NOP) | $6,290 | 21.4 | 3.4 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Devin Booker (PHX) | $18,060 | 49.2 | 2.7 |
| Value | Terrence Shannon (MIN) | $6,000 | 29.8 | 5 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $11,500 | 25 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Goodwin (LAL) | $6,000 | 18.4 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,290 | 54.5 | 2.8 |
| Value | Terrence Shannon (MIN) | $6,000 | 29.8 | 5 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $11,500 | 25 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Bruce Brown (NOP) | $6,290 | 21.4 | 3.4 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,290 | 54.5 | 2.8 |
| Value | Karlo Matkovic (NOP) | $9,010 | 27.2 | 3 |
| Fade | Michael Porter (DEN) | $14,800 | 33.6 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Dorian Finney-Smith (LAL) | $6,820 | 20.4 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,610 | 72.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Kelly Olynyk (NOP) | $8,660 | 31.2 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC) | $13,100 | 30.1 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Nick Richards (PHX) | $9,050 | 28.4 | 3.1 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Terrence Shannon. 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 Rob Dillingham.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jose Alvarado is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building 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 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.
