NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 22, 2025
Mar 21, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest starts at 11:10am AEDT on March 22, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on March 22 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate includes the following games:
- LA Clippers vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Miami Heat vs Houston Rockets
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Charlotte Hornets
- Phoenix Suns vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dallas Mavericks vs Detroit Pistons
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets
- San Antonio Spurs vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Utah Jazz vs Boston Celtics
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 best DFS projections in the world.
With the latest 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 find the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cade Cunningham (DET, PG) | $19,240 | 56.8 | 2.9 |
| Value | KJ Simpson (CHA, PG) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Walker Kessler (UTA, C) | $14,800 | 25.8 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Johnny Juzang (UTA, SG/SF) | $7,220 | 23 | 3.2 |
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 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 | Cade Cunningham (DET) | $19,240 | 56.8 | 2.9 |
| Value | KJ Simpson (CHA) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Brandon Williams (DAL) | $13,170 | 23.8 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Bruce Brown (NOP) | $8,170 | 22.7 | 2.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,920 | 51.2 | 2.9 |
| Value | Johnny Juzang (UTA) | $7,220 | 23 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Max Strus (CLE) | $10,260 | 19.6 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Nick Smith (CHA) | $7,240 | 22.1 | 3 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $16,190 | 44.2 | 2.7 |
| Value | Johnny Juzang (UTA) | $7,220 | 23 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Max Strus (CLE) | $10,260 | 19.6 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Nick Smith (CHA) | $7,240 | 22.1 | 3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,480 | 53.9 | 2.8 |
| Value | Evan Mobley (CLE) | $15,560 | 46.5 | 3 |
| Fade | Jabari Smith (HOU) | $11,670 | 22.5 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Karlo Matkovic (NOP) | $8,580 | 22.1 | 2.6 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Evan Mobley (CLE) | $15,560 | 46.5 | 3 |
| Value | Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC) | $13,220 | 41.3 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Walker Kessler (UTA) | $14,800 | 25.8 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Duop Reath (POR) | $7,560 | 21.1 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like KJ Simpson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Cade Cunningham is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Johnny Juzang.
On the other hand, according to our model, Walker Kessler 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 11:10am 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 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.
