NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 29, 2025
Mar 28, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest kicks off at 10:10am AEDT on March 29, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Saturday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate consists of the following games:
- Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Milwaukee Bucks vs New York Knicks
- Brooklyn Nets vs LA Clippers
- Denver Nuggets vs Utah Jazz
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Golden State Warriors
- Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Phoenix Suns
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce 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 choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,700 | 73.7 | 3 |
| Value | Ausar Thompson (DET, PF/SF) | $8,550 | 32.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Aaron Gordon (DEN, C/PF) | $12,840 | 27.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Oscar Tshiebwe (UTA, C) | $6,540 | 23 | 3.5 |
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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "cheapie" options refer to 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 | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,320 | 49.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Marcus Sasser (DET) | $7,520 | 21.7 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Immanuel Quickley (TOR) | $15,530 | 34.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Mike Conley (MIN) | $7,610 | 21.5 | 2.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,320 | 49.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Marcus Sasser (DET) | $7,520 | 21.7 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Mikal Bridges (NYK) | $13,470 | 31.8 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Sam Merrill (CLE) | $6,370 | 18.1 | 2.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jimmy Butler (GSW) | $15,010 | 42.9 | 2.9 |
| Value | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $8,550 | 32.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Peyton Watson (DEN) | $10,450 | 23.9 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Gary Trent (MIL) | $9,480 | 25.9 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $22,100 | 62.4 | 2.8 |
| Value | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $8,550 | 32.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Aaron Gordon (DEN) | $12,840 | 27.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Dean Wade (CLE) | $6,000 | 17 | 2.8 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,700 | 73.7 | 3 |
| Value | Oscar Tshiebwe (UTA) | $6,540 | 23 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Aaron Gordon (DEN) | $12,840 | 27.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Isaiah Stewart (DET) | $8,120 | 23.6 | 2.9 |
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 Ausar Thompson. 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, check out our cheapie options, including Oscar Tshiebwe.
On the other hand, according to our model, Aaron Gordon is one of the worst 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 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 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.
