NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 10, 2025
Apr 9, 2025, 2:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:10am AEST on April 10, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate features the following match-ups:
- Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets
- Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics
- Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat
- Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings vs Denver Nuggets
- Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs
- Washington Wizards vs Philadelphia 76ers
- LA Clippers vs Houston Rockets
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the strongest 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 Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,010 | 71.4 | 2.9 |
| Value | Trey Lyles (SAC, PF/C) | $6,040 | 32.9 | 5.4 |
| Fade | Pelle Larsson (MIA, SF/SG) | $10,070 | 10.4 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Cam Whitmore (HOU, SG/SF) | $6,000 | 27.6 | 4.6 |
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 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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $20,860 | 59.8 | 2.9 |
| Value | Aaron Holiday (HOU) | $6,000 | 22.5 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Jeff Dowtin (PHI) | $10,940 | 22.7 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | A.J. Lawson (TOR) | $6,700 | 21.7 | 3.2 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach LaVine (SAC) | $16,550 | 46.2 | 2.8 |
| Value | Cam Whitmore (HOU) | $6,000 | 27.6 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Pelle Larsson (MIA) | $10,070 | 10.4 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Alex Caruso (OKC) | $7,170 | 28.3 | 3.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,080 | 54 | 2.8 |
| Value | Cam Whitmore (HOU) | $6,000 | 27.6 | 4.6 |
| Fade | Pelle Larsson (MIA) | $10,070 | 10.4 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Alex Caruso (OKC) | $7,170 | 28.3 | 3.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,080 | 54 | 2.8 |
| Value | Trey Lyles (SAC) | $6,040 | 32.9 | 5.4 |
| Fade | Matas Buzelis (CHI) | $12,760 | 26.3 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | DaQuan Jeffries (CHA) | $6,000 | 22.2 | 3.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,010 | 71.4 | 2.9 |
| Value | Trey Lyles (SAC) | $6,040 | 32.9 | 5.4 |
| Fade | Wendell Carter (ORL) | $12,720 | 26.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Jusuf Nurkić (CHA) | $9,060 | 36 | 4 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Trey Lyles. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Cam Whitmore.
On the other hand, according to our model, Pelle Larsson is one of the worst 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 Thursday slate closes at 9:10am AEST on Thursday. 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 Thursday slate. 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 Thursday 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.
