NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 12, 2024
Last updated: Dec 11, 2024, 11:57PM | Published: Dec 11, 2024, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest begins at 11:10am AEDT on December 12, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each 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 put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on December 12 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate features these games:
- Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors
- New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
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 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Alperen Şengün (HOU, C) | $18,990 | 51.5 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jalen Brunson (NYK, PG) | $16,420 | 50.9 | 3.1 |
| Fade | De'Andre Hunter (ATL, SF/PF) | $11,640 | 24.5 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Lindy Waters (GSW, SG) | $6,000 | 16.2 | 2.7 |
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 | Jalen Brunson (NYK) | $16,420 | 50.9 | 3.1 |
| Value | Jalen Brunson (NYK) | $16,420 | 50.9 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Fred VanVleet (HOU) | $13,790 | 36.7 | 2.7 |
| Cheapie | Miles McBride (NYK) | $8,700 | 21.1 | 2.4 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Green (HOU) | $13,410 | 37.1 | 2.8 |
| Value | Mikal Bridges (NYK) | $12,520 | 35.1 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Amen Thompson (HOU) | $11,760 | 26.8 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Lindy Waters (GSW) | $6,000 | 16.2 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | OG Anunoby (NYK) | $13,860 | 36.4 | 2.6 |
| Value | Mikal Bridges (NYK) | $12,520 | 35.1 | 2.8 |
| Fade | De'Andre Hunter (ATL) | $11,640 | 24.5 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Buddy Hield (GSW) | $9,200 | 23.8 | 2.6 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $17,260 | 39.9 | 2.3 |
| Value | Jabari Smith (HOU) | $11,270 | 33.6 | 3 |
| Fade | De'Andre Hunter (ATL) | $11,640 | 24.5 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Zaccharie Risacher (ATL) | $8,030 | 17.7 | 2.2 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Alperen Şengün (HOU) | $18,990 | 51.5 | 2.7 |
| Value | Draymond Green (GSW) | $11,780 | 33 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Onyeka Okongwu (ATL) | $10,340 | 24.3 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Kevon Looney (GSW) | $8,220 | 22 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jalen Brunson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Alperen Şengün 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 Lindy Waters.
On the other hand, according to our model, De'Andre Hunter is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate closes at 11:10am AEDT 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 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 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.
