NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for February 13, 2025
Last updated: Feb 12, 2025, 10:57AM | Published: Feb 12, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest starts at 11:00am AEDT on February 13, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable 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 February 13 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate features these match-ups:
- Boston Celtics vs San Antonio Spurs
- Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets
- Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors
- Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Houston Rockets vs Phoenix Suns
- LA Clippers vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Chicago Bulls vs Detroit Pistons
- New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
- Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Sacramento Kings
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Miami Heat
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,790 | 69.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Alperen Şengün (HOU, C) | $16,530 | 48.8 | 3 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (DET, PG) | $10,620 | 16.2 | 1.5 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Goodwin (LAL, PG) | $9,340 | 27.3 | 2.9 |
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 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) | $21,770 | 60 | 2.8 |
| Value | Darius Garland (CLE) | $14,840 | 43.8 | 3 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (DET) | $10,620 | 16.2 | 1.5 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Goodwin (LAL) | $9,340 | 27.3 | 2.9 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $20,470 | 47.6 | 2.3 |
| Value | Andrew Nembhard (IND) | $10,350 | 29.3 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Aaron Wiggins (OKC) | $14,460 | 26.2 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Alex Caruso (OKC) | $6,970 | 19.3 | 2.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $22,040 | 55.6 | 2.5 |
| Value | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $13,730 | 40.1 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Aaron Wiggins (OKC) | $14,460 | 26.2 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Dominick Barlow (ATL) | $6,000 | 17.1 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $22,040 | 55.6 | 2.5 |
| Value | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $13,730 | 40.1 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Jaden McDaniels (MIN) | $14,500 | 29 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Dominick Barlow (ATL) | $6,000 | 17.1 | 2.9 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,790 | 69.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Alperen Şengün (HOU) | $16,530 | 48.8 | 3 |
| Fade | Precious Achiuwa (NYK) | $10,010 | 20 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Jaxson Hayes (LAL) | $9,480 | 26.4 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Alperen Şengün. 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, explore our cheapie options, including Jordan Goodwin.
On the other hand, according to our model, Dennis Schröder is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate closes at 11:00am 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 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.
