NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 16, 2025
Last updated: Jan 15, 2025, 11:57PM | Published: Jan 15, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest begins at 11:10am AEDT on January 16, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 16 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate includes the following match-ups:
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors
- Denver Nuggets vs Houston Rockets
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Orlando Magic
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks
- Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks
- San Antonio Spurs vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat
- LA Clippers vs Brooklyn Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks
- Utah Jazz vs Charlotte Hornets
- Toronto Raptors 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 produce some of the best DFS projections in the world.
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 picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS, C) | $21,510 | 65.7 | 3.1 |
| Value | Kawhi Leonard (LAC, PF/SF) | $7,650 | 28.6 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Aaron Gordon (DEN, PF) | $10,890 | 18 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | David Roddy (ATL, PF/SF) | $6,000 | 21.2 | 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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | LaMelo Ball (CHA) | $20,600 | 61.1 | 3 |
| Value | Keaton Wallace (ATL) | $6,000 | 20.8 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Keyonte George (UTA) | $14,160 | 28.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Stephon Castle (SAS) | $9,350 | 27.2 | 2.9 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $15,740 | 45.8 | 2.9 |
| Value | Bogdan Bogdanović (ATL) | $8,900 | 28.6 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Gradey Dick (TOR) | $10,020 | 18 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Garrison Mathews (ATL) | $7,230 | 22.5 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,080 | 55.3 | 2.8 |
| Value | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $7,650 | 28.6 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Gradey Dick (TOR) | $10,020 | 18 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | David Roddy (ATL) | $6,000 | 21.2 | 3.5 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $22,900 | 55.8 | 2.4 |
| Value | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $7,650 | 28.6 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Aaron Gordon (DEN) | $10,890 | 18 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | David Roddy (ATL) | $6,000 | 21.2 | 3.5 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | $21,510 | 65.7 | 3.1 |
| Value | Daniel Gafford (DAL) | $9,010 | 29.6 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Santi Aldama (MEM) | $11,120 | 20.2 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Zach Edey (MEM) | $9,310 | 26.6 | 2.9 |
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 Kawhi Leonard. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Victor Wembanyama 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 David Roddy.
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 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 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.
