NBA Thursday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 23, 2025
Last updated: Jan 22, 2025, 4:57PM | Published: Jan 22, 2025, 10:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday Late DFS contest kicks off at 2:00pm AEDT on January 23, 2025, 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 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 Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday Late slate consists of these match-ups:
- LA Clippers vs Boston Celtics
- Sacramento Kings vs Golden State Warriors
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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've 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 | Domantas Sabonis (SAC, C) | $21,740 | 55.2 | 2.5 |
| Value | Gui Santos (GSW, PF) | $6,320 | 17.4 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Payton Pritchard (BOS, PG) | $11,420 | 23.7 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Moses Moody (GSW, SF/SG) | $8,190 | 21.7 | 2.7 |
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 | De'Aaron Fox (SAC) | $17,280 | 45.7 | 2.6 |
| Value | Derrick White (BOS) | $12,480 | 33.5 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Payton Pritchard (BOS) | $11,420 | 23.7 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Jrue Holiday (BOS) | $9,820 | 25.7 | 2.6 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $16,970 | 44.7 | 2.6 |
| Value | Derrick White (BOS) | $12,480 | 33.5 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Malik Monk (SAC) | $17,150 | 38.5 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Moses Moody (GSW) | $8,190 | 21.7 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,790 | 51.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $15,460 | 41.1 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Norman Powell (LAC) | $14,790 | 34.6 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Moses Moody (GSW) | $8,190 | 21.7 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,790 | 51.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Gui Santos (GSW) | $6,320 | 17.4 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Keegan Murray (SAC) | $11,190 | 27.4 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Trey Lyles (SAC) | $6,350 | 15.7 | 2.5 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Domantas Sabonis (SAC) | $21,740 | 55.2 | 2.5 |
| Value | Trayce Jackson-Davis (GSW) | $11,710 | 30 | 2.6 |
| Fade | Kristaps Porziņģis (BOS) | $15,250 | 37 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Kevon Looney (GSW) | $9,550 | 24.4 | 2.6 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday Late teams, consider starting with a value player like Gui Santos. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Domantas Sabonis 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 Moses Moody.
On the other hand, according to our model, Payton Pritchard is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Thursday Late slate closes at 2:00pm 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 Late slate. 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 Late 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.
