NBA Thursday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 20, 2025
Mar 19, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday Late DFS contest starts at 1:10pm AEDT on March 20, 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 a must 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 March 20 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday Late slate features the following games:
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Sacramento Kings vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Phoenix Suns vs Chicago Bulls
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
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 make the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $23,850 | 60.9 | 2.6 |
| Value | Trey Lyles (SAC, C/PF) | $6,000 | 28.3 | 4.7 |
| Fade | Josh Giddey (CHI, PG) | $19,540 | 40.7 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Zeke Nnaji (DEN, C/PF) | $6,000 | 20.7 | 3.4 |
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 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) | $23,850 | 60.9 | 2.6 |
| Value | Keon Ellis (SAC) | $7,360 | 23.8 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Josh Giddey (CHI) | $19,540 | 40.7 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Ty Jerome (CLE) | $8,570 | 25.8 | 3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Devin Booker (PHX) | $17,450 | 48.2 | 2.8 |
| Value | Keon Ellis (SAC) | $7,360 | 23.8 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Coby White (CHI) | $15,930 | 38.1 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Dunn (PHX) | $7,640 | 23.4 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Desmond Bane (MEM) | $16,510 | 43.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | Peyton Watson (DEN) | $6,870 | 21.9 | 3.2 |
| Fade | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $14,730 | 32.6 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Dunn (PHX) | $7,640 | 23.4 | 3.1 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Durant (PHX) | $17,390 | 47.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Trey Lyles (SAC) | $6,000 | 28.3 | 4.7 |
| Fade | Santi Aldama (MEM) | $11,670 | 26.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Zeke Nnaji (DEN) | $6,000 | 20.7 | 3.4 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaren Jackson (MEM) | $15,440 | 44.1 | 2.9 |
| Value | Trey Lyles (SAC) | $6,000 | 28.3 | 4.7 |
| Fade | Santi Aldama (MEM) | $11,670 | 26.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Zeke Nnaji (DEN) | $6,000 | 20.7 | 3.4 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Thursday Late teams, consider starting with a value player like Trey Lyles. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Dončić 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 Zeke Nnaji.
On the other hand, according to our model, Josh Giddey is one of the worst 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 1:10pm 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 give you an edge 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.
