NFL Lions vs Vikings Draftstars DFS Captain Contest Preview and Projections for January 6, 2025
Last updated: Jan 4, 2025, 11:06PM | Published: Jan 2, 2025, 7:44AM
Draftstars Australia's NFL Lions vs Vikings DFS Captain Contest kicks off at 12:20pm AEDT on January 6, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player in the game to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NFL contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 6 and beyond.
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 most reliable DFS projections available.
With the latest NFL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NFL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We've reviewed players from each team to help you make the best picks on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sam Darnold (MIN) | $15,620 | 22 | 1.4 |
| Stud | Jahmyr Gibbs (DET) | $19,430 | 21.1 | 1.1 |
| Value | Brock Wright (DET) | $1,040 | 3 | 2.9 |
| Value | Jermar Jefferson (DET) | $1,000 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Fade | Cam Akers (MIN) | $5,870 | 4 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Josh Oliver (MIN) | $1,190 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "studs" are 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 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.
Captain Contest Tips
Monday's NFL Lions vs Vikings contest is a Captain Contest, in which you generally pick one captain and five other players. Your captain scores 1.5x the usual number of Draftstars points, but they also cost 1.5x their usual salary.
You may want to look at players with a high ceiling, like Sam Darnold and Jahmyr Gibbs, who can score big points and make the most of that 1.5x multiplier. They may be expensive, but if they go big, you go big too.
Alternatively, if you want to spread your funds around your line-up, you could choose player who you think is good value, with our model liking Brock Wright as a potential value option. Choosing a value pick as captain gives you more points per dollar spent, which could help you use the rest of your budget more effectively.
For more help selecting your captain, check out Draftstars' Captain Contest explainer, as well as the Fantasy Insider cruncher on Draftstars, which is free to access when logged into your account.
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. As highlighted above, there is extra thought that goes into a captain contest, with either a stud or value pick the best option, depending on how you want to fill out the rest of your NFL Lions vs Vikings lineup today.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NFL Lions vs Vikings slate closes at 12:20pm AEDT on Monday. ENTER NOW!
As with all NFL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven NFL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the NFL Lions vs Vikings contest. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your NFL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NFL Lions vs Vikings 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.
