NBA Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 20, 2025
Last updated: Jan 20, 2025, 1:57AM | Published: Jan 19, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Monday DFS contest kicks off at 1:10pm AEDT on January 20, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 20 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Monday slate features these games:
- LA Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls
- Sacramento Kings vs Washington Wizards
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 strongest 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 find the best choices on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Domantas Sabonis (SAC, C) | $21,190 | 60.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Deandre Ayton (POR, C) | $12,500 | 38.6 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Rui Hachimura (LAL, PF/SF) | $10,200 | 19.4 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Jabari Walker (POR, C/PF) | $6,000 | 16.8 | 2.8 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks provide 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 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) | $18,030 | 53.6 | 3 |
| Value | De'Aaron Fox (SAC) | $18,030 | 53.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Austin Reaves (LAL) | $15,440 | 35.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Carlton Carrington (WAS) | $9,300 | 22.7 | 2.4 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Malik Monk (SAC) | $15,330 | 43.7 | 2.9 |
| Value | Malik Monk (SAC) | $15,330 | 43.7 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $13,440 | 27.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Kyshawn George (WAS) | $8,230 | 20.9 | 2.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,790 | 51.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $14,480 | 43.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Rui Hachimura (LAL) | $10,200 | 19.4 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Toumani Camara (POR) | $9,660 | 25.3 | 2.6 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,790 | 51.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $14,480 | 43.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Rui Hachimura (LAL) | $10,200 | 19.4 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Jabari Walker (POR) | $6,000 | 16.8 | 2.8 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Domantas Sabonis (SAC) | $21,190 | 60.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Deandre Ayton (POR) | $12,500 | 38.6 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Anthony Davis (LAL) | $21,300 | 48.1 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Jabari Walker (POR) | $6,000 | 16.8 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Deandre Ayton. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Domantas Sabonis is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Jabari Walker.
On the other hand, according to our model, Rui Hachimura is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Monday slate closes at 1:10pm AEDT on Monday. 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 Monday contest. 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 Monday 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.
