BBL Stars vs Thunder Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 28, 2025
Last updated: Dec 28, 2025, 7:59AM | Published: Dec 27, 2025, 10:59PM
Draftstars Australia's BBL Stars vs Thunder DFS contest commences at 7:15pm AEDT on December 28, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player in the game to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for BBL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' BBL contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Sunday 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 best DFS projections in the world.
With the latest BBL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more BBL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We've reviewed players from each team in the Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder match-up to help you find the best selections on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Glenn Maxwell (MLS, BAT/BOW) | $18,500 | 59.5 | 3.2 |
| Value | Joe Clarke (MLS, BAT) | $9,500 | 38.5 | 4 |
| Fade | Cameron Bancroft (SYT, BAT) | $14,800 | 34.4 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Hadley (SYT, BOW) | $8,000 | 30.6 | 3.8 |
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 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
BAT (Batsman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Glenn Maxwell (MLS) | $18,500 | 59.5 | 3.2 |
| Value | Joe Clarke (MLS) | $9,500 | 38.5 | 4 |
| Fade | Cameron Bancroft (SYT) | $14,800 | 34.4 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Hilton Cartwright (MLS) | $8,800 | 29.8 | 3.4 |
BOW (Bowler)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Glenn Maxwell (MLS) | $18,500 | 59.5 | 3.2 |
| Value | Ryan Hadley (SYT) | $8,000 | 30.6 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Reece Topley (SYT) | $16,600 | 41 | 2.5 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your BBL Stars vs Thunder teams, consider starting with a value player like Joe Clarke. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Glenn Maxwell is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Ryan Hadley.
On the other hand, according to our model, Cameron Bancroft 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' BBL Stars vs Thunder slate closes at 7:15pm AEDT on Sunday. ENTER NOW!
As with all BBL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven BBL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the BBL Stars vs Thunder slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your BBL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised BBL Stars vs Thunder 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.
