NBA Early Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 15, 2025
Last updated: Dec 14, 2025, 7:58PM | Published: Dec 14, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Early Monday DFS contest commences at 7:10am AEDT on December 15, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on December 15 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Early Monday slate features these match-ups:
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets
- Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the best DFS projections in the world.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE, SG/PG) | $19,680 | 49.8 | 2.5 |
| Value | De'Andre Hunter (CLE, SF/PF) | $10,200 | 30.2 | 3 |
| Fade | KJ Simpson (CHA, PG) | $10,820 | 22.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Will Riley (WAS, SF) | $6,750 | 18.7 | 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 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 | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $19,680 | 49.8 | 2.5 |
| Value | T.J. McConnell (IND) | $8,230 | 22.7 | 2.8 |
| Fade | KJ Simpson (CHA) | $10,820 | 22.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Lonzo Ball (CLE) | $8,420 | 22.2 | 2.6 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $19,680 | 49.8 | 2.5 |
| Value | Garrison Mathews (IND) | $6,140 | 16.9 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Kon Knueppel (CHA) | $13,620 | 35.9 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Jamir Watkins (WAS) | $6,320 | 17.1 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Miles Bridges (CHA) | $15,220 | 42.7 | 2.8 |
| Value | De'Andre Hunter (CLE) | $10,200 | 30.2 | 3 |
| Fade | Kyshawn George (WAS) | $13,040 | 29.8 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Will Riley (WAS) | $6,750 | 18.7 | 2.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Pascal Siakam (IND) | $17,320 | 47.7 | 2.8 |
| Value | De'Andre Hunter (CLE) | $10,200 | 30.2 | 3 |
| Fade | Kyshawn George (WAS) | $13,040 | 29.8 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Jarace Walker (IND) | $7,860 | 18.1 | 2.3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jay Huff (IND) | $11,580 | 34 | 2.9 |
| Value | Jay Huff (IND) | $11,580 | 34 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Ryan Kalkbrenner (CHA) | $10,390 | 23.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Isaiah Jackson (IND) | $7,300 | 19.4 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Early Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like De'Andre Hunter. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Donovan Mitchell 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 Will Riley.
On the other hand, according to our model, KJ Simpson 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 Early Monday slate closes at 7:10am 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 Early Monday slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Early 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.
