NBA Early Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 3, 2025
Last updated: Mar 2, 2025, 7:57PM | Published: Mar 2, 2025, 9:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Early Monday DFS contest starts at 7:40am AEDT on March 3, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on March 3 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Early Monday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Portland Trail Blazers
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best picks on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tyrese Haliburton (IND, PG) | $19,480 | 46.4 | 2.4 |
| Value | Jalen Smith (CHI, C) | $7,110 | 26.7 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR, SG/SF) | $13,030 | 22.3 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Thomas Bryant (IND, C) | $6,780 | 19 | 2.8 |
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
PG (Point Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tyrese Haliburton (IND) | $19,480 | 46.4 | 2.4 |
| Value | Andrew Nembhard (IND) | $10,880 | 30 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Ty Jerome (CLE) | $11,640 | 27.4 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | T.J. McConnell (IND) | $8,330 | 20.2 | 2.4 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Coby White (CHI) | $13,410 | 33.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Andrew Nembhard (IND) | $10,880 | 30 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $13,030 | 22.3 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Kevin Huerter (CHI) | $9,350 | 23.7 | 2.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Coby White (CHI) | $13,410 | 33.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Deni Avdija (POR) | $12,180 | 33.1 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $13,030 | 22.3 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Max Strus (CLE) | $9,290 | 22 | 2.4 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Evan Mobley (CLE) | $16,920 | 45.6 | 2.7 |
| Value | Deni Avdija (POR) | $12,180 | 33.1 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Matas Buzelis (CHI) | $10,040 | 23.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Dean Wade (CLE) | $6,580 | 15.1 | 2.3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Evan Mobley (CLE) | $16,920 | 45.6 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jalen Smith (CHI) | $7,110 | 26.7 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Donovan Clingan (POR) | $12,190 | 31 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Thomas Bryant (IND) | $6,780 | 19 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Early Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jalen Smith. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tyrese Haliburton is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Thomas Bryant.
On the other hand, according to our model, Shaedon Sharpe is one of the lowest 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 7:40am 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 give you an edge 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.
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