NBA Early Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 26, 2025
Last updated: Jan 25, 2025, 7:58PM | Published: Jan 25, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Early Sunday DFS contest kicks off at 7:10am AEDT on January 26, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy 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 Sunday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Early Sunday slate features the following match-ups:
- Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets
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 most accurate DFS projections available.
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 make the best picks on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $26,060 | 67.7 | 2.6 |
| Value | Kristaps Porziņģis (BOS, C) | $14,330 | 43.2 | 3 |
| Fade | D'Angelo Russell (BKN, PG) | $13,190 | 27.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Day'Ron Sharpe (BKN, C) | $8,490 | 23.1 | 2.7 |
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 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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | Tyler Herro (MIA) | $16,880 | 44 | 2.6 |
| Value | Russell Westbrook (DEN) | $12,470 | 36 | 2.9 |
| Fade | D'Angelo Russell (BKN) | $13,190 | 27.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Jrue Holiday (BOS) | $9,660 | 26.1 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $18,980 | 49.8 | 2.6 |
| Value | Russell Westbrook (DEN) | $12,470 | 36 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Spencer Dinwiddie (DAL) | $10,120 | 23.2 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Duncan Robinson (MIA) | $9,100 | 23.8 | 2.6 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,620 | 49.4 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jaime Jaquez (MIA) | $9,610 | 25.7 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Michael Porter (DEN) | $12,530 | 29.2 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Duncan Robinson (MIA) | $9,100 | 23.8 | 2.6 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,620 | 49.4 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jaime Jaquez (MIA) | $9,610 | 25.7 | 2.7 |
| Fade | P.J. Washington (DAL) | $14,360 | 32.7 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Nikola Jović (MIA) | $9,470 | 24.7 | 2.6 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $26,060 | 67.7 | 2.6 |
| Value | Kristaps Porziņģis (BOS) | $14,330 | 43.2 | 3 |
| Fade | Naz Reid (MIN) | $12,430 | 29.1 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Day'Ron Sharpe (BKN) | $8,490 | 23.1 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Early Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kristaps Porziņģis. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Day'Ron Sharpe.
On the other hand, according to our model, D'Angelo Russell is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Early Sunday slate closes at 7:10am AEDT on Sunday. 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 Sunday contest. 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 Sunday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
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