NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 12, 2025
Last updated: Dec 12, 2025, 12:57AM | Published: Dec 11, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest starts at 12:10pm AEDT on December 12, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy 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 12 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate includes the following match-ups:
- Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers
- Sacramento Kings vs Denver Nuggets
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics
- New Orleans Pelicans 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 produce 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 find the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,700 | 69.3 | 2.7 |
| Value | Duop Reath (POR, C) | $6,000 | 23.7 | 4 |
| Fade | Myles Turner (MIL, C) | $11,190 | 22 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Sidy Cissoko (POR, SG/SF) | $6,160 | 20.4 | 3.3 |
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'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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | Deni Avdija (POR) | $20,670 | 54.2 | 2.6 |
| Value | Aaron Holiday (HOU) | $6,000 | 18.9 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Malik Monk (SAC) | $12,760 | 25.9 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Poole (NOP) | $9,200 | 25.9 | 2.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Trey Murphy (NOP) | $16,440 | 42.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | Sidy Cissoko (POR) | $6,160 | 20.4 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Malik Monk (SAC) | $12,760 | 25.9 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Nique Clifford (SAC) | $6,320 | 19 | 3 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Deni Avdija (POR) | $20,670 | 54.2 | 2.6 |
| Value | Sidy Cissoko (POR) | $6,160 | 20.4 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Kyle Kuzma (MIL) | $10,560 | 23.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Kris Murray (POR) | $6,160 | 19.8 | 3.2 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Alperen Sengun (HOU) | $18,810 | 46.9 | 2.5 |
| Value | Cameron Johnson (DEN) | $11,380 | 34.9 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Bobby Portis (MIL) | $10,840 | 23 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | John Collins (LAC) | $9,670 | 27.1 | 2.8 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,700 | 69.3 | 2.7 |
| Value | Duop Reath (POR) | $6,000 | 23.7 | 4 |
| Fade | Myles Turner (MIL) | $11,190 | 22 | 2 |
| Cheapie | John Collins (LAC) | $9,670 | 27.1 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Duop Reath. 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 Sidy Cissoko.
On the other hand, according to our model, Myles Turner is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Friday slate closes at 12:10pm AEDT on Friday. 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 Friday 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 Friday 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.
