NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 26, 2025
Last updated: Dec 25, 2025, 9:57PM | Published: Dec 24, 2025, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest begins at 9:05am AEDT on December 26, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on December 26 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate consists of the following games:
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets
- Golden State Warriors vs Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $23,970 | 61.1 | 2.5 |
| Value | Ryan Nembhard (DAL, PG) | $8,030 | 24.7 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Austin Reaves (LAL, SG/SF) | $17,030 | 32 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Spencer Jones (DEN, SF) | $6,270 | 18 | 2.9 |
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 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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $23,970 | 61.1 | 2.5 |
| Value | Ryan Nembhard (DAL) | $8,030 | 24.7 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Cooper Flagg (DAL) | $17,510 | 36.1 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Mike Conley (MIN) | $6,000 | 15.5 | 2.6 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Durant (HOU) | $16,340 | 48.2 | 2.9 |
| Value | Amen Thompson (HOU) | $14,820 | 44.7 | 3 |
| Fade | Austin Reaves (LAL) | $17,030 | 32 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | De'Anthony Melton (GSW) | $6,000 | 15.2 | 2.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $18,080 | 48.9 | 2.7 |
| Value | Kevin Durant (HOU) | $16,340 | 48.2 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Austin Reaves (LAL) | $17,030 | 32 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Spencer Jones (DEN) | $6,270 | 18 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Davis (DAL) | $19,810 | 53.9 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jimmy Butler (GSW) | $14,540 | 41.2 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Alperen Sengun (HOU) | $19,440 | 39.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Rui Hachimura (LAL) | $8,120 | 21.6 | 2.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,060 | 57.4 | 2.3 |
| Value | Anthony Davis (DAL) | $19,810 | 53.9 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Alperen Sengun (HOU) | $19,440 | 39.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL) | $6,010 | 15.8 | 2.6 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Ryan Nembhard. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Dončić is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Spencer Jones.
On the other hand, according to our model, Austin Reaves 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' NBA Friday slate closes at 9:05am 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 give you an edge 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.
