NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 27, 2024
Last updated: Dec 26, 2024, 11:57PM | Published: Dec 26, 2024, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest starts at 11:10am AEDT on December 27, 2024, 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 build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on December 27 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate includes these games:
- Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Utah Jazz
- Sacramento Kings vs Detroit Pistons
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Toronto Raptors
- Orlando Magic vs Miami Heat
- Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Hornets
- Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets
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 strongest 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've 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 | Domantas Sabonis (SAC, C) | $21,810 | 55.9 | 2.6 |
| Value | Talen Horton-Tucker (CHI, SG/SF) | $6,000 | 29.8 | 5 |
| Fade | Cole Anthony (ORL, PG) | $10,950 | 16.6 | 1.5 |
| Cheapie | Josh Green (CHA, PF/SF) | $6,020 | 20.4 | 3.4 |
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 | LaMelo Ball (CHA) | $22,560 | 55.1 | 2.4 |
| Value | Malik Monk (SAC) | $13,840 | 42 | 3 |
| Fade | Cole Anthony (ORL) | $10,950 | 16.6 | 1.5 |
| Cheapie | Scoot Henderson (POR) | $9,490 | 28.6 | 3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Malik Monk (SAC) | $13,840 | 42 | 3 |
| Value | Talen Horton-Tucker (CHI) | $6,000 | 29.8 | 5 |
| Fade | Malik Beasley (DET) | $12,510 | 22.3 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Jaylen Wells (MEM) | $7,620 | 24.3 | 3.2 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Scottie Barnes (TOR) | $18,080 | 49.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Talen Horton-Tucker (CHI) | $6,000 | 29.8 | 5 |
| Fade | Malik Beasley (DET) | $12,510 | 22.3 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Josh Green (CHA) | $6,020 | 20.4 | 3.4 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $18,370 | 44.6 | 2.4 |
| Value | Josh Green (CHA) | $6,020 | 20.4 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Obi Toppin (IND) | $11,110 | 19.3 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Jalen Smith (CHI) | $8,270 | 26.4 | 3.2 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Domantas Sabonis (SAC) | $21,810 | 55.9 | 2.6 |
| Value | Walker Kessler (UTA) | $13,970 | 45.1 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Obi Toppin (IND) | $11,110 | 19.3 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Jalen Smith (CHI) | $8,270 | 26.4 | 3.2 |
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 Talen Horton-Tucker. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Domantas Sabonis 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 Josh Green.
On the other hand, according to our model, Cole Anthony 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 Friday slate closes at 11:10am 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 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 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.
