NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 3, 2025
Last updated: Jan 2, 2025, 11:57PM | Published: Jan 2, 2025, 7:45AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest starts at 11:35am AEDT on January 3, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 3 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate includes the following games:
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs LA Clippers
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets
- Golden State Warriors vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Boston Celtics
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 most accurate 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 make the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joel Embiid (PHI, C) | $19,860 | 62.6 | 3.2 |
| Value | Kevin Porter (LAC, SG/PG) | $8,450 | 27.7 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Payton Pritchard (BOS, PG) | $12,910 | 25.4 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Nikola Jović (MIA, PF) | $8,690 | 24.9 | 2.9 |
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 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 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $22,300 | 50.8 | 2.3 |
| Value | Kevin Porter (LAC) | $8,450 | 27.7 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Payton Pritchard (BOS) | $12,910 | 25.4 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Kris Dunn (LAC) | $8,420 | 23.9 | 2.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $16,290 | 43.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Kevin Porter (LAC) | $8,450 | 27.7 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $13,110 | 28.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Kris Dunn (LAC) | $8,420 | 23.9 | 2.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $20,070 | 54.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Khris Middleton (MIL) | $13,050 | 38.7 | 3 |
| Fade | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $22,190 | 47.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Sam Hauser (BOS) | $6,430 | 18.2 | 2.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $23,010 | 62.4 | 2.7 |
| Value | Nikola Jović (MIA) | $8,690 | 24.9 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $22,190 | 47.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Sam Hauser (BOS) | $6,430 | 18.2 | 2.8 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joel Embiid (PHI) | $19,860 | 62.6 | 3.2 |
| Value | Joel Embiid (PHI) | $19,860 | 62.6 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Rudy Gobert (MIN) | $11,890 | 25.4 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Luke Kornet (BOS) | $6,310 | 17.7 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kevin Porter. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Joel Embiid is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Nikola Jović.
On the other hand, according to our model, Payton Pritchard is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Friday slate closes at 11:35am 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.
