NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for October 24, 2025
Last updated: Oct 23, 2025, 10:57PM | Published: Oct 23, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest begins at 10:40am AEDT on October 24, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on October 24 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate consists of the following games:
- Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets
- Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
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 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best picks on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $22,040 | 58.2 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jaylin Williams (OKC, C) | $6,050 | 21.5 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Andrew Nembhard (IND, PG) | $12,710 | 26.4 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Aaron Wiggins (OKC, SG/SF) | $9,020 | 28.7 | 3.2 |
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 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $20,420 | 51.5 | 2.5 |
| Value | Brandin Podziemski (GSW) | $9,790 | 30.7 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Andrew Nembhard (IND) | $12,710 | 26.4 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Bruce Brown (DEN) | $6,250 | 13.5 | 2.2 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Brandin Podziemski (GSW) | $9,790 | 30.7 | 3.1 |
| Value | Aaron Wiggins (OKC) | $9,020 | 28.7 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Bennedict Mathurin (IND) | $12,020 | 30.4 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Brandin Podziemski (GSW) | $9,790 | 30.7 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jimmy Butler (GSW) | $15,020 | 41.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | Aaron Wiggins (OKC) | $9,020 | 28.7 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Bennedict Mathurin (IND) | $12,020 | 30.4 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Aaron Nesmith (IND) | $9,940 | 28.7 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jimmy Butler (GSW) | $15,020 | 41.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | Cameron Johnson (DEN) | $11,190 | 32.4 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Pascal Siakam (IND) | $15,630 | 38.5 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Obi Toppin (IND) | $9,150 | 23.1 | 2.5 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $22,040 | 58.2 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jaylin Williams (OKC) | $6,050 | 21.5 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Isaiah Jackson (IND) | $10,510 | 25.8 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Jonas Valančiūnas (DEN) | $6,850 | 18.7 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jaylin Williams. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Aaron Wiggins.
On the other hand, according to our model, Andrew Nembhard is one of the lowest 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 10:40am 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.
