NBA Late Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 24, 2025
Last updated: Jan 24, 2025, 1:57AM | Published: Jan 23, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Late Friday DFS contest starts at 2:00pm AEDT on January 24, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 Friday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Late Friday slate consists of the following games:
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics
- LA Clippers vs Washington Wizards
- Golden State Warriors vs Chicago Bulls
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 most reliable DFS projections available.
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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS, SF/PF) | $20,010 | 54.5 | 2.7 |
| Value | Kyshawn George (WAS, SG) | $7,340 | 22.6 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Kevin Porter (LAC, PG/SG) | $11,180 | 16.9 | 1.5 |
| Cheapie | Kevon Looney (GSW, C) | $8,880 | 26.2 | 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'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 | James Harden (LAC) | $18,540 | 53 | 2.9 |
| Value | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $17,390 | 50.8 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Kevin Porter (LAC) | $11,180 | 16.9 | 1.5 |
| Cheapie | Jrue Holiday (BOS) | $9,820 | 25.5 | 2.6 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $17,390 | 50.8 | 2.9 |
| Value | Kyshawn George (WAS) | $7,340 | 22.6 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Kevin Porter (LAC) | $11,180 | 16.9 | 1.5 |
| Cheapie | Moses Moody (GSW) | $7,850 | 22.1 | 2.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,010 | 54.5 | 2.7 |
| Value | Moses Moody (GSW) | $7,850 | 22.1 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Buddy Hield (GSW) | $10,900 | 23.6 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Bilal Coulibaly (WAS) | $9,780 | 26.8 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,010 | 54.5 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,010 | 54.5 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Alex Sarr (WAS) | $11,230 | 26 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Patrick Williams (CHI) | $7,860 | 21.4 | 2.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Davis (LAL) | $21,250 | 53.5 | 2.5 |
| Value | Kevon Looney (GSW) | $8,880 | 26.2 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Alex Sarr (WAS) | $11,230 | 26 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Mo Bamba (LAC) | $6,000 | 17.4 | 2.9 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Late Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kyshawn George. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jayson Tatum is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Kevon Looney.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kevin Porter is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Late Friday slate closes at 2:00pm 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 Late Friday slate. 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 Late 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.
