NBA Late Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 3, 2025
Last updated: Jan 3, 2025, 1:57AM | Published: Jan 2, 2025, 7:45AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Late Friday DFS contest commences at 2:00pm AEDT on January 3, 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 build 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 includes the following match-ups:
- Golden State Warriors vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the best 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 choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joel Embiid (PHI, C) | $19,860 | 62.6 | 3.2 |
| Value | Joel Embiid (PHI, C) | $19,860 | 62.6 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR, SF/SG) | $13,110 | 28.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Rui Hachimura (LAL, SF/PF) | $9,730 | 27.2 | 2.8 |
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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | $18,970 | 45.7 | 2.4 |
| Value | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $16,290 | 43.7 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Austin Reaves (LAL) | $17,140 | 39 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Lowry (PHI) | $6,000 | 12.7 | 2.1 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $16,290 | 43.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $16,290 | 43.7 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $13,110 | 28.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Max Christie (LAL) | $7,670 | 20.5 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $20,070 | 54.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Rui Hachimura (LAL) | $9,730 | 27.2 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $13,110 | 28.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Martin (PHI) | $8,720 | 23.6 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $20,070 | 54.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Rui Hachimura (LAL) | $9,730 | 27.2 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Jonathan Kuminga (GSW) | $14,900 | 37 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Martin (PHI) | $8,720 | 23.6 | 2.7 |
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 | Trayce Jackson-Davis (GSW) | $12,680 | 30.4 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Guerschon Yabusele (PHI) | $9,980 | 23.8 | 2.4 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Late Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Joel Embiid. 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, check out our cheapie options, including Rui Hachimura.
On the other hand, according to our model, Shaedon Sharpe 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 contest. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
