NBA Late Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 29, 2025
Last updated: Dec 28, 2025, 12:58PM | Published: Dec 28, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Late Monday DFS contest commences at 1:00pm AEDT on December 29, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Monday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Late Monday slate features these match-ups:
- LA Clippers vs Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Sacramento Kings
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 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $24,680 | 59.4 | 2.4 |
| Value | Dennis Schröder (SAC, PG) | $10,180 | 32 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Maxime Raynaud (SAC, C) | $12,220 | 27.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Jake LaRavia (LAL, SF/PF) | $7,180 | 22.2 | 3.1 |
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 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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $24,680 | 59.4 | 2.4 |
| Value | Dennis Schröder (SAC) | $10,180 | 32 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Russell Westbrook (SAC) | $15,640 | 40.9 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Smart (LAL) | $8,820 | 26.8 | 3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Marcus Smart (LAL) | $8,820 | 26.8 | 3 |
| Value | Marcus Smart (LAL) | $8,820 | 26.8 | 3 |
| Fade | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $10,420 | 24.9 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Nique Clifford (SAC) | $7,940 | 21.7 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,800 | 46.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jake LaRavia (LAL) | $7,180 | 22.2 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $10,420 | 24.9 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Rui Hachimura (LAL) | $7,890 | 22.8 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,800 | 46.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jake LaRavia (LAL) | $7,180 | 22.2 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Tobias Harris (DET) | $10,240 | 24.1 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Rui Hachimura (LAL) | $7,890 | 22.8 | 2.9 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Deandre Ayton (LAL) | $13,420 | 38.4 | 2.9 |
| Value | Deandre Ayton (LAL) | $13,420 | 38.4 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Maxime Raynaud (SAC) | $12,220 | 27.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Isaiah Stewart (DET) | $7,950 | 22.6 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Late Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Dennis Schröder. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Dončić is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Jake LaRavia.
On the other hand, according to our model, Maxime Raynaud is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Late Monday slate closes at 1:00pm AEDT on Monday. 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 Monday 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 Monday 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.
