NBA Late Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 4, 2025
Last updated: Jan 4, 2025, 1:57AM | Published: Jan 3, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Late Saturday DFS contest commences at 2:10pm AEDT on January 4, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 Saturday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Late Saturday slate includes these games:
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks
- Sacramento Kings vs Memphis Grizzlies
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the best 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Davis (LAL, C) | $21,910 | 61.4 | 2.8 |
| Value | Keon Ellis (SAC, SG) | $7,790 | 26.3 | 3.4 |
| Fade | De'Andre Hunter (ATL, SF/PF) | $13,290 | 28 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Trey Lyles (SAC, PF/C) | $7,770 | 26.3 | 3.4 |
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 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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | Trae Young (ATL) | $19,550 | 49.5 | 2.5 |
| Value | Malik Monk (SAC) | $13,120 | 36.1 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Austin Reaves (LAL) | $17,640 | 38 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Shake Milton (LAL) | $7,600 | 9.5 | 1.2 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Desmond Bane (MEM) | $16,170 | 39.7 | 2.5 |
| Value | Keon Ellis (SAC) | $7,790 | 26.3 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Austin Reaves (LAL) | $17,640 | 38 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Max Christie (LAL) | $8,890 | 21.1 | 2.4 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $21,070 | 53.4 | 2.5 |
| Value | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $13,410 | 36.9 | 2.8 |
| Fade | De'Andre Hunter (ATL) | $13,290 | 28 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Bogdan Bogdanović (ATL) | $9,560 | 22.3 | 2.3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $21,070 | 53.4 | 2.5 |
| Value | Trey Lyles (SAC) | $7,770 | 26.3 | 3.4 |
| Fade | De'Andre Hunter (ATL) | $13,290 | 28 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Jake LaRavia (MEM) | $8,260 | 20.2 | 2.4 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Davis (LAL) | $21,910 | 61.4 | 2.8 |
| Value | Trey Lyles (SAC) | $7,770 | 26.3 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Onyeka Okongwu (ATL) | $10,360 | 25.4 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Clarke (MEM) | $7,800 | 17.3 | 2.2 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Late Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Keon Ellis. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Anthony Davis is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Trey Lyles.
On the other hand, according to our model, De'Andre Hunter 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 Saturday slate closes at 2:10pm AEDT on Saturday. 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 Saturday slate. 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 Saturday 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.
