NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 20, 2025
Last updated: Dec 19, 2025, 11:58AM | Published: Dec 19, 2025, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest begins at 11:00am AEDT on December 20, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 December 20 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate features the following games:
- New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Atlanta Hawks vs San Antonio Spurs
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS, C) | $17,110 | 58.5 | 3.4 |
| Value | Bones Hyland (MIN, PG) | $8,860 | 30.3 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Kel'el Ware (MIA, C) | $12,800 | 21.1 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Harrison Barnes (SAS, PF) | $8,320 | 26.2 | 3.2 |
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 | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $19,390 | 52.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Bones Hyland (MIN) | $8,860 | 30.3 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Davion Mitchell (MIA) | $10,530 | 21.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Anfernee Simons (BOS) | $8,300 | 22.8 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $19,390 | 52.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Quentin Grimes (PHI) | $11,790 | 39.2 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Ajay Mitchell (OKC) | $10,290 | 17.7 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Anfernee Simons (BOS) | $8,300 | 22.8 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $19,680 | 47.5 | 2.4 |
| Value | Dyson Daniels (ATL) | $12,840 | 38.3 | 3 |
| Fade | Jaime Jaquez (MIA) | $11,850 | 26.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | De'Andre Hunter (CLE) | $9,790 | 26.3 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $23,050 | 54.2 | 2.4 |
| Value | Harrison Barnes (SAS) | $8,320 | 26.2 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Naz Reid (MIN) | $12,980 | 26.1 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Dominick Barlow (PHI) | $8,860 | 25 | 2.8 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | $17,110 | 58.5 | 3.4 |
| Value | Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | $17,110 | 58.5 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Kel'el Ware (MIA) | $12,800 | 21.1 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Jalen Smith (CHI) | $6,540 | 18.4 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Bones Hyland. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Victor Wembanyama 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 Harrison Barnes.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kel'el Ware 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 Saturday slate closes at 11:00am 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 Saturday 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 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.
