NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 27, 2025
Last updated: Dec 26, 2025, 9:58AM | Published: Dec 26, 2025, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest starts at 11:00am AEDT on December 27, 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 a must 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 December 27 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Utah Jazz vs Detroit Pistons
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat
- Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets
- Washington Wizards vs Toronto Raptors
- Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers
- Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics
- Chicago Bulls vs Philadelphia 76ers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the most accurate 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 find the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cade Cunningham (DET, PG) | $20,880 | 59.7 | 2.9 |
| Value | Jamal Shead (TOR, PG) | $7,030 | 24.9 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Andre Drummond (PHI, C) | $10,720 | 20.9 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Ochai Agbaji (TOR, SF/SG) | $6,000 | 20.8 | 3.5 |
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 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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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 | Cade Cunningham (DET) | $20,880 | 59.7 | 2.9 |
| Value | Jamal Shead (TOR) | $7,030 | 24.9 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Isaiah Collier (UTA) | $10,970 | 23.3 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Bub Carrington (WAS) | $9,980 | 26.7 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Porter (MIL) | $17,760 | 45.2 | 2.5 |
| Value | Ochai Agbaji (TOR) | $6,000 | 20.8 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Bennedict Mathurin (IND) | $12,840 | 28.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Bogdan Bogdanović (LAC) | $6,000 | 18.9 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,760 | 52 | 2.9 |
| Value | Ochai Agbaji (TOR) | $6,000 | 20.8 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Bennedict Mathurin (IND) | $12,840 | 28.7 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Dunn (PHX) | $7,410 | 24.6 | 3.3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $19,800 | 54.5 | 2.8 |
| Value | Ryan Dunn (PHX) | $7,410 | 24.6 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Jaren Jackson (MEM) | $14,360 | 30 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Nicolas Batum (LAC) | $6,000 | 17.4 | 2.9 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joel Embiid (PHI) | $17,890 | 51.3 | 2.9 |
| Value | Oso Ighodaro (PHX) | $6,420 | 20.1 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Andre Drummond (PHI) | $10,720 | 20.9 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (LAC) | $6,000 | 17.3 | 2.9 |
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 Jamal Shead. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Cade Cunningham 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 Ochai Agbaji.
On the other hand, according to our model, Andre Drummond is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out 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 slate. 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.
