NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 8, 2025
Last updated: Mar 7, 2025, 11:57PM | Published: Mar 7, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest begins at 11:10am AEDT on March 8, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy 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 March 8 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate consists of the following games:
- Dallas Mavericks vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Miami Heat vs Minnesota Timberwolves
- Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns
- LA Clippers vs New York Knicks
- Toronto Raptors vs Utah Jazz
- Sacramento Kings vs San Antonio Spurs
- Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers
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 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,530 | 75.7 | 3.1 |
| Value | Miles McBride (NYK, SG/PG) | $7,200 | 27.9 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Kyle Filipowski (UTA, C) | $10,910 | 19.2 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Cameron Payne (NYK, SG/PG) | $6,000 | 22.6 | 3.8 |
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 | James Harden (LAC) | $19,350 | 52.5 | 2.7 |
| Value | Miles McBride (NYK) | $7,200 | 27.9 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Scoot Henderson (POR) | $10,590 | 22.5 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Cameron Payne (NYK) | $6,000 | 22.6 | 3.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Devin Booker (PHX) | $16,680 | 47.5 | 2.9 |
| Value | Miles McBride (NYK) | $7,200 | 27.9 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Collin Sexton (UTA) | $11,060 | 24.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Cameron Payne (NYK) | $6,000 | 22.6 | 3.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Scottie Barnes (TOR) | $19,120 | 52.4 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jake LaRavia (SAC) | $6,840 | 24.7 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $14,330 | 32.6 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Jamison Battle (TOR) | $6,000 | 19.1 | 3.2 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Evan Mobley (CLE) | $15,760 | 49.4 | 3.1 |
| Value | Jake LaRavia (SAC) | $6,840 | 24.7 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Naz Reid (MIN) | $14,120 | 29 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | KJ Martin (UTA) | $6,280 | 18.9 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,530 | 75.7 | 3.1 |
| Value | Mason Plumlee (PHX) | $7,010 | 22.9 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Kyle Filipowski (UTA) | $10,910 | 19.2 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Orlando Robinson (TOR) | $9,300 | 27.8 | 3 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Miles McBride. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Cameron Payne.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kyle Filipowski is one of the lowest 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 11:10am 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 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 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.
