NBA Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 28, 2025
Last updated: Dec 27, 2025, 11:57PM | Published: Dec 27, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Sunday DFS contest kicks off at 11:10am AEDT on December 28, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Sunday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Sunday slate includes the following games:
- Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks
- Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Orlando Magic vs Denver Nuggets
- Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns
- San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Brooklyn Nets
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 selections on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $26,460 | 60.9 | 2.3 |
| Value | Julian Champagnie (SAS, SF) | $6,680 | 27.5 | 4.1 |
| Fade | Bobby Portis (MIL, PF/C) | $14,610 | 27 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Clarkson (NYK, SG) | $6,860 | 27.7 | 4 |
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 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 | Josh Giddey (CHI) | $18,370 | 51.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | Dylan Harper (SAS) | $8,900 | 31.7 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Cam Thomas (BKN) | $11,430 | 22.9 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Egor Dëmin (BKN) | $8,140 | 28 | 3.4 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $19,130 | 48.7 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jordan Clarkson (NYK) | $6,860 | 27.7 | 4 |
| Fade | Cam Thomas (BKN) | $11,430 | 22.9 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Dylan Harper (SAS) | $8,900 | 31.7 | 3.6 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Giddey (CHI) | $18,370 | 51.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | Julian Champagnie (SAS) | $6,680 | 27.5 | 4.1 |
| Fade | Aaron Nesmith (IND) | $12,260 | 24.1 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Brice Sensabaugh (UTA) | $8,390 | 29.9 | 3.6 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $19,990 | 56.2 | 2.8 |
| Value | Harrison Barnes (SAS) | $7,940 | 27.8 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Bobby Portis (MIL) | $14,610 | 27 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Peyton Watson (DEN) | $9,280 | 29.1 | 3.1 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $26,460 | 60.9 | 2.3 |
| Value | Zach Collins (CHI) | $6,000 | 20.5 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Bobby Portis (MIL) | $14,610 | 27 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Jalen Smith (CHI) | $7,640 | 23.7 | 3.1 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Julian Champagnie. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić 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 Jordan Clarkson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Bobby Portis 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 Sunday slate closes at 11:10am AEDT on Sunday. 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 Sunday slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Sunday 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.
