NBA Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for February 23, 2025
Last updated: Feb 22, 2025, 11:57PM | Published: Feb 22, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Sunday DFS contest begins at 11:40am AEDT on February 23, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on February 23 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Sunday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets
- Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets
- Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Philadelphia 76ers 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 reliable 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 make the best selections on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,210 | 69.3 | 2.8 |
| Value | Jabari Smith (HOU, PF/C) | $9,420 | 31.8 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Jusuf Nurkić (CHA, C) | $10,590 | 22 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Aaron Holiday (HOU, PG) | $6,000 | 19.3 | 3.2 |
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 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 | LaMelo Ball (CHA) | $18,380 | 53.1 | 2.9 |
| Value | Aaron Holiday (HOU) | $6,000 | 19.3 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Isaiah Collier (UTA) | $13,100 | 27.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Scoot Henderson (POR) | $9,840 | 27.9 | 2.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jamal Murray (DEN) | $16,120 | 41.6 | 2.6 |
| Value | Cam Whitmore (HOU) | $6,570 | 20.5 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Anfernee Simons (POR) | $13,780 | 30.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Tyrese Martin (BKN) | $6,000 | 16.8 | 2.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $20,950 | 55.4 | 2.6 |
| Value | Cam Whitmore (HOU) | $6,570 | 20.5 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Ziaire Williams (BKN) | $10,830 | 24.6 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Nick Smith (CHA) | $8,610 | 24.1 | 2.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $20,950 | 55.4 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jabari Smith (HOU) | $9,420 | 31.8 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Miles Bridges (CHA) | $17,450 | 41.8 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Dillon Brooks (HOU) | $8,810 | 26.7 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,210 | 69.3 | 2.8 |
| Value | Jabari Smith (HOU) | $9,420 | 31.8 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Jusuf Nurkić (CHA) | $10,590 | 22 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Robert Williams (POR) | $7,840 | 22.2 | 2.8 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jabari Smith. 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 Aaron Holiday.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jusuf Nurkić is one of the lowest 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 Sunday slate closes at 11:40am 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 contest. 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.
