NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 18, 2024
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024, 10:57PM | Published: Apr 17, 2024, 9:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest starts at 9:10am AEST on April 18, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview aims to guide you in assembling your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests or enhancing your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat
- Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the best 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 Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joel Embiid (PHI, C) | $23,170 | 64.2 | 2.8 |
| Value | Dejounte Murray (ATL, PG/SG) | $15,940 | 50.7 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Javonte Green (CHI, SF/PF) | $12,370 | 23 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Nicolas Batum (PHI, PF) | $6,730 | 17.7 | 2.6 |
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 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 | Trae Young (ATL) | $17,900 | 51 | 2.8 |
| Value | Dejounte Murray (ATL) | $15,940 | 50.7 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | $17,110 | 41.2 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Lowry (PHI) | $7,880 | 17 | 2.2 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dejounte Murray (ATL) | $15,940 | 50.7 | 3.2 |
| Value | Dejounte Murray (ATL) | $15,940 | 50.7 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Kelly Oubre (PHI) | $12,270 | 30.2 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Garrison Mathews (ATL) | $6,000 | 13.2 | 2.2 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | DeMar DeRozan (CHI) | $16,730 | 48.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Bogdan Bogdanovic (ATL) | $11,020 | 33.5 | 3 |
| Fade | Javonte Green (CHI) | $12,370 | 23 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Martin (MIA) | $9,020 | 22.5 | 2.5 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | DeMar DeRozan (CHI) | $16,730 | 48.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | De'Andre Hunter (ATL) | $10,730 | 31.5 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Javonte Green (CHI) | $12,370 | 23 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Nicolas Batum (PHI) | $6,730 | 17.7 | 2.6 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joel Embiid (PHI) | $23,170 | 64.2 | 2.8 |
| Value | Nikola Vucevic (CHI) | $15,280 | 45.1 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Bam Adebayo (MIA) | $15,870 | 44.7 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Bruno Fernando (ATL) | $7,440 | 18.6 | 2.5 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Dejounte Murray. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Joel Embiid 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 Nicolas Batum.
On the other hand, according to our model, Javonte Green 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 Thursday slate closes at 9:10am AEST on Thursday. 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 Thursday 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 Thursday 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.
