NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 23, 2025
Last updated: Jan 22, 2025, 11:57PM | Published: Jan 22, 2025, 10:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest kicks off at 11:40am AEDT on January 23, 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 essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 23 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Atlanta Hawks vs Detroit Pistons
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz
- Houston Rockets vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Sacramento Kings vs Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Charlotte Hornets
- Brooklyn Nets vs Phoenix Suns
- LA Clippers vs Boston Celtics
- Dallas Mavericks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
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 strongest 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC, PG) | $21,090 | 60.3 | 2.9 |
| Value | Keon Johnson (BKN, SG) | $6,750 | 27 | 4 |
| Fade | Isaiah Collier (UTA, PG) | $12,570 | 21.5 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Tyrese Martin (BKN, SG) | $7,160 | 27.8 | 3.9 |
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 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 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $21,090 | 60.3 | 2.9 |
| Value | Ja Morant (MEM) | $15,740 | 46.9 | 3 |
| Fade | Isaiah Collier (UTA) | $12,570 | 21.5 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Rob Dillingham (MIN) | $6,000 | 17.6 | 2.9 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Devin Booker (PHX) | $18,300 | 47.2 | 2.6 |
| Value | Keon Johnson (BKN) | $6,750 | 27 | 4 |
| Fade | Jalen Green (HOU) | $16,020 | 30.2 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Tyrese Martin (BKN) | $7,160 | 27.8 | 3.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,790 | 51.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Quentin Grimes (DAL) | $8,740 | 26.5 | 3 |
| Fade | Lauri Markkanen (UTA) | $13,140 | 30.8 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Grayson Allen (PHX) | $8,800 | 24.6 | 2.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,790 | 51.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Noah Clowney (BKN) | $8,800 | 28.3 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Naz Reid (MIN) | $13,090 | 28.1 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Jalen Wilson (BKN) | $6,890 | 21.2 | 3.1 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Domantas Sabonis (SAC) | $21,740 | 55.2 | 2.5 |
| Value | Day'Ron Sharpe (BKN) | $7,660 | 26 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Onyeka Okongwu (ATL) | $14,600 | 30.8 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Olivier-Maxence Prosper (DAL) | $6,000 | 17.7 | 2.9 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Keon Johnson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Tyrese Martin.
On the other hand, according to our model, Isaiah Collier 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 Thursday slate closes at 11:40am AEDT 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.
