NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 30, 2025
Last updated: Jan 29, 2025, 11:59PM | Published: Jan 29, 2025, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest kicks off at 11:10am AEDT on January 30, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 30 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate includes these match-ups:
- San Antonio Spurs vs LA Clippers
- Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers vs Detroit Pistons
- Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls
- Phoenix Suns vs Minnesota Timberwolves
- Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Sacramento Kings
- Charlotte Hornets vs Brooklyn Nets
- New York Knicks vs Denver Nuggets
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks
- Washington Wizards vs Toronto Raptors
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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 find the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,840 | 64.5 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jonas Valančiūnas (WAS, C) | $11,260 | 41.2 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Jeremy Sochan (SAS, SF/PF) | $11,110 | 19.4 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Ty Jerome (CLE, PG/SG) | $9,850 | 33.8 | 3.4 |
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 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $21,640 | 57.6 | 2.7 |
| Value | Ty Jerome (CLE) | $9,850 | 33.8 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (GSW) | $10,740 | 22 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | T.J. McConnell (IND) | $8,480 | 23.6 | 2.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | RJ Barrett (TOR) | $15,610 | 47.4 | 3 |
| Value | Ty Jerome (CLE) | $9,850 | 33.8 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Christian Braun (DEN) | $11,350 | 23.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Javonte Green (NOP) | $6,570 | 20.8 | 3.2 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,370 | 52.6 | 2.7 |
| Value | Javonte Green (NOP) | $6,570 | 20.8 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Jeremy Sochan (SAS) | $11,110 | 19.4 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Aaron Nesmith (IND) | $6,780 | 18.1 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $19,370 | 52.6 | 2.7 |
| Value | Obi Toppin (IND) | $7,540 | 23.1 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Jeremy Sochan (SAS) | $11,110 | 19.4 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Jarace Walker (IND) | $6,110 | 18.7 | 3.1 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,840 | 64.5 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jonas Valančiūnas (WAS) | $11,260 | 41.2 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Nikola Vučević (CHI) | $17,770 | 40.1 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Richaun Holmes (WAS) | $6,000 | 19.6 | 3.3 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jonas Valančiūnas. 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 Ty Jerome.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jeremy Sochan is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate closes at 11:10am 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 give you an edge 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.
