NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 9, 2025
Last updated: Jan 8, 2025, 11:57PM | Published: Jan 8, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest kicks off at 11:10am AEDT on January 9, 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 build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 9 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate includes the following games:
- Brooklyn Nets vs Detroit Pistons
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Denver Nuggets vs LA Clippers
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards
- Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls
- New York Knicks vs Toronto Raptors
- Milwaukee Bucks vs San Antonio Spurs
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 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 selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $26,240 | 68.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | Thomas Bryant (IND, C) | $6,000 | 26.6 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Justin Champagnie (WAS, SF) | $10,800 | 21.3 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Obi Toppin (IND, C/PF) | $7,750 | 26.9 | 3.5 |
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 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) | $20,660 | 52.9 | 2.6 |
| Value | Dejounte Murray (NOP) | $15,340 | 49.5 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Coby White (CHI) | $15,220 | 32.3 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Tre Jones (SAS) | $6,000 | 17.8 | 3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zach LaVine (CHI) | $17,420 | 41.1 | 2.4 |
| Value | Julian Strawther (DEN) | $6,140 | 20.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Gradey Dick (TOR) | $10,510 | 21.1 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Tyrese Martin (BKN) | $9,630 | 27.9 | 2.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Scottie Barnes (TOR) | $16,710 | 43 | 2.6 |
| Value | Kyle Kuzma (WAS) | $11,430 | 41.5 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Justin Champagnie (WAS) | $10,800 | 21.3 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Herbert Jones (NOP) | $9,880 | 26.4 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $22,650 | 62 | 2.7 |
| Value | Kyle Kuzma (WAS) | $11,430 | 41.5 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Caleb Martin (PHI) | $10,890 | 24.3 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Obi Toppin (IND) | $7,750 | 26.9 | 3.5 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $26,240 | 68.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | Thomas Bryant (IND) | $6,000 | 26.6 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Brook Lopez (MIL) | $10,990 | 24.6 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Obi Toppin (IND) | $7,750 | 26.9 | 3.5 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Thomas Bryant. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Obi Toppin.
On the other hand, according to our model, Justin Champagnie is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building 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 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 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.
