NBA Thursday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 13, 2025
Mar 12, 2025, 10:58PM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday Late DFS contest starts at 1:10pm AEDT on March 13, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data 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 Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday Late slate includes these match-ups:
- Portland Trail Blazers vs New York Knicks
- Denver Nuggets 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 produce 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $26,320 | 71.4 | 2.7 |
| Value | Anthony Edwards (MIN, SG/PG) | $17,420 | 50.1 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Naz Reid (MIN, PF/C) | $14,630 | 30.8 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Cameron Payne (NYK, PG/SG) | $6,000 | 15.2 | 2.5 |
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'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 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 | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,420 | 50.1 | 2.9 |
| Value | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,420 | 50.1 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Anfernee Simons (POR) | $15,140 | 37.4 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Cameron Payne (NYK) | $6,000 | 15.2 | 2.5 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,420 | 50.1 | 2.9 |
| Value | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,420 | 50.1 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Christian Braun (DEN) | $13,730 | 32.7 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Cameron Payne (NYK) | $6,000 | 15.2 | 2.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Hart (NYK) | $16,640 | 42.5 | 2.6 |
| Value | Michael Porter (DEN) | $13,860 | 36.3 | 2.6 |
| Fade | Jaden McDaniels (MIN) | $14,730 | 31.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Peyton Watson (DEN) | $6,920 | 15.4 | 2.2 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Hart (NYK) | $16,640 | 42.5 | 2.6 |
| Value | Julius Randle (MIN) | $14,740 | 39 | 2.6 |
| Fade | Naz Reid (MIN) | $14,630 | 30.8 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Zeke Nnaji (DEN) | $6,000 | 10.9 | 1.8 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $26,320 | 71.4 | 2.7 |
| Value | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $19,560 | 53.6 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Naz Reid (MIN) | $14,630 | 30.8 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Mitchell Robinson (NYK) | $6,000 | 13.2 | 2.2 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Thursday Late teams, consider starting with a value player like Anthony Edwards. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Cameron Payne.
On the other hand, according to our model, Naz Reid is one of the worst 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 Late slate closes at 1:10pm 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 Late 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 Late 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.
