NBA Wednesday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 9, 2025
Apr 8, 2025, 8:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Wednesday DFS contest begins at 9:10am AEST on April 9, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Wednesday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Wednesday slate includes these match-ups:
- Charlotte Hornets vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
- LA Clippers vs San Antonio Spurs
- Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls
- New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Phoenix Suns vs Golden State Warriors
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 accurate 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 picks on Wednesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL, C/PF) | $24,650 | 61.1 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jalen Smith (CHI, C) | $7,140 | 30.3 | 4.2 |
| Fade | Jaylin Williams (OKC, C) | $10,280 | 6.7 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Zach Collins (CHI, C) | $8,280 | 32.7 | 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'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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $20,860 | 56.2 | 2.7 |
| Value | Luke Kennard (MEM) | $6,000 | 19.2 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Payton Pritchard (BOS) | $12,810 | 24.6 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Jevon Carter (CHI) | $7,890 | 24.3 | 3.1 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,270 | 49.5 | 2.9 |
| Value | Josh Okogie (CHA) | $6,120 | 21.5 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $14,580 | 31.4 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Luke Kennard (MEM) | $6,000 | 19.2 | 3.2 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,080 | 50.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Josh Okogie (CHA) | $6,120 | 21.5 | 3.5 |
| Fade | OG Anunoby (NYK) | $15,250 | 31.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Julian Champagnie (SAS) | $6,160 | 20.4 | 3.3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $24,650 | 61.1 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jaren Jackson (MEM) | $15,020 | 49.9 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Bobby Portis (MIL) | $13,920 | 24.6 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Trendon Watford (BKN) | $9,370 | 26.7 | 2.9 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $24,650 | 61.1 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jalen Smith (CHI) | $7,140 | 30.3 | 4.2 |
| Fade | Jaylin Williams (OKC) | $10,280 | 6.7 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Zach Collins (CHI) | $8,280 | 32.7 | 3.9 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Wednesday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jalen Smith. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Giannis Antetokounmpo 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 Zach Collins.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jaylin Williams 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 Wednesday slate closes at 9:10am AEST on Wednesday. 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 Wednesday 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 Wednesday 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.
