NBA Wednesday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 24, 2025
Last updated: Dec 23, 2025, 9:57AM | Published: Dec 23, 2025, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Wednesday DFS contest starts at 11:00am AEDT on December 24, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 December 24 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Wednesday slate includes the following games:
- Charlotte Hornets vs Washington Wizards
- LA Clippers vs Houston Rockets
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets
- San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets
- Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls
- Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs New York Knicks
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Orlando Magic
- Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Sacramento Kings vs Detroit Pistons
- Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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 find the best picks on Wednesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,710 | 69.9 | 2.8 |
| Value | Daniel Gafford (DAL, C) | $9,550 | 29.8 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Derik Queen (NOP, C) | $16,740 | 29.4 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Nembhard (DAL, PG) | $8,170 | 24.5 | 3 |
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 budget-conscious strategies, "cheapie" options highlight 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 | Deni Avdija (POR) | $18,670 | 51.7 | 2.8 |
| Value | Immanuel Quickley (TOR) | $13,140 | 39.5 | 3 |
| Fade | Cam Spencer (MEM) | $14,330 | 27.3 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Nembhard (DAL) | $8,170 | 24.5 | 3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $18,810 | 50.2 | 2.7 |
| Value | Vít Krejčí (ATL) | $8,010 | 23.6 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Naji Marshall (DAL) | $10,640 | 20.5 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Quenton Jackson (IND) | $7,590 | 19.8 | 2.6 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $18,560 | 52.5 | 2.8 |
| Value | Paul George (PHI) | $12,620 | 37.8 | 3 |
| Fade | Saddiq Bey (NOP) | $12,340 | 22.5 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Vít Krejčí (ATL) | $8,010 | 23.6 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $22,010 | 53.5 | 2.4 |
| Value | Zion Williamson (NOP) | $15,620 | 46.7 | 3 |
| Fade | Jerami Grant (POR) | $14,610 | 26.3 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Tobias Harris (DET) | $9,890 | 27.7 | 2.8 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,710 | 69.9 | 2.8 |
| Value | Daniel Gafford (DAL) | $9,550 | 29.8 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Derik Queen (NOP) | $16,740 | 29.4 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Goga Bitadze (ORL) | $7,480 | 20.6 | 2.8 |
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 Daniel Gafford. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Ryan Nembhard.
On the other hand, according to our model, Derik Queen is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Wednesday slate closes at 11:00am AEDT 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.
