NBA Wednesday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for December 31, 2025
Last updated: Dec 30, 2025, 9:57AM | Published: Dec 30, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Wednesday Late DFS contest starts at 2:30pm AEDT on December 31, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Wednesday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Wednesday Late slate consists of the following match-ups:
- LA Clippers vs Sacramento Kings
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Detroit Pistons
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 best DFS projections in the world.
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 find the best choices on Wednesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $23,620 | 57.7 | 2.4 |
| Value | LeBron James (LAL, SF/PF) | $16,070 | 45.6 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Keegan Murray (SAC, PF) | $12,020 | 20 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Smart (LAL, PG/SG) | $9,480 | 25.7 | 2.7 |
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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $23,620 | 57.7 | 2.4 |
| Value | James Harden (LAC) | $19,240 | 52.3 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (SAC) | $11,210 | 20 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Smart (LAL) | $9,480 | 25.7 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $10,360 | 28.6 | 2.8 |
| Value | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $10,360 | 28.6 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Jaden Ivey (DET) | $10,720 | 27.2 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Smart (LAL) | $9,480 | 25.7 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $20,580 | 48.8 | 2.4 |
| Value | LeBron James (LAL) | $16,070 | 45.6 | 2.8 |
| Fade | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $15,710 | 33.7 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Duncan Robinson (DET) | $8,270 | 20.7 | 2.5 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $20,580 | 48.8 | 2.4 |
| Value | LeBron James (LAL) | $16,070 | 45.6 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Keegan Murray (SAC) | $12,020 | 20 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL) | $6,760 | 18.1 | 2.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Duren (DET) | $14,770 | 33.1 | 2.2 |
| Value | Brook Lopez (LAC) | $11,340 | 31.3 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Maxime Raynaud (SAC) | $13,210 | 32.5 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL) | $6,760 | 18.1 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Wednesday Late teams, consider starting with a value player like LeBron James. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Dončić is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Marcus Smart.
On the other hand, according to our model, Keegan Murray 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 Wednesday Late slate closes at 2:30pm 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 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 Wednesday Late line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
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