BBL Scorchers vs Stars Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 17, 2026
Last updated: Jan 17, 2026, 8:59AM | Published: Jan 16, 2026, 9:00PM
Draftstars Australia's BBL Scorchers vs Stars DFS contest starts at 8:15pm AEDT on January 17, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player in the game to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for BBL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' BBL contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 17 and beyond.
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 strongest DFS projections in the world.
With the best BBL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more BBL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We have reviewed players from each team in the Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars match-up to help you find the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cooper Connolly (PER, BOW/BAT) | $19,000 | 67.4 | 3.5 |
| Value | Luke Holt (PER, BOW) | $8,000 | 31.5 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Sam Harper (MLS, BAT) | $16,700 | 38.8 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Joe Clarke (MLS, BAT) | $9,500 | 35.1 | 3.7 |
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
BAT (Batsman)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cooper Connolly (PER) | $19,000 | 67.4 | 3.5 |
| Value | Joe Clarke (MLS) | $9,500 | 35.1 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Sam Harper (MLS) | $16,700 | 38.8 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Hilton Cartwright (MLS) | $8,800 | 25.1 | 2.8 |
BOW (Bowler)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cooper Connolly (PER) | $19,000 | 67.4 | 3.5 |
| Value | Luke Holt (PER) | $8,000 | 31.5 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Tom Curran (MLS) | $17,100 | 44.5 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Mahli Beardman (PER) | $9,000 | 32.3 | 3.6 |
Conclusion
When building your BBL Scorchers vs Stars teams, consider starting with a value player like Luke Holt. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Cooper Connolly is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Joe Clarke.
On the other hand, according to our model, Sam Harper 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' BBL Scorchers vs Stars slate closes at 8:15pm AEDT on Saturday. ENTER NOW!
As with all BBL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven BBL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the BBL Scorchers vs Stars contest. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your BBL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised BBL Scorchers vs Stars 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.
