NBA Early Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for February 23, 2026
Last updated: Feb 22, 2026, 7:58PM | Published: Feb 22, 2026, 7:59AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Early Monday DFS contest begins at 7:40am AEDT on February 23, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 February 23 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Early Monday slate includes these match-ups:
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors
- Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets
- Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the strongest 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 make the best choices on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,170 | 65.5 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jalen Johnson (ATL, PF) | $19,270 | 62.2 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Myles Turner (MIL, C) | $10,480 | 22.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Corey Kispert (ATL, SF) | $6,590 | 18.7 | 2.8 |
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 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 | Jamal Murray (DEN) | $17,080 | 49 | 2.9 |
| Value | Immanuel Quickley (TOR) | $13,200 | 38.4 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Nolan Traore (BKN) | $11,640 | 25.5 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | De'Anthony Melton (GSW) | $9,100 | 24.7 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Porter (MIL) | $16,820 | 38.5 | 2.3 |
| Value | RJ Barrett (TOR) | $12,470 | 37 | 3 |
| Fade | Brandin Podziemski (GSW) | $12,560 | 27.6 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | De'Anthony Melton (GSW) | $9,100 | 24.7 | 2.7 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Michael Porter (BKN) | $15,910 | 43.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | Brandon Ingram (TOR) | $14,090 | 41.4 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Kyle Kuzma (MIL) | $10,660 | 22.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Corey Kispert (ATL) | $6,590 | 18.7 | 2.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $19,270 | 62.2 | 3.2 |
| Value | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $19,270 | 62.2 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Kyle Kuzma (MIL) | $10,660 | 22.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Cameron Johnson (DEN) | $9,930 | 28 | 2.8 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,170 | 65.5 | 2.7 |
| Value | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,170 | 65.5 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Myles Turner (MIL) | $10,480 | 22.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Al Horford (GSW) | $9,200 | 24.2 | 2.6 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Early Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jalen Johnson. 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, explore our cheapie options, including Corey Kispert.
On the other hand, according to our model, Myles Turner 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 Early Monday slate closes at 7:40am AEDT on Monday. 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 Early Monday slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Early Monday 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.
