NBA Early Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 26, 2026
Last updated: Jan 25, 2026, 7:58PM | Published: Jan 25, 2026, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Early Monday DFS contest commences at 7:10am AEDT on January 26, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 26 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Early Monday slate features the following match-ups:
- Detroit Pistons vs Sacramento Kings
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors
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 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cade Cunningham (DET, PG) | $20,430 | 57.7 | 2.8 |
| Value | Malik Monk (SAC, SG/PG) | $8,870 | 26.5 | 3 |
| Fade | Brandin Podziemski (GSW, SG/PG) | $12,220 | 26.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Isaiah Stewart (DET, PF/C) | $9,260 | 26.5 | 2.9 |
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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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 | Cade Cunningham (DET) | $20,430 | 57.7 | 2.8 |
| Value | Malik Monk (SAC) | $8,870 | 26.5 | 3 |
| Fade | Brandin Podziemski (GSW) | $12,220 | 26.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Daniss Jenkins (DET) | $8,550 | 19.8 | 2.3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,960 | 47.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Malik Monk (SAC) | $8,870 | 26.5 | 3 |
| Fade | Brandin Podziemski (GSW) | $12,220 | 26.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Jaden Ivey (DET) | $6,550 | 17.2 | 2.6 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaden McDaniels (MIN) | $13,550 | 32.5 | 2.4 |
| Value | Gary Payton (GSW) | $6,000 | 15.2 | 2.5 |
| Fade | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $10,510 | 25.7 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Duncan Robinson (DET) | $9,120 | 19.8 | 2.2 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Domantas Sabonis (SAC) | $15,330 | 43.5 | 2.8 |
| Value | Isaiah Stewart (DET) | $9,260 | 26.5 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Draymond Green (GSW) | $10,310 | 22.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Tobias Harris (DET) | $9,890 | 26.9 | 2.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Domantas Sabonis (SAC) | $15,330 | 43.5 | 2.8 |
| Value | Jalen Duren (DET) | $14,110 | 41.4 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Draymond Green (GSW) | $10,310 | 22.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Isaiah Stewart (DET) | $9,260 | 26.5 | 2.9 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Early Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Malik Monk. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Cade Cunningham is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Isaiah Stewart.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brandin Podziemski 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 Early Monday slate closes at 7:10am 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 contest. The unique insights here can give you an edge 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.
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