NBA Early Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 25, 2026
Last updated: Jan 24, 2026, 7:57PM | Published: Jan 24, 2026, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Early Sunday DFS contest begins at 7:10am AEDT on January 25, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential 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 January 25 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Early Sunday slate includes these games:
- Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks
- 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 make some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tyrese Maxey (PHI, PG) | $19,920 | 50 | 2.5 |
| Value | Kelly Oubre (PHI, SG/SF) | $10,100 | 31.1 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Mitchell Robinson (NYK, C) | $10,180 | 18.9 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Dominick Barlow (PHI, PF) | $7,400 | 20.1 | 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 budget-conscious strategies, "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 | Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | $19,920 | 50 | 2.5 |
| Value | Stephen Curry (GSW) | $16,580 | 48.7 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Quentin Grimes (PHI) | $10,230 | 20.6 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Mike Conley (MIN) | $6,000 | 11.7 | 2 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $17,960 | 47.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Kelly Oubre (PHI) | $10,100 | 31.1 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Quentin Grimes (PHI) | $10,230 | 20.6 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Gary Payton (GSW) | $6,000 | 15.2 | 2.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul George (PHI) | $13,190 | 35.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Kelly Oubre (PHI) | $10,100 | 31.1 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Jaden McDaniels (MIN) | $13,550 | 32.5 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Gary Payton (GSW) | $6,000 | 15.2 | 2.5 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $17,970 | 42.1 | 2.3 |
| Value | Dominick Barlow (PHI) | $7,400 | 20.1 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Draymond Green (GSW) | $10,310 | 22.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Gui Santos (GSW) | $7,490 | 12.4 | 1.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joel Embiid (PHI) | $19,100 | 44.5 | 2.3 |
| Value | Naz Reid (MIN) | $12,450 | 31.7 | 2.5 |
| Fade | Mitchell Robinson (NYK) | $10,180 | 18.9 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Al Horford (GSW) | $8,250 | 20.8 | 2.5 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Early Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kelly Oubre. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tyrese Maxey 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 Dominick Barlow.
On the other hand, according to our model, Mitchell Robinson 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 Sunday slate closes at 7:10am AEDT on Sunday. 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 Sunday 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 Sunday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
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