NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for February 20, 2026
Last updated: Feb 20, 2026, 12:03AM | Published: Feb 19, 2026, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest commences at 11:10am AEDT on February 20, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 February 20 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate consists of these games:
- Charlotte Hornets vs Houston Rockets
- San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns
- Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics
- Sacramento Kings vs Orlando Magic
- New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons
- LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
- Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks
- Chicago Bulls vs Toronto Raptors
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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 Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,800 | 62 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jakob Poeltl (TOR, C) | $8,010 | 27.9 | 3.5 |
| Fade | DeMar DeRozan (SAC, SF/PF) | $11,750 | 25.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Trendon Watford (PHI, PF) | $6,000 | 20.1 | 3.3 |
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 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 | Cade Cunningham (DET) | $19,750 | 50.1 | 2.5 |
| Value | Dylan Harper (SAS) | $8,240 | 26.4 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Stephon Castle (SAS) | $13,170 | 30.4 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Egor Dëmin (BKN) | $8,990 | 27.9 | 3.1 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $17,200 | 47.2 | 2.7 |
| Value | Gary Payton (GSW) | $6,000 | 19.7 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Grayson Allen (PHX) | $12,990 | 28.3 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Dylan Harper (SAS) | $8,240 | 26.4 | 3.2 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $18,460 | 55.4 | 3 |
| Value | Gary Payton (GSW) | $6,000 | 19.7 | 3.3 |
| Fade | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $11,750 | 25.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Corey Kispert (ATL) | $6,000 | 19.6 | 3.3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $20,430 | 58.9 | 2.9 |
| Value | Trendon Watford (PHI) | $6,000 | 20.1 | 3.3 |
| Fade | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $11,750 | 25.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Kobe Brown (IND) | $6,000 | 19.3 | 3.2 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,800 | 62 | 2.5 |
| Value | Jakob Poeltl (TOR) | $8,010 | 27.9 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $16,770 | 37.5 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Moritz Wagner (ORL) | $6,800 | 22 | 3.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jakob Poeltl. 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 Trendon Watford.
On the other hand, according to our model, DeMar DeRozan is one of the worst 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 Friday slate closes at 11:10am AEDT on Friday. 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 Friday 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 Friday 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.
