NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 20, 2026
Mar 19, 2026, 7:59AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest starts at 10:00am AEDT on March 20, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on March 20 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate features these match-ups:
- Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic
- Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Lakers
- New Orleans Pelicans vs LA Clippers
- Utah Jazz vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Sacramento Kings vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons
- San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns
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 reliable 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $25,390 | 65.4 | 2.6 |
| Value | Brandon Miller (CHA, SG/SF) | $13,540 | 42 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Brice Sensabaugh (UTA, SF) | $14,730 | 23.9 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Paul Reed (DET, C) | $7,500 | 21.8 | 2.9 |
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 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 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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $25,390 | 65.4 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jalen Suggs (ORL) | $12,960 | 38.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Cameron Payne (PHI) | $10,310 | 19.2 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Smart (LAL) | $8,850 | 22.3 | 2.5 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $17,430 | 50.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Brandon Miller (CHA) | $13,540 | 42 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Cody Williams (UTA) | $12,110 | 23.3 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Kobe Sanders (LAC) | $6,000 | 16.8 | 2.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,910 | 51.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Brandon Miller (CHA) | $13,540 | 42 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Brice Sensabaugh (UTA) | $14,730 | 23.9 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Simone Fontecchio (MIA) | $6,210 | 17.7 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,910 | 51.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | LeBron James (LAL) | $16,060 | 46.6 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Derik Queen (NOP) | $10,810 | 19.3 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Simone Fontecchio (MIA) | $6,210 | 17.7 | 2.9 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | $21,150 | 56.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jalen Duren (DET) | $17,340 | 50.6 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Derik Queen (NOP) | $10,810 | 19.3 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Paul Reed (DET) | $7,500 | 21.8 | 2.9 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Brandon Miller. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Dončić is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Paul Reed.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brice Sensabaugh 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 Friday slate closes at 10:00am 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 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 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.
