NBA Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 20, 2026
Last updated: Mar 19, 2026, 11:04PM | Published: Mar 19, 2026, 7:59AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday DFS contest begins at 10:10am AEDT on March 20, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 March 20 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday slate features these games:
- New Orleans Pelicans vs LA Clippers
- Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Utah Jazz vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons
- Sacramento Kings vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic
- San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns
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 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $25,390 | 67.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Goga Bitadze (ORL, C) | $6,240 | 24.8 | 4 |
| Fade | Cody Williams (UTA, SG/SF) | $12,110 | 21.9 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Rasheer Fleming (PHX, PF) | $6,000 | 22.3 | 3.7 |
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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $25,390 | 67.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Sharife Cooper (WAS) | $6,000 | 18.1 | 3 |
| Fade | Cameron Payne (PHI) | $10,310 | 19.2 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Kris Dunn (LAC) | $8,300 | 24.9 | 3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $17,430 | 51 | 2.9 |
| Value | Jordan Goodwin (PHX) | $8,760 | 29.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Cody Williams (UTA) | $12,110 | 21.9 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Elijah Harkless (UTA) | $7,390 | 22.8 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Josh Giddey (CHI) | $20,030 | 49.1 | 2.5 |
| Value | Simone Fontecchio (MIA) | $6,210 | 20.9 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Cody Williams (UTA) | $12,110 | 21.9 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Goodwin (PHX) | $8,760 | 29.3 | 3.3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $16,060 | 45.3 | 2.8 |
| Value | Rasheer Fleming (PHX) | $6,000 | 22.3 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Derik Queen (NOP) | $10,810 | 22.7 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Simone Fontecchio (MIA) | $6,210 | 20.9 | 3.4 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | $21,150 | 56.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Goga Bitadze (ORL) | $6,240 | 24.8 | 4 |
| Fade | Kyle Filipowski (UTA) | $14,730 | 27.2 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Oscar Tshiebwe (UTA) | $6,160 | 22.5 | 3.7 |
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 Goga Bitadze. 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 Rasheer Fleming.
On the other hand, according to our model, Cody Williams 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 Friday slate closes at 10:10am 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.
