NBA Friday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for February 20, 2026
Last updated: Feb 20, 2026, 1:58AM | Published: Feb 19, 2026, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday Late DFS contest commences at 2:10pm AEDT on February 20, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data 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 put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Friday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday Late slate includes these match-ups:
- LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
- Sacramento Kings vs Orlando Magic
- Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the best DFS projections in the world.
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 choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,800 | 62 | 2.5 |
| Value | Moritz Wagner (ORL, C) | $6,800 | 22 | 3.2 |
| Fade | DeMar DeRozan (SAC, SF/PF) | $11,750 | 25.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Derrick Jones (LAC, PF/SF) | $7,780 | 23.4 | 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 | Jamal Murray (DEN) | $16,570 | 48.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Pat Spencer (GSW) | $9,000 | 27 | 3 |
| Fade | Brandin Podziemski (GSW) | $10,250 | 26.5 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Bruce Brown (DEN) | $6,180 | 18 | 2.9 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Derrick White (BOS) | $13,950 | 39.1 | 2.8 |
| Value | Tim Hardaway (DEN) | $7,910 | 22.7 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Nique Clifford (SAC) | $10,660 | 23.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | De'Anthony Melton (GSW) | $8,800 | 25.1 | 2.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $18,460 | 55.4 | 3 |
| Value | Derrick Jones (LAC) | $7,780 | 23.4 | 3 |
| Fade | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $11,750 | 25.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Tristan da Silva (ORL) | $6,000 | 17.7 | 3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $18,460 | 55.4 | 3 |
| Value | Derrick Jones (LAC) | $7,780 | 23.4 | 3 |
| Fade | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $11,750 | 25.2 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Tristan da Silva (ORL) | $6,000 | 17.7 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,800 | 62 | 2.5 |
| Value | Moritz Wagner (ORL) | $6,800 | 22 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Maxime Raynaud (SAC) | $12,500 | 29.2 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Brook Lopez (LAC) | $8,420 | 24.2 | 2.9 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Friday Late teams, consider starting with a value player like Moritz Wagner. 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 Derrick Jones.
On the other hand, according to our model, DeMar DeRozan is one of the lowest 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 Late slate closes at 2:10pm 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 Late 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 Late 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.
