NBA Friday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 23, 2026
Last updated: Jan 23, 2026, 1:57AM | Published: Jan 22, 2026, 10:58PM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Friday Late DFS contest commences at 2:10pm AEDT on January 23, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every 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 Friday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Friday Late slate features the following games:
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Miami Heat
- LA Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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'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 | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $23,650 | 59.7 | 2.5 |
| Value | Kasparas Jakučionis (MIA, SG) | $6,000 | 20.3 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Jrue Holiday (POR, PG) | $10,440 | 21.3 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Simone Fontecchio (MIA, SF/PF) | $6,760 | 21.6 | 3.2 |
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 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) | $23,650 | 59.7 | 2.5 |
| Value | Marcus Smart (LAL) | $8,110 | 22.7 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Jrue Holiday (POR) | $10,440 | 21.3 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Love (POR) | $8,850 | 20.2 | 2.3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | $14,200 | 37.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Kasparas Jakučionis (MIA) | $6,000 | 20.3 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Norman Powell (MIA) | $13,540 | 35.3 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Pelle Larsson (MIA) | $8,900 | 26.5 | 3 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Deni Avdija (POR) | $19,300 | 51.9 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jaime Jaquez (MIA) | $12,520 | 40.8 | 3.3 |
| Fade | LeBron James (LAL) | $16,950 | 43.9 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Simone Fontecchio (MIA) | $6,760 | 21.6 | 3.2 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,270 | 45.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Simone Fontecchio (MIA) | $6,760 | 21.6 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Jerami Grant (POR) | $11,030 | 22.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Nikola Jović (MIA) | $6,000 | 18.7 | 3.1 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bam Adebayo (MIA) | $15,900 | 41.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | Nikola Jović (MIA) | $6,000 | 18.7 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Ivica Zubac (LAC) | $14,120 | 31.1 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Robert Williams (POR) | $6,960 | 21.1 | 3 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Friday Late teams, consider starting with a value player like Kasparas Jakučionis. 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 Simone Fontecchio.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jrue Holiday is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering 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 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 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.
