NBA Late Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 16, 2026
Last updated: Jan 16, 2026, 1:57AM | Published: Jan 15, 2026, 8:01AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Late Friday DFS contest commences at 2:10pm AEDT on January 16, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 16 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Late Friday slate features the following match-ups:
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Atlanta Hawks
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Charlotte Hornets
- Golden State Warriors vs New York Knicks
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 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 find the best picks on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $23,800 | 63.3 | 2.7 |
| Value | Tyler Kolek (NYK, PG) | $6,000 | 25.2 | 4.2 |
| Fade | Jerami Grant (POR, PF) | $11,980 | 19.7 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Robert Williams (POR, C) | $6,980 | 22.8 | 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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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) | $23,800 | 63.3 | 2.7 |
| Value | Tyler Kolek (NYK) | $6,000 | 25.2 | 4.2 |
| Fade | Jrue Holiday (POR) | $11,830 | 22.8 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | De'Anthony Melton (GSW) | $8,140 | 22.3 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Brandon Miller (CHA) | $13,320 | 39.6 | 3 |
| Value | Kon Knueppel (CHA) | $11,890 | 36.8 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Caleb Love (POR) | $11,240 | 27.8 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Sidy Cissoko (POR) | $6,000 | 18.3 | 3 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $19,980 | 45.7 | 2.3 |
| Value | Kon Knueppel (CHA) | $11,890 | 36.8 | 3.1 |
| Fade | OG Anunoby (NYK) | $11,970 | 28.3 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Sidy Cissoko (POR) | $6,000 | 18.3 | 3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $19,850 | 58.8 | 3 |
| Value | Miles Bridges (CHA) | $12,990 | 40.2 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Jerami Grant (POR) | $11,980 | 19.7 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Mouhamed Gueye (ATL) | $6,290 | 18.7 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $17,990 | 42.5 | 2.4 |
| Value | Robert Williams (POR) | $6,980 | 22.8 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Draymond Green (GSW) | $10,730 | 27.1 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Mouhamed Gueye (ATL) | $6,290 | 18.7 | 3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Late Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Tyler Kolek. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Dončić is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Robert Williams.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jerami Grant 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 Late Friday 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 Late 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 Late 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.
