NBA Late Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 17, 2026
Last updated: Jan 17, 2026, 1:58AM | Published: Jan 16, 2026, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Late Saturday DFS contest kicks off at 1:40pm AEDT on January 17, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 Saturday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Late Saturday slate consists of these games:
- Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
- Sacramento Kings vs Washington Wizards
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Durant (HOU, SF/SG) | $16,870 | 49.8 | 3 |
| Value | Precious Achiuwa (SAC, C/PF) | $9,090 | 32.3 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (SAC, PG) | $10,200 | 22.5 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Will Riley (WAS, SF) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
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'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 | Amen Thompson (HOU) | $15,070 | 44.6 | 3 |
| Value | Russell Westbrook (SAC) | $14,170 | 42.4 | 3 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (SAC) | $10,200 | 22.5 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Malik Monk (SAC) | $7,750 | 22.2 | 2.9 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Durant (HOU) | $16,870 | 49.8 | 3 |
| Value | Amen Thompson (HOU) | $15,070 | 44.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Donte DiVincenzo (MIN) | $12,910 | 31.4 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Malik Monk (SAC) | $7,750 | 22.2 | 2.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Durant (HOU) | $16,870 | 49.8 | 3 |
| Value | Will Riley (WAS) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Jaden McDaniels (MIN) | $12,820 | 29.3 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Justin Champagnie (WAS) | $9,120 | 27.9 | 3.1 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Alperen Sengun (HOU) | $17,320 | 44.3 | 2.6 |
| Value | Precious Achiuwa (SAC) | $9,090 | 32.3 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Jaden McDaniels (MIN) | $12,820 | 29.3 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Dorian Finney-Smith (HOU) | $6,000 | 8.5 | 1.4 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Domantas Sabonis (SAC) | $14,430 | 45.5 | 3.2 |
| Value | Precious Achiuwa (SAC) | $9,090 | 32.3 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Rudy Gobert (MIN) | $13,070 | 29.9 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Steven Adams (HOU) | $8,660 | 23.1 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Late Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Precious Achiuwa. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Kevin Durant is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Will Riley.
On the other hand, according to our model, Dennis Schröder 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 Late Saturday slate closes at 1:40pm AEDT on Saturday. 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 Saturday slate. 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 Late Saturday 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.
