NBA Late Wednesday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 21, 2026
Last updated: Jan 20, 2026, 11:57AM | Published: Jan 20, 2026, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Late Wednesday DFS contest kicks off at 2:00pm AEDT on January 21, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Wednesday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Late Wednesday slate features these games:
- Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Sacramento Kings vs Miami Heat
- Golden State Warriors vs Toronto Raptors
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Wednesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $22,970 | 59.6 | 2.6 |
| Value | Will Richard (GSW, SG) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Kel'el Ware (MIA, C) | $11,180 | 19.8 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Quinten Post (GSW, C) | $6,510 | 21.3 | 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 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) | $22,970 | 59.6 | 2.6 |
| Value | Russell Westbrook (SAC) | $14,980 | 42.6 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (SAC) | $10,230 | 21.1 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Davion Mitchell (MIA) | $9,790 | 25.3 | 2.6 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Norman Powell (MIA) | $13,680 | 32.7 | 2.4 |
| Value | Will Richard (GSW) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Jalen Pickett (DEN) | $11,290 | 23.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Pelle Larsson (MIA) | $8,470 | 24.9 | 2.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $18,940 | 49.6 | 2.6 |
| Value | Pelle Larsson (MIA) | $8,470 | 24.9 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Jaime Jaquez (MIA) | $11,620 | 24.4 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Moses Moody (GSW) | $8,570 | 24.2 | 2.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $18,940 | 49.6 | 2.6 |
| Value | Bam Adebayo (MIA) | $15,800 | 43 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Aaron Gordon (DEN) | $14,150 | 32.6 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL) | $6,240 | 16.6 | 2.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Scottie Barnes (TOR) | $17,070 | 43.7 | 2.6 |
| Value | Quinten Post (GSW) | $6,510 | 21.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Kel'el Ware (MIA) | $11,180 | 19.8 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL) | $6,240 | 16.6 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Late Wednesday teams, consider starting with a value player like Will Richard. 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, check out our cheapie options, including Quinten Post.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kel'el Ware 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 Late Wednesday slate closes at 2:00pm AEDT on Wednesday. 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 Wednesday contest. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Late Wednesday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
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