NBA Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 26, 2026
Last updated: Jan 25, 2026, 10:57AM | Published: Jan 25, 2026, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Monday DFS contest commences at 11:00am AEDT on January 26, 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 26 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Monday slate features these match-ups:
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Dallas Mavericks
- San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans
- LA Clippers vs Brooklyn Nets
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Toronto Raptors
- Phoenix Suns vs Miami Heat
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 most accurate 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 make the best choices on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS, C) | $21,970 | 55.7 | 2.5 |
| Value | Daniel Gafford (DAL, C) | $7,540 | 29.4 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Sandro Mamukelashvili (TOR, C) | $11,270 | 22.3 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Oso Ighodaro (PHX, C) | $6,000 | 20 | 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 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 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | $21,160 | 51.5 | 2.4 |
| Value | Brandon Williams (DAL) | $8,990 | 28.9 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Immanuel Quickley (TOR) | $13,770 | 35.2 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Egor Dëmin (BKN) | $8,920 | 27.2 | 3 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Stephon Castle (SAS) | $14,250 | 42.7 | 3 |
| Value | Collin Gillespie (PHX) | $13,090 | 40.7 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Max Christie (DAL) | $11,330 | 24.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | AJ Green (MIL) | $7,910 | 23.9 | 3 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $15,710 | 44 | 2.8 |
| Value | P.J. Washington (DAL) | $10,510 | 34.1 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Naji Marshall (DAL) | $14,860 | 32.9 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Keldon Johnson (SAS) | $8,760 | 26.6 | 3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $15,710 | 44 | 2.8 |
| Value | P.J. Washington (DAL) | $10,510 | 34.1 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Bobby Portis (MIL) | $15,260 | 32.9 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Harrison Barnes (SAS) | $6,550 | 19.6 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | $21,970 | 55.7 | 2.5 |
| Value | Daniel Gafford (DAL) | $7,540 | 29.4 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Sandro Mamukelashvili (TOR) | $11,270 | 22.3 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Oso Ighodaro (PHX) | $6,000 | 20 | 3.3 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Daniel Gafford. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Victor Wembanyama 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 Oso Ighodaro.
On the other hand, according to our model, Sandro Mamukelashvili is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Monday slate closes at 11:00am AEDT on Monday. 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 Monday 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 Monday 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.
