NBA Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 16, 2026
Last updated: Mar 15, 2026, 8:05PM | Published: Mar 15, 2026, 8:03AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Monday DFS contest starts at 11:00am AEDT on March 16, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Monday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Monday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Sacramento Kings vs Utah Jazz
- New York Knicks vs Golden State Warriors
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the best 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 Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Brunson (NYK, PG) | $16,120 | 45.7 | 2.8 |
| Value | Landry Shamet (NYK, SG) | $6,000 | 21.5 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Brice Sensabaugh (UTA, SF) | $13,800 | 30.5 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Dylan Cardwell (SAC, C) | $7,650 | 27.2 | 3.6 |
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 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 | Jalen Brunson (NYK) | $16,120 | 45.7 | 2.8 |
| Value | LJ Cryer (GSW) | $6,000 | 17.4 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Isaiah Collier (UTA) | $14,170 | 36.5 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Malik Monk (SAC) | $8,500 | 23.2 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Brandin Podziemski (GSW) | $14,050 | 36.4 | 2.6 |
| Value | Landry Shamet (NYK) | $6,000 | 21.5 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Nique Clifford (SAC) | $10,740 | 27.4 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Daeqwon Plowden (SAC) | $6,000 | 21 | 3.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | OG Anunoby (NYK) | $12,880 | 35 | 2.7 |
| Value | Gary Payton (GSW) | $8,000 | 25.5 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Brice Sensabaugh (UTA) | $13,800 | 30.5 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Andersson Garcia (UTA) | $7,080 | 18.7 | 2.6 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $17,010 | 43.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Josh Hart (NYK) | $11,610 | 33.2 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Gui Santos (GSW) | $13,810 | 31.4 | 2.3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $17,010 | 43.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Dylan Cardwell (SAC) | $7,650 | 27.2 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Maxime Raynaud (SAC) | $12,920 | 31.6 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Quinten Post (GSW) | $7,460 | 23.7 | 3.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Landry Shamet. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jalen Brunson is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Dylan Cardwell.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brice Sensabaugh 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.
