NBA Post Season Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 1, 2026
Last updated: Apr 30, 2026, 9:57AM | Published: Apr 30, 2026, 8:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Post Season Friday DFS contest starts at 9:00am AEST on May 1, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Friday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Post Season Friday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets
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 reliable 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 selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,790 | 76.2 | 3.1 |
| Value | Jaylen Brown (BOS, SF/SG) | $17,340 | 58 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Nikola Vučević (BOS, C) | $12,380 | 22.9 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Bones Hyland (MIN, PG) | $9,560 | 24.7 | 2.6 |
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 are 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 | Jamal Murray (DEN) | $17,270 | 54.2 | 3.1 |
| Value | Jamal Murray (DEN) | $17,270 | 54.2 | 3.1 |
| Fade | CJ McCollum (ATL) | $13,720 | 36 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Bones Hyland (MIN) | $9,560 | 24.7 | 2.6 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $17,340 | 58 | 3.3 |
| Value | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $17,340 | 58 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Mikal Bridges (NYK) | $10,770 | 22.6 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Christian Braun (DEN) | $9,110 | 23.4 | 2.6 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,410 | 64.7 | 3.2 |
| Value | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $17,340 | 58 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Mikal Bridges (NYK) | $10,770 | 22.6 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Christian Braun (DEN) | $9,110 | 23.4 | 2.6 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,410 | 64.7 | 3.2 |
| Value | Jayson Tatum (BOS) | $20,410 | 64.7 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Aaron Gordon (DEN) | $11,050 | 24.9 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Spencer Jones (DEN) | $6,000 | 13.1 | 2.2 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,790 | 76.2 | 3.1 |
| Value | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,790 | 76.2 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Nikola Vučević (BOS) | $12,380 | 22.9 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Mitchell Robinson (NYK) | $8,150 | 17.4 | 2.1 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Post Season Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jaylen Brown. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić 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 Bones Hyland.
On the other hand, according to our model, Nikola Vučević 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 Post Season Friday slate closes at 9:00am AEST 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 Post Season Friday slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Post Season 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.
