NBA Post Season Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 19, 2026
Last updated: Apr 18, 2026, 9:58PM | Published: Apr 18, 2026, 8:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Post Season Sunday DFS contest starts at 8:10am AEST on April 19, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on April 19 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Post Season Sunday slate consists of the following games:
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets
- New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL, PF) | $19,820 | 56.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU, PF/SF) | $7,890 | 26.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Jalen Brunson (NYK, PG) | $17,940 | 42.6 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Mikal Bridges (NYK, SF/SG) | $9,380 | 30.3 | 3.2 |
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 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 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 | Amen Thompson (HOU) | $15,350 | 47 | 3.1 |
| Value | Amen Thompson (HOU) | $15,350 | 47 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Jalen Brunson (NYK) | $17,940 | 42.6 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Reed Sheppard (HOU) | $8,210 | 22.8 | 2.8 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Durant (HOU) | $15,920 | 49.6 | 3.1 |
| Value | Mikal Bridges (NYK) | $9,380 | 30.3 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL) | $14,060 | 39.3 | 2.8 |
| Cheapie | Miles McBride (NYK) | $6,000 | 14.7 | 2.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $20,340 | 50.6 | 2.5 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU) | $7,890 | 26.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Jabari Smith (HOU) | $11,610 | 29.9 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Mikal Bridges (NYK) | $9,380 | 30.3 | 3.2 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $19,820 | 56.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU) | $7,890 | 26.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | LeBron James (LAL) | $20,340 | 50.6 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Jonathan Kuminga (ATL) | $6,730 | 20.9 | 3.1 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $17,390 | 44.8 | 2.6 |
| Value | Jaxson Hayes (LAL) | $6,000 | 19 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Onyeka Okongwu (ATL) | $13,060 | 33.3 | 2.6 |
| Cheapie | Mitchell Robinson (NYK) | $7,130 | 21.5 | 3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Post Season Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Tari Eason. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jalen Johnson 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 Mikal Bridges.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jalen Brunson is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Post Season Sunday slate closes at 8:10am AEST on Sunday. 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 Sunday 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 Post Season Sunday 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.
