NBA Post Season Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 23, 2026
Last updated: Apr 22, 2026, 10:57PM | Published: Apr 22, 2026, 8:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Post Season Thursday DFS contest kicks off at 9:11am AEST on April 23, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each 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 assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Post Season Thursday slate features these match-ups:
- Detroit Pistons vs Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Phoenix Suns
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 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 find the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cade Cunningham (DET, PG) | $20,670 | 57 | 2.8 |
| Value | Tobias Harris (DET, PF) | $9,320 | 30.2 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Grayson Allen (PHX, SG/SF) | $11,400 | 15.5 | 1.4 |
| Cheapie | Daniss Jenkins (DET, PG) | $6,000 | 19 | 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'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 | Cade Cunningham (DET) | $20,670 | 57 | 2.8 |
| Value | Daniss Jenkins (DET) | $6,000 | 19 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Collin Gillespie (PHX) | $10,550 | 16.4 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Ajay Mitchell (OKC) | $9,030 | 21.5 | 2.4 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Devin Booker (PHX) | $16,980 | 43.9 | 2.6 |
| Value | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $10,450 | 31.8 | 3 |
| Fade | Grayson Allen (PHX) | $11,400 | 15.5 | 1.4 |
| Cheapie | Cason Wallace (OKC) | $6,840 | 17.9 | 2.6 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Williams (OKC) | $14,870 | 35.8 | 2.4 |
| Value | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $10,450 | 31.8 | 3 |
| Fade | Grayson Allen (PHX) | $11,400 | 15.5 | 1.4 |
| Cheapie | Duncan Robinson (DET) | $8,360 | 24.6 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paolo Banchero (ORL) | $16,970 | 43.2 | 2.5 |
| Value | Tobias Harris (DET) | $9,320 | 30.2 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Dillon Brooks (PHX) | $11,420 | 30.4 | 2.7 |
| Cheapie | Isaiah Stewart (DET) | $7,130 | 16.6 | 2.3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Duren (DET) | $14,970 | 41.3 | 2.8 |
| Value | Oso Ighodaro (PHX) | $7,150 | 21.2 | 3 |
| Fade | Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC) | $11,100 | 27.2 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Mark Williams (PHX) | $8,560 | 23.5 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Post Season Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Tobias Harris. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Cade Cunningham 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 Daniss Jenkins.
On the other hand, according to our model, Grayson Allen 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 Post Season Thursday slate closes at 9:11am AEST on Thursday. 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 Thursday 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 Post Season Thursday 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.
