NBA Post Season Tuesday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 12, 2026
Last updated: May 11, 2026, 11:58PM | Published: May 11, 2026, 8:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Post Season Tuesday DFS contest kicks off at 10:10am AEST on May 12, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Tuesday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Post Season Tuesday slate features the following match-ups:
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 find the best picks on Tuesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cade Cunningham (DET, PG) | $20,970 | 55.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jalen Duren (DET, C) | $12,660 | 41.2 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Ajay Mitchell (OKC, SG/PG) | $13,950 | 28.8 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Luke Kennard (LAL, SG/PG) | $6,920 | 20.7 | 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 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 refer to 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) | $20,970 | 55.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Luke Kennard (LAL) | $6,920 | 20.7 | 3 |
| Fade | Ajay Mitchell (OKC) | $13,950 | 28.8 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Daniss Jenkins (DET) | $7,820 | 20.6 | 2.6 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $16,930 | 43.9 | 2.6 |
| Value | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $11,050 | 33.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Ajay Mitchell (OKC) | $13,950 | 28.8 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Luke Kennard (LAL) | $6,920 | 20.7 | 3 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $18,130 | 45.8 | 2.5 |
| Value | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $11,050 | 33.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Austin Reaves (LAL) | $15,220 | 38.6 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Max Strus (CLE) | $7,390 | 21.5 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | LeBron James (LAL) | $18,130 | 45.8 | 2.5 |
| Value | Tobias Harris (DET) | $13,610 | 38.9 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Chet Holmgren (OKC) | $15,910 | 37.8 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Rui Hachimura (LAL) | $9,800 | 26.7 | 2.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Duren (DET) | $12,660 | 41.2 | 3.3 |
| Value | Jalen Duren (DET) | $12,660 | 41.2 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Chet Holmgren (OKC) | $15,910 | 37.8 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Deandre Ayton (LAL) | $8,680 | 23.6 | 2.7 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Post Season Tuesday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jalen Duren. 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 Luke Kennard.
On the other hand, according to our model, Ajay Mitchell 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 Tuesday slate closes at 10:10am AEST on Tuesday. 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 Tuesday 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 Tuesday 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.
