NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for February 21, 2026
Last updated: Feb 20, 2026, 9:57AM | Published: Feb 20, 2026, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest kicks off at 11:00am AEDT on February 21, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on February 21 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate features the following match-ups:
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Lakers vs LA Clippers
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks
- Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat
- Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs Brooklyn Nets
- Portland Trail Blazers 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 best 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,130 | 71.1 | 2.8 |
| Value | Lawson Lovering (MEM, C) | $6,000 | 26.3 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Danny Wolf (BKN, PF) | $10,810 | 19.2 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Miller (LAC, SF) | $6,000 | 22.9 | 3.8 |
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 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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $21,820 | 58.2 | 2.7 |
| Value | Javon Small (MEM) | $8,070 | 26.6 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Jrue Holiday (POR) | $14,350 | 30.9 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Tre Mann (CHA) | $6,000 | 18.4 | 3.1 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $18,360 | 49.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Bryce McGowens (NOP) | $6,000 | 20.9 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Bennedict Mathurin (LAC) | $13,770 | 27.5 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Jahmai Mashack (MEM) | $7,990 | 27.2 | 3.4 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $18,880 | 53.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | Jordan Miller (LAC) | $6,000 | 22.9 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Bennedict Mathurin (LAC) | $13,770 | 27.5 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Corey Kispert (ATL) | $6,000 | 22.8 | 3.8 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $20,990 | 59 | 2.8 |
| Value | Andrew Wiggins (MIA) | $11,200 | 36.5 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Danny Wolf (BKN) | $10,810 | 19.2 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Jerami Grant (POR) | $9,990 | 31.2 | 3.1 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,130 | 71.1 | 2.8 |
| Value | Lawson Lovering (MEM) | $6,000 | 26.3 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Day'Ron Sharpe (BKN) | $11,430 | 22.7 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Kevin Love (UTA) | $6,000 | 22.6 | 3.8 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Lawson Lovering. 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, explore our cheapie options, including Jordan Miller.
On the other hand, according to our model, Danny Wolf is one of the lowest 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 Saturday slate closes at 11:00am AEDT on Saturday. 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 Saturday slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Saturday 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.
