NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 17, 2026
Last updated: Jan 16, 2026, 11:58PM | Published: Jan 16, 2026, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest commences at 11:10am AEDT on January 17, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 January 17 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate features the following games:
- Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
- Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls
- Toronto Raptors vs LA Clippers
- Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Sacramento Kings vs Washington Wizards
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the most accurate 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 find the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE, PG/SG) | $19,180 | 51.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jordan Miller (LAC, SF) | $6,000 | 23.1 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Jalen Smith (CHI, C/PF) | $10,880 | 21 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Precious Achiuwa (SAC, PF/C) | $9,090 | 32.3 | 3.6 |
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 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 | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $19,180 | 51.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jamal Shead (TOR) | $10,570 | 32.8 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (SAC) | $10,200 | 22.5 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Lonzo Ball (CLE) | $6,000 | 18.5 | 3.1 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $19,180 | 51.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Kobe Sanders (LAC) | $6,000 | 19 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Ayo Dosunmu (CHI) | $10,810 | 24.2 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Kelly Oubre (PHI) | $8,440 | 24.8 | 2.9 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Durant (HOU) | $16,870 | 49.8 | 3 |
| Value | Jordan Miller (LAC) | $6,000 | 23.1 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Michael Porter (BKN) | $17,260 | 36.9 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Will Riley (WAS) | $6,000 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Scottie Barnes (TOR) | $17,240 | 46.1 | 2.7 |
| Value | Precious Achiuwa (SAC) | $9,090 | 32.3 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Jalen Smith (CHI) | $10,880 | 21 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Dominick Barlow (PHI) | $6,000 | 19 | 3.2 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joel Embiid (PHI) | $18,250 | 48.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | Precious Achiuwa (SAC) | $9,090 | 32.3 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Jalen Smith (CHI) | $10,880 | 21 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Sandro Mamukelashvili (TOR) | $8,720 | 25.8 | 3 |
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 Jordan Miller. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Donovan Mitchell is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Precious Achiuwa.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jalen Smith is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate closes at 11:10am 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 maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
