NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 3, 2026
Last updated: Jan 2, 2026, 11:57PM | Published: Jan 2, 2026, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest commences at 11:10am AEDT on January 3, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 3 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Chicago Bulls vs Orlando Magic
- Los Angeles Lakers vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets
- New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
- Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets
- Phoenix Suns vs Sacramento Kings
- Indiana Pacers vs San Antonio Spurs
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Charlotte Hornets
- Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trail Blazers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luka Dončić (LAL, PG) | $23,460 | 65.3 | 2.8 |
| Value | Pat Spencer (GSW, PG) | $6,000 | 26.8 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Jaren Jackson (MEM, PF/C) | $14,810 | 30.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Day'Ron Sharpe (BKN, C) | $8,410 | 34.8 | 4.1 |
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 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 | Luka Dončić (LAL) | $23,460 | 65.3 | 2.8 |
| Value | Pat Spencer (GSW) | $6,000 | 26.8 | 4.5 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (SAC) | $11,420 | 24.5 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Jose Alvarado (NOP) | $7,170 | 24.7 | 3.4 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kevin Porter (MIL) | $15,170 | 47.1 | 3.1 |
| Value | Bryce McGowens (NOP) | $6,000 | 22.1 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Tim Hardaway (DEN) | $10,120 | 21.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Vít Krejčí (ATL) | $6,220 | 22 | 3.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Deni Avdija (POR) | $19,670 | 58.7 | 3 |
| Value | Bryce McGowens (NOP) | $6,000 | 22.1 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Tim Hardaway (DEN) | $10,120 | 21.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | De'Andre Hunter (CLE) | $8,750 | 30.9 | 3.5 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $20,080 | 54.6 | 2.7 |
| Value | Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL) | $6,000 | 24.1 | 4 |
| Fade | Jaren Jackson (MEM) | $14,810 | 30.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | De'Andre Hunter (CLE) | $8,750 | 30.9 | 3.5 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $20,080 | 54.6 | 2.7 |
| Value | Day'Ron Sharpe (BKN) | $8,410 | 34.8 | 4.1 |
| Fade | Jaren Jackson (MEM) | $14,810 | 30.2 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL) | $6,000 | 24.1 | 4 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Pat Spencer. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Luka Dončić 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 Day'Ron Sharpe.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jaren Jackson 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 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 contest. 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.
