NBA Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for October 25, 2026
Last updated: Oct 24, 2026, 8:57AM | Published: Oct 24, 2026, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Sunday DFS contest commences at 10:30am AEDT on October 25, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 Sunday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Sunday slate features the following match-ups:
- Atlanta Hawks vs Houston Rockets
- Chicago Bulls vs Washington Wizards
- Phoenix Suns vs Golden State Warriors
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets
- Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs
- Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks
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 reliable 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 picks on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $24,180 | 64.9 | 2.7 |
| Value | Mikel Brown (BKN, PG) | $6,180 | 24 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Santi Aldama (DAL, PF) | $11,500 | 18 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | DeMar DeRozan (DEN, SG/SF) | $8,560 | 32.9 | 3.8 |
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'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 | Trae Young (WAS) | $16,220 | 47.5 | 2.9 |
| Value | Mikel Brown (BKN) | $6,180 | 24 | 3.9 |
| Fade | Fred VanVleet (HOU) | $12,920 | 23.6 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Tre Jones (CHI) | $7,820 | 28.4 | 3.6 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $17,070 | 45.1 | 2.6 |
| Value | DeMar DeRozan (DEN) | $8,560 | 32.9 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Kyshawn George (WAS) | $10,080 | 24.8 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Anfernee Simons (PHI) | $6,000 | 21.3 | 3.6 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (PHI) | $15,470 | 51.6 | 3.3 |
| Value | DeMar DeRozan (DEN) | $8,560 | 32.9 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Yaxel Lendeborg (GSW) | $10,960 | 25.2 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (PHI) | $6,000 | 21 | 3.5 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Davis (WAS) | $17,450 | 50.3 | 2.9 |
| Value | Trevon Brazile (DEN) | $6,660 | 24.5 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Santi Aldama (DAL) | $11,500 | 18 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Alpha Diallo (DEN) | $6,410 | 22.1 | 3.5 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $24,180 | 64.9 | 2.7 |
| Value | Alex Sarr (WAS) | $11,170 | 40.4 | 3.6 |
| Fade | Derik Queen (NOP) | $12,180 | 21.6 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Myles Turner (MIL) | $9,220 | 29.2 | 3.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Mikel Brown. 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, check out our cheapie options, including DeMar DeRozan.
On the other hand, according to our model, Santi Aldama is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Sunday slate closes at 10:30am AEDT on Sunday. 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 Sunday 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 Sunday 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.
