NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for February 12, 2026
Last updated: Feb 11, 2026, 10:07PM | Published: Feb 11, 2026, 7:58AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest begins at 11:10am AEDT on February 12, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on February 12 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate features these games:
- Toronto Raptors vs Detroit Pistons
- Charlotte Hornets vs Atlanta Hawks
- Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers
- Brooklyn Nets vs Indiana Pacers
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards
- Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs
- Utah Jazz vs Sacramento Kings
- Denver Nuggets vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat
- Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
With the best 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 Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,160 | 61.4 | 2.4 |
| Value | Paul Reed (DET, C) | $7,440 | 38.3 | 5.1 |
| Fade | Kyle Filipowski (UTA, PF/C) | $12,380 | 19.3 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Quenton Jackson (IND, PG/SG) | $6,000 | 26.2 | 4.4 |
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 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 | Cade Cunningham (DET) | $19,670 | 55.1 | 2.8 |
| Value | Quenton Jackson (IND) | $6,000 | 26.2 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Ty Jerome (MEM) | $13,180 | 24.8 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Ben Sheppard (IND) | $6,400 | 20 | 3.1 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $18,230 | 53.2 | 2.9 |
| Value | Quenton Jackson (IND) | $6,000 | 26.2 | 4.4 |
| Fade | Cason Wallace (OKC) | $11,920 | 22.6 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Kam Jones (IND) | $6,000 | 19 | 3.2 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $18,200 | 54.8 | 3 |
| Value | Kon Knueppel (CHA) | $13,850 | 45.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Kyle Kuzma (MIL) | $12,880 | 23.4 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Gary Payton (GSW) | $7,210 | 21.3 | 3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $22,580 | 56.4 | 2.5 |
| Value | Tolu Smith (DET) | $6,050 | 18.4 | 3 |
| Fade | Kyle Filipowski (UTA) | $12,380 | 19.3 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Kobe Brown (IND) | $6,000 | 18.1 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,160 | 61.4 | 2.4 |
| Value | Paul Reed (DET) | $7,440 | 38.3 | 5.1 |
| Fade | Kyle Filipowski (UTA) | $12,380 | 19.3 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Grant Williams (CHA) | $8,580 | 24.8 | 2.9 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Paul Reed. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Quenton Jackson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kyle Filipowski 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 Thursday slate closes at 11:10am AEDT on Thursday. 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 Thursday 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 Thursday 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.
