NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 22, 2026
Last updated: Jan 21, 2026, 8:58PM | Published: Jan 21, 2026, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest starts at 11:00am AEDT on January 22, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every 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 assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate includes the following match-ups:
- Sacramento Kings vs Toronto Raptors
- New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets
- Boston Celtics vs Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Atlanta Hawks
- New Orleans Pelicans vs Detroit Pistons
- Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
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 choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL, PF) | $20,380 | 58.4 | 2.9 |
| Value | GG Jackson (MEM, PF/SF) | $6,160 | 22.5 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Domantas Sabonis (SAC, C) | $16,540 | 26.9 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Bobby Portis (MIL, PF/C) | $9,660 | 32.5 | 3.4 |
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 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 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 | Cade Cunningham (DET) | $21,210 | 57.7 | 2.7 |
| Value | Immanuel Quickley (TOR) | $12,950 | 39 | 3 |
| Fade | Dennis Schröder (SAC) | $10,310 | 18.9 | 1.8 |
| Cheapie | Malik Monk (SAC) | $8,890 | 24.2 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | $18,210 | 51.1 | 2.8 |
| Value | Isaiah Joe (OKC) | $7,960 | 23.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Miles McBride (NYK) | $10,440 | 20.2 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Cason Wallace (OKC) | $7,280 | 20.5 | 2.8 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $18,180 | 52.2 | 2.9 |
| Value | GG Jackson (MEM) | $6,160 | 22.5 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Sam Hauser (BOS) | $11,040 | 22 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Kenrich Williams (OKC) | $7,030 | 20.4 | 2.9 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $20,380 | 58.4 | 2.9 |
| Value | GG Jackson (MEM) | $6,160 | 22.5 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Sam Hauser (BOS) | $11,040 | 22 | 2 |
| Cheapie | Bobby Portis (MIL) | $9,660 | 32.5 | 3.4 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | $19,850 | 56.9 | 2.9 |
| Value | Bobby Portis (MIL) | $9,660 | 32.5 | 3.4 |
| Fade | Domantas Sabonis (SAC) | $16,540 | 26.9 | 1.6 |
| Cheapie | Mouhamed Gueye (ATL) | $6,000 | 17.7 | 2.9 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like GG Jackson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jalen Johnson 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 Bobby Portis.
On the other hand, according to our model, Domantas Sabonis is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate closes at 11:00am 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 contest. 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.
