NBA Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 7, 2026
Last updated: May 6, 2026, 10:57PM | Published: May 6, 2026, 9:00AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday DFS contest commences at 9:05am AEST on May 7, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential 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 Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday slate consists of these match-ups:
- San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves
- New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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 make the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS, C) | $21,060 | 60.8 | 2.9 |
| Value | Stephon Castle (SAS, SG/PG) | $12,730 | 42.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Julius Randle (MIN, PF) | $14,810 | 34.7 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Dylan Harper (SAS, SG/PG) | $8,530 | 26.1 | 3.1 |
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 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 | Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | $16,730 | 46.4 | 2.8 |
| Value | Stephon Castle (SAS) | $12,730 | 42.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $15,310 | 37.6 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Dylan Harper (SAS) | $8,530 | 26.1 | 3.1 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Stephon Castle (SAS) | $12,730 | 42.3 | 3.3 |
| Value | Stephon Castle (SAS) | $12,730 | 42.3 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $15,310 | 37.6 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Dylan Harper (SAS) | $8,530 | 26.1 | 3.1 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | OG Anunoby (NYK) | $14,510 | 41.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | Josh Hart (NYK) | $11,950 | 36.9 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Jaden McDaniels (MIN) | $11,480 | 28.5 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Kelly Oubre (PHI) | $9,230 | 27.9 | 3 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $17,110 | 48.9 | 2.9 |
| Value | Josh Hart (NYK) | $11,950 | 36.9 | 3.1 |
| Fade | Julius Randle (MIN) | $14,810 | 34.7 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Kelly Oubre (PHI) | $9,230 | 27.9 | 3 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Victor Wembanyama (SAS) | $21,060 | 60.8 | 2.9 |
| Value | Naz Reid (MIN) | $10,540 | 31.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $17,110 | 48.9 | 2.9 |
| Cheapie | Andre Drummond (PHI) | $7,440 | 21.5 | 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 Stephon Castle. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Victor Wembanyama 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 Dylan Harper.
On the other hand, according to our model, Julius Randle 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 Thursday slate closes at 9:05am AEST 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.
