NBA Thursday Early Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 1, 2026
Last updated: Dec 31, 2025, 1:58PM | Published: Dec 31, 2025, 7:57AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday Early DFS contest starts at 7:10am AEDT on January 1, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday Early slate includes these match-ups:
- Indiana Pacers vs Orlando Magic
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Phoenix Suns
- Atlanta Hawks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
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 most reliable 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 | Jalen Johnson (ATL, PF) | $21,720 | 55.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Dyson Daniels (ATL, SG/SF) | $12,180 | 36.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Kristaps Porziņģis (ATL, C) | $13,790 | 23.6 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Tristan da Silva (ORL, PF/SF) | $7,730 | 20.6 | 2.7 |
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 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 | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $18,450 | 49.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Trae Young (ATL) | $15,610 | 43.1 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL) | $12,710 | 24.1 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | T.J. McConnell (IND) | $8,600 | 21.4 | 2.5 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Anthony Edwards (MIN) | $18,450 | 49.8 | 2.7 |
| Value | Dyson Daniels (ATL) | $12,180 | 36.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL) | $12,710 | 24.1 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Vít Krejčí (ATL) | $7,300 | 17.9 | 2.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dyson Daniels (ATL) | $12,180 | 36.6 | 3 |
| Value | Dyson Daniels (ATL) | $12,180 | 36.6 | 3 |
| Fade | Grayson Allen (PHX) | $11,560 | 22.4 | 1.9 |
| Cheapie | Tristan da Silva (ORL) | $7,730 | 20.6 | 2.7 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $21,720 | 55.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Paolo Banchero (ORL) | $17,120 | 48.1 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Pascal Siakam (IND) | $15,560 | 34.8 | 2.2 |
| Cheapie | Tristan da Silva (ORL) | $7,730 | 20.6 | 2.7 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Evan Mobley (CLE) | $15,720 | 37 | 2.4 |
| Value | Mark Williams (PHX) | $12,280 | 32.7 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Kristaps Porziņģis (ATL) | $13,790 | 23.6 | 1.7 |
| Cheapie | Jay Huff (IND) | $8,300 | 21.8 | 2.6 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday Early teams, consider starting with a value player like Dyson Daniels. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jalen Johnson is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Tristan da Silva.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kristaps Porziņģis 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 Thursday Early slate closes at 7:10am 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 Early slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Thursday Early line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
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