NBA Thursday Late Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 15, 2026
Last updated: Jan 14, 2026, 8:58AM | Published: Jan 14, 2026, 7:59AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Thursday Late DFS contest begins at 2:00pm AEDT on January 15, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers 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 put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Thursday Late slate includes these games:
- Sacramento Kings vs New York Knicks
- LA Clippers vs Washington Wizards
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | James Harden (LAC, PG) | $18,540 | 53.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | John Collins (LAC, C/PF) | $12,170 | 35.8 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Kyshawn George (WAS, SF/PF) | $12,290 | 27.9 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Mitchell Robinson (NYK, C) | $8,940 | 25.8 | 2.9 |
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 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 | James Harden (LAC) | $18,540 | 53.6 | 2.9 |
| Value | James Harden (LAC) | $18,540 | 53.6 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Malik Monk (SAC) | $10,750 | 26.3 | 2.5 |
| Cheapie | Bub Carrington (WAS) | $9,880 | 26.9 | 2.7 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Mikal Bridges (NYK) | $12,920 | 31.6 | 2.4 |
| Value | Tre Johnson (WAS) | $9,930 | 26.5 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Zach LaVine (SAC) | $12,260 | 30 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Khris Middleton (WAS) | $8,310 | 21.1 | 2.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,990 | 50.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | DeMar DeRozan (SAC) | $12,840 | 37.2 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Kyshawn George (WAS) | $12,290 | 27.9 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Miller (LAC) | $8,140 | 21.5 | 2.6 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kawhi Leonard (LAC) | $17,990 | 50.8 | 2.8 |
| Value | John Collins (LAC) | $12,170 | 35.8 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Kyshawn George (WAS) | $12,290 | 27.9 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Nicolas Batum (LAC) | $6,000 | 14.6 | 2.4 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | $18,220 | 46.8 | 2.6 |
| Value | John Collins (LAC) | $12,170 | 35.8 | 2.9 |
| Fade | Alex Sarr (WAS) | $14,270 | 34.2 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Mitchell Robinson (NYK) | $8,940 | 25.8 | 2.9 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Thursday Late teams, consider starting with a value player like John Collins. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, James Harden 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 Mitchell Robinson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kyshawn George 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 Late slate closes at 2:00pm 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 Late contest. 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 Late 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.
