NFL Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for January 5, 2026
Last updated: Jan 4, 2026, 5:06PM | Published: Jan 1, 2026, 12:09AM
Draftstars Australia's NFL Monday DFS contest commences at 5:02am AEDT on January 5, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NFL fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NFL contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on January 5 and beyond.
Featured NFL Games
Draftstars' NFL Monday slate consists of these games:
- Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers
- Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts
- Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions
- Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets
- Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers
- Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders
- Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns
- Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs Tennessee Titans
- Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals
- Las Vegas Raiders vs Kansas City Chiefs
- New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys
- New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins
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 NFL fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NFL fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bijan Robinson (ATL, RB/FLEX) | $17,790 | 22.6 | 1.3 |
| Value | Davante Adams (LA, FLEX/WR) | $6,000 | 16.4 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Tank Bigsby (PHI, RB/FLEX) | $13,010 | 9.2 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Chig Okonkwo (TEN, TE/FLEX) | $5,000 | 10.3 | 2.1 |
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 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
QB (Quarterback)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Trevor Lawrence (JAC) | $17,300 | 22.4 | 1.3 |
| Value | Caleb Williams (CHI) | $14,040 | 19.5 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Josh Allen (BUF) | $15,730 | 11.4 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Trey Lance (LAC) | $9,830 | 13.6 | 1.4 |
WR (Wide Receiver)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Puka Nacua (LA) | $17,750 | 22.6 | 1.3 |
| Value | Davante Adams (LA) | $6,000 | 16.4 | 2.7 |
| Fade | Jaylen Waddle (MIA) | $10,700 | 8.7 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Khalil Shakir (BUF) | $6,070 | 10.7 | 1.8 |
TE (Tight End)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Trey McBride (ARI) | $16,040 | 19.3 | 1.2 |
| Value | Chig Okonkwo (TEN) | $5,000 | 10.3 | 2.1 |
| Fade | Kyle Pitts (ATL) | $10,560 | 11.1 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Daniel Bellinger (NYG) | $5,000 | 7.1 | 1.4 |
RB (Running Back)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bijan Robinson (ATL) | $17,790 | 22.6 | 1.3 |
| Value | Jordan Mason (MIN) | $8,000 | 12 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Tank Bigsby (PHI) | $13,010 | 9.2 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Woody Marks (HOU) | $8,220 | 11.5 | 1.4 |
Conclusion
When building your NFL Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Davante Adams. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Bijan Robinson is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Chig Okonkwo.
On the other hand, according to our model, Tank Bigsby 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' NFL Monday slate closes at 5:02am AEDT on Monday. ENTER NOW!
As with all NFL DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven NFL fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the NFL Monday slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your NFL DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NFL Monday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
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