MLB Early Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 26, 2024
Last updated: Apr 25, 2024, 4:25PM | Published: Apr 25, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Early Friday DFS contest commences at 3:10am AEST on April 26, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview aims to help you in assembling your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests or even enhancing your season-long fantasy line-ups on April 26 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Early Friday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Minnesota Twins vs Chicago White Sox
- Chicago Cubs vs Houston Astros
- Cincinnati Reds vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Texas Rangers vs Seattle Mariners
- Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres
- Kansas City Royals vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Cleveland Guardians vs Boston Red Sox
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
With the latest MLB fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more MLB fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zachary Wheeler (PHI, P) | $22,310 | 19.6 | 0.9 |
| Value | Robert Anderson (BOS, P) | $6,740 | 10.3 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Andrew Pages (LAD, OF) | $11,390 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Dakota Hudson (COL, P) | $7,300 | 9.2 | 1.3 |
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 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
C (Catcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Salvador Perez (KC) | $8,680 | 6.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $8,680 | 6.9 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Ryan Jeffers (MIN) | $8,910 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $7,510 | 5.7 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,940 | 10 | 0.8 |
| Value | Corey Seager (TEX) | $6,850 | 7.3 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Willi Castro (MIN) | $8,860 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jeremy Peña (HOU) | $6,520 | 6.8 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,820 | 9.4 | 0.7 |
| Value | Nicholas Castellanos (PHI) | $6,070 | 6.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Andrew Pages (LAD) | $11,390 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | James Outman (LAD) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $11,300 | 8.6 | 0.8 |
| Value | Alexander Bregman (HOU) | $6,270 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Willi Castro (MIN) | $8,860 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jeimer Candelario (CIN) | $5,980 | 5.8 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $12,590 | 8.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $7,430 | 8.1 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Edouard Julien (MIN) | $9,870 | 5.7 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Bryson Stott (PHI) | $6,670 | 5.7 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $7,370 | 8.4 | 1.1 |
| Value | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $7,370 | 8.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $8,340 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Andrew Vaughn (CWS) | $5,570 | 6 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zachary Wheeler (PHI) | $22,310 | 19.6 | 0.9 |
| Value | Robert Anderson (BOS) | $6,740 | 10.3 | 1.5 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Early Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Robert Anderson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Zachary Wheeler 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 Dakota Hudson.
On the other hand, according to our model, Andrew Pages 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' MLB Early Friday slate closes at 3:10am AEST on Friday. ENTER NOW!
As with all MLB DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven MLB fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the MLB Early Friday slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your MLB DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised MLB Early Friday 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.
