MLB Early Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 3, 2025
Apr 2, 2025, 7:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Early Thursday DFS contest starts at 7:10am AEDT on April 3, 2025, 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 crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on April 3 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Early Thursday slate features these match-ups:
- Houston Astros vs San Francisco Giants
- San Diego Padres vs Cleveland Guardians
- Seattle Mariners vs Detroit Tigers
- Miami Marlins vs New York Mets
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 accurate 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've 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 | Tarik Skubal (DET, P) | $22,040 | 22.2 | 1 |
| Value | Landen Roupp (SF, P) | $12,590 | 14.6 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Justyn-Henry Malloy (DET, OF) | $8,730 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Willy Adames (SF, SS) | $7,020 | 7.6 | 1.1 |
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 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
C (Catcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $6,750 | 6.8 | 1 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $6,750 | 6.8 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $7,510 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Francisco Lindor (NYM) | $11,380 | 8.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Willy Adames (SF) | $7,020 | 7.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Tyler Fitzgerald (SF) | $8,810 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | John Crawford (SEA) | $5,300 | 5.5 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Fernando Tatis (SD) | $11,260 | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Julio Rodríguez (SEA) | $9,050 | 9.3 | 1 |
| Fade | Justyn-Henry Malloy (DET) | $8,730 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Michael Yastrzemski (SF) | $5,000 | 4.9 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $9,870 | 9.4 | 1 |
| Value | José Ramírez (CLE) | $9,870 | 9.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Mark Vientos (NYM) | $9,620 | 7.6 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Matthew Mervis (MIA) | $5,650 | 3.9 | 0.7 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $9,170 | 8.1 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $9,170 | 8.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Otto Lopez (MIA) | $8,780 | 4.7 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $7,850 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $10,830 | 8.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SD) | $7,650 | 7.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Spencer Torkelson (DET) | $8,120 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Christian Walker (HOU) | $7,970 | 7.7 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (DET) | $22,040 | 22.2 | 1 |
| Value | Landen Roupp (SF) | $12,590 | 14.6 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Early Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Landen Roupp. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tarik Skubal is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Willy Adames.
On the other hand, according to our model, Justyn-Henry Malloy is one of the lowest 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 Thursday slate closes at 7:10am AEDT on Thursday. 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 Thursday 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 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.
