MLB Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 18, 2025
Apr 17, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Friday DFS contest commences at 9:05am AEST on April 18, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every 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 enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Friday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Friday slate consists of these match-ups:
- New York Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels
- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees
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 | Taj Bradley (TB, P) | $18,890 | 17.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Alec Burleson (STL, 1B) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Kameron Misner (TB, OF) | $9,720 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Semien (TEX, 2B) | $7,850 | 7.6 | 1 |
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'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 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
C (Catcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Logan O'Hoppe (LAA) | $7,590 | 5 | 0.7 |
| Value | Logan O'Hoppe (LAA) | $7,590 | 5 | 0.7 |
| Fade | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $9,050 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Higashioka (TEX) | $5,000 | 2.9 | 0.6 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Francisco Lindor (NYM) | $9,810 | 8.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Anthony Volpe (NYY) | $8,080 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Corey Seager (TEX) | $10,010 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Taylor Walls (TB) | $7,520 | 2 | 0.3 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Aaron Judge (NYY) | $14,050 | 9.1 | 0.7 |
| Value | Joseph Ward (LAA) | $8,590 | 7.3 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Kameron Misner (TB) | $9,720 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Nimmo (NYM) | $7,880 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $10,270 | 7.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Mark Vientos (NYM) | $8,190 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Junior Caminero (TB) | $10,350 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Joshua Jung (TEX) | $7,910 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $10,270 | 7.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $7,850 | 7.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Brandon Lowe (TB) | $9,360 | 6.2 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Gorman (STL) | $5,000 | 4.6 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $10,300 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Alec Burleson (STL) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $9,050 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) | $7,870 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Taj Bradley (TB) | $18,890 | 17.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Griffin Canning (NYM) | $13,120 | 13.2 | 1 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Alec Burleson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Taj Bradley is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Marcus Semien.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kameron Misner 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' MLB Friday slate closes at 9:05am 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 Friday slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your MLB DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised MLB 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.
