MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 19, 2024

Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest starts at 3:35am AEST on August 19, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data 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 is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on August 19 and beyond.

Featured MLB Games

Draftstars' MLB Monday slate includes these match-ups:

• Milwaukee Brewers vs Cleveland Guardians
• Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals
• Cincinnati Reds vs Kansas City Royals
• Los Angeles Angels vs Atlanta Braves
• Texas Rangers vs Minnesota Twins
• Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres
• Oakland Athletics vs San Francisco Giants
• Pittsburgh Pirates vs Seattle Mariners
• Houston Astros vs Chicago White Sox
• Tampa Bay Rays vs Arizona Diamondbacks
• Baltimore Orioles vs Boston Red Sox
• St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers
• Chicago Cubs vs Toronto Blue Jays

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 strongest DFS projections in the world.

With the best 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 find the best picks on Monday's slate.

Selection	Player	Salary	Proj. Pts	Pts/$1K
Stud	Blake Snell (SF, P)	$23,300	20.6	0.9
Value	Drew Rasmussen (TB, P)	$5,000	15.2	3
Fade	Ramón Laureano (ATL, OF)	$8,150	1.7	0.2
Cheapie	Jack Kochanowicz (LAA, P)	$6,870	9.1	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 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	William Contreras (MIL)	$9,550	7	0.7
Value	Yainer Diaz (HOU)	$7,340	6.1	0.8
Fade	Adrian Del Castillo (AZ)	$8,250	1.9	0.2
Cheapie	Adley Rutschman (BAL)	$7,540	6	0.8

SS (Shortstop)

Selection	Player	Salary	Proj. Pts	Pts/$1K
Stud	Robert Witt (KC)	$12,800	10.1	0.8
Value	Markus Betts (LAD)	$9,100	8.5	0.9
Fade	David Hamilton (BOS)	$9,150	4.8	0.5
Cheapie	Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS)	$7,000	6.2	0.9

OF (Outfielder)

Selection	Player	Salary	Proj. Pts	Pts/$1K
Stud	Shohei Ohtani (LAD)	$11,320	10	0.9
Value	Teoscar Hernández (LAD)	$6,970	7.7	1.1
Fade	Ramón Laureano (ATL)	$8,150	1.7	0.2
Cheapie	Bryan Reynolds (PIT)	$7,960	8	1

3B (Third Base)

Selection	Player	Salary	Proj. Pts	Pts/$1K
Stud	José Ramírez (CLE)	$11,520	9.2	0.8
Value	Justin Turner (SEA)	$5,000	5.5	1.1
Fade	Isiah Kiner-Falefa (PIT)	$8,220	4.4	0.5
Cheapie	Jose Miranda (MIN)	$5,000	5.4	1.1

2B (Second Base)

Selection	Player	Salary	Proj. Pts	Pts/$1K
Stud	Markus Betts (LAD)	$9,100	8.5	0.9
Value	Michael Massey (KC)	$5,000	4.9	1
Fade	Jacob Cronenworth (SD)	$9,890	6.2	0.6
Cheapie	Zachary Gelof (OAK)	$6,390	6.2	1

1B (First Base)

Selection	Player	Salary	Proj. Pts	Pts/$1K
Stud	Vladimir Guerrero (TOR)	$9,400	8.6	0.9
Value	Yandy Díaz (TB)	$7,690	7.5	1
Fade	Carlos Santana (MIN)	$9,180	5.3	0.6
Cheapie	Andrew Vaughn (CWS)	$6,900	6.4	0.9

P (Pitcher)

Selection	Player	Salary	Proj. Pts	Pts/$1K
Stud	Blake Snell (SF)	$23,300	20.6	0.9
Value	Drew Rasmussen (TB)	$5,000	15.2	3

Conclusion

In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Drew Rasmussen. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Blake Snell 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 Jack Kochanowicz.

On the other hand, according to our model, Ramón Laureano 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 Monday slate closes at 3:35am AEST on Monday. 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 Monday 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 Monday 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.