MLB Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 26, 2025
Last updated: Apr 25, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Apr 25, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Saturday DFS contest kicks off at 9:05am AEST on April 26, 2025, 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 crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on April 26 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Saturday slate includes these match-ups:
- Athletics vs Chicago White Sox
- Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros
- San Diego Padres vs Tampa Bay Rays
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Milwaukee Brewers
- San Francisco Giants vs Texas Rangers
- Colorado Rockies vs Cincinnati Reds
- New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Minnesota Twins vs Los Angeles Angels
- Seattle Mariners vs Miami Marlins
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Atlanta Braves
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 accurate DFS projections available.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Skenes (PIT, P) | $22,050 | 23.3 | 1.1 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL, P) | $9,480 | 12.8 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Nathan Lukes (TOR, OF) | $8,880 | 1 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD, SS) | $6,200 | 6.8 | 1.1 |
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 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 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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $9,880 | 7.2 | 0.7 |
| Value | Gabriel Moreno (AZ) | $6,480 | 4.9 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Jacob Stallings (COL) | $8,200 | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | William Smith (LAD) | $7,550 | 5.4 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,750 | 9.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $6,200 | 6.8 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Chandler Simpson (TB) | $8,990 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Masyn Winn (STL) | $6,520 | 6.3 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $9,660 | 10 | 1 |
| Value | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $9,660 | 10 | 1 |
| Fade | Nathan Lukes (TOR) | $8,880 | 1 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Christopher Morel (TB) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Michael Austin Riley (ATL) | $9,280 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,700 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Wilmer Flores (SF) | $8,180 | 3.8 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Arenado (STL) | $7,080 | 6.9 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $10,750 | 7.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Ozhanio Albies (ATL) | $7,730 | 7.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Santiago Espinal (CIN) | $8,340 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Thomas Edman (LAD) | $7,250 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $10,180 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $7,790 | 8 | 1 |
| Fade | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $9,420 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Joshua-Douglas Naylor (AZ) | $7,620 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Skenes (PIT) | $22,050 | 23.3 | 1.1 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL) | $9,480 | 12.8 | 1.4 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kyle Freeland. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Paul Skenes is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Xander Bogaerts.
On the other hand, according to our model, Nathan Lukes is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Saturday slate closes at 9:05am AEST on Saturday. 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 Saturday 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 Saturday 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.
