MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 17, 2025
Apr 16, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest starts at 9:05am AEST on April 17, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on April 17 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of the following games:
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox
- New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals
- Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Colorado Rockies
- Chicago White Sox vs Oakland Athletics
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses 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 make the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Soriano (LAA, P) | $17,530 | 16 | 0.9 |
| Value | Germán Márquez (COL, P) | $10,520 | 14.2 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Jake Mangum (TB, OF) | $8,140 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jasson Domínguez (NYY, OF) | $5,000 | 5.2 | 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 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 | Salvador Perez (KC) | $8,140 | 6.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $8,140 | 6.7 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Hunter Goodman (COL) | $8,310 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Austin Wells (NYY) | $6,770 | 4.7 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,290 | 9.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $7,950 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | José Caballero (TB) | $10,350 | 3.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Riley Baldwin (CWS) | $6,350 | 3.5 | 0.6 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,370 | 9.9 | 0.7 |
| Value | Jasson Domínguez (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Jake Mangum (TB) | $8,140 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Cody Bellinger (NYY) | $7,780 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $8,930 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $8,930 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Miguel Andujar (OAK) | $8,340 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Burger (TEX) | $7,470 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $8,930 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $7,820 | 7.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Kyren Paris (LAA) | $9,260 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Luis Urías (OAK) | $5,000 | 3.1 | 0.6 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $10,020 | 8.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Andrew Vaughn (CWS) | $6,590 | 6.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $8,490 | 4.5 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Triston Casas (BOS) | $7,750 | 5.5 | 0.7 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Soriano (LAA) | $17,530 | 16 | 0.9 |
| Value | Germán Márquez (COL) | $10,520 | 14.2 | 1.4 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Germán Márquez. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, José Soriano 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 Jasson Domínguez.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jake Mangum is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate closes at 9:05am AEST 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 Thursday contest. 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 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.
