MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 22, 2024
Last updated: Aug 21, 2024, 9:25PM | Published: Aug 21, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:05am AEST on August 22, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate includes the following games:
- Kansas City Royals vs Los Angeles Angels
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Seattle Mariners
- Oakland Athletics vs Tampa Bay Rays
- New York Yankees vs Cleveland Guardians
- Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Cincinnati Reds
- Chicago Cubs vs Detroit Tigers
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Milwaukee Brewers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the best 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jack Flaherty (LAD, P) | $22,840 | 18.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Joseph Cantillo (CLE, P) | $11,570 | 14 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Weston Wilson (PHI, SS/OF) | $8,210 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Jose Siri (TB, OF) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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) | $8,800 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $7,300 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | David Fry (CLE) | $8,390 | 4.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | William Smith (LAD) | $6,900 | 5.9 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $12,670 | 10 | 0.8 |
| Value | Orlando Arcia (ATL) | $5,700 | 5.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Weston Wilson (PHI) | $8,210 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Miguel Rojas (LAD) | $5,550 | 5.1 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,830 | 10 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jose Siri (TB) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Weston Wilson (PHI) | $8,210 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Teoscar Hernández (LAD) | $6,610 | 7.6 | 1.2 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $9,410 | 9.1 | 1 |
| Value | Justin Turner (SEA) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Alec Bohm (PHI) | $8,350 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Ward (LAA) | $7,350 | 7 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $8,580 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Value | Andrés Giménez (CLE) | $6,770 | 7 | 1 |
| Fade | Michael Massey (KC) | $8,350 | 4.8 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Jorge Polanco (SEA) | $6,600 | 6 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,050 | 8.6 | 0.9 |
| Value | Joshua-Douglas Naylor (CLE) | $7,000 | 7.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Michael Busch (CHC) | $9,030 | 5.6 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Bryce Harper (PHI) | $7,950 | 8.3 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jack Flaherty (LAD) | $22,840 | 18.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Joseph Cantillo (CLE) | $11,570 | 14 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Joseph Cantillo. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jack Flaherty is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Jose Siri.
On the other hand, according to our model, Weston Wilson 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 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 give you an edge 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.
