MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 29, 2024
Last updated: Aug 28, 2024, 10:26PM | Published: Aug 28, 2024, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest commences at 9:10am AEST on August 29, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable 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 Thursday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Minnesota Twins vs Atlanta Braves
- St. Louis Cardinals vs San Diego Padres
- Colorado Rockies vs Miami Marlins
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs New York Mets
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Baltimore Orioles
- Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Milwaukee Brewers vs San Francisco Giants
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
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 Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL, P) | $24,290 | 21.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Walker Buehler (LAD, P) | $10,840 | 13.6 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Adrian Del Castillo (ARI, C) | $10,550 | 2.3 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Thomas Pham (STL, OF) | $5,000 | 6 | 1.2 |
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 budget-conscious strategies, "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) | $8,890 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ryan Jeffers (MIN) | $5,000 | 4.1 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Adrian Del Castillo (ARI) | $10,550 | 2.3 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | William Smith (LAD) | $7,320 | 5.8 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $9,150 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Thomas Edman (LAD) | $5,970 | 6.2 | 1 |
| Fade | David Hamilton (BOS) | $8,360 | 4.8 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Orlando Arcia (ATL) | $6,640 | 5.7 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,780 | 10 | 0.9 |
| Value | Thomas Pham (STL) | $5,000 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Grant McCray (SF) | $8,850 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Teoscar Hernández (LAD) | $7,740 | 7.6 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob Burger (MIA) | $10,680 | 7.5 | 0.7 |
| Value | Nolan Arenado (STL) | $7,380 | 7.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Ramón Urías (BAL) | $8,070 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jose Miranda (MIN) | $5,660 | 5.3 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $9,150 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Markus Betts (LAD) | $9,150 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Connor Norby (MIA) | $11,660 | 5.3 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $7,130 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $10,400 | 8.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $8,050 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Triston Casas (BOS) | $9,090 | 6.5 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Carlos Santana (MIN) | $6,490 | 5.1 | 0.8 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL) | $24,290 | 21.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Walker Buehler (LAD) | $10,840 | 13.6 | 1.3 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Walker Buehler. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Christopher Sale is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Thomas Pham.
On the other hand, according to our model, Adrian Del Castillo is one of the worst 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 Thursday slate closes at 9:10am 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 balance star power, value and budget management 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.
