MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 9, 2024
Last updated: May 8, 2024, 10:25PM | Published: May 8, 2024, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest starts at 8:40am AEST on May 9, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview aims to help you in putting together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contestsas well as enhancing your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 9 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate features these games:
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago White Sox
- Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Colorado Rockies vs San Francisco Giants
- Minnesota Twins vs Seattle Mariners
- New York Yankees vs Houston Astros
- Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles
- Atlanta Braves vs Boston Red Sox
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 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 make the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL, P) | $21,430 | 19.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Terry Friedl (CIN, OF) | $5,000 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Jonathan DeLuca (TB, OF) | $8,860 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Wilyer Abreu (BOS, OF) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 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 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 | Adley Rutschman (BAL) | $10,520 | 6.5 | 0.6 |
| Value | Keibert Ruiz (WSH) | $5,310 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $9,430 | 6.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $6,330 | 5.4 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $8,140 | 8.6 | 1.1 |
| Value | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $8,140 | 8.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Dylan Moore (SEA) | $8,360 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Jeremy Peña (HOU) | $7,510 | 7 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ronald Acuña (ATL) | $11,120 | 10.8 | 1 |
| Value | Terry Friedl (CIN) | $5,000 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Jonathan DeLuca (TB) | $8,860 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Wilyer Abreu (BOS) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rafael Devers (BOS) | $8,500 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Value | Rafael Devers (BOS) | $8,500 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Joshua Rojas (SEA) | $10,310 | 4.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Alexander Bregman (HOU) | $7,080 | 7 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $9,750 | 8.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Gleyber Torres (NYY) | $7,280 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Jorge Mateo (BAL) | $8,620 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Edouard Julien (MIN) | $6,770 | 5.9 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Matthew Olson (ATL) | $8,740 | 8.1 | 0.9 |
| Value | Andrew Vaughn (CWS) | $5,770 | 5.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Jonathan Singleton (HOU) | $8,360 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Tyler France (SEA) | $7,270 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL) | $21,430 | 19.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Peter Lambert (COL) | $8,870 | 12.2 | 1.4 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Terry Friedl. 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, take a look at our cheapie options, including Wilyer Abreu.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jonathan DeLuca 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 Thursday slate closes at 8:40am 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.
