MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 5, 2024
Last updated: Sep 4, 2024, 10:26PM | Published: Sep 4, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:10am AEST on September 5, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together 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 features the following games:
- New York Mets vs Boston Red Sox
- Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners
- Atlanta Braves vs Colorado Rockies
- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Texas Rangers vs New York Yankees
- Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians
- Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- San Diego Padres vs Detroit Tigers
- Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates
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 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 make the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sonny Gray (STL, P) | $19,720 | 18.8 | 1 |
| Value | Griffin Canning (LAA, P) | $10,430 | 12.8 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Dylan Moore (SEA, SS) | $8,230 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Peter Alonso (NYM, 1B) | $7,650 | 7.9 | 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 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 | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,420 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,420 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | William Smith (LAD) | $9,870 | 5.9 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $7,960 | 6.5 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,740 | 9.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Oneil Cruz (PIT) | $7,520 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Dylan Moore (SEA) | $8,230 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Wilson (OAK) | $5,860 | 5.2 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $14,020 | 10.4 | 0.7 |
| Value | Lane Thomas (CLE) | $5,040 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | McKenzie Moniak (LAA) | $8,610 | 4.3 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jose Adolis García (TEX) | $7,720 | 7.4 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,430 | 9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Nolan Arenado (STL) | $7,680 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $10,520 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Mark Vientos (NYM) | $7,880 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $12,120 | 8.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Nicholas Hoerner (CHC) | $7,840 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Gavin Lux (LAD) | $8,680 | 4.6 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jeff McNeil (NYM) | $6,350 | 5.5 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $12,910 | 8 | 0.6 |
| Value | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $7,650 | 7.9 | 1 |
| Fade | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $8,640 | 5.8 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,420 | 7 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sonny Gray (STL) | $19,720 | 18.8 | 1 |
| Value | Griffin Canning (LAA) | $10,430 | 12.8 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Griffin Canning. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Sonny Gray 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 Peter Alonso.
On the other hand, according to our model, Dylan Moore is one of the lowest 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 9:10am 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 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.
