MLB Early Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 5, 2024
Last updated: Jul 4, 2024, 4:25PM | Published: Jul 4, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Early Friday DFS contest kicks off at 3:05am AEST on July 5, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on July 5 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Early Friday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Texas Rangers vs San Diego Padres
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Houston Astros
- New York Yankees vs Cincinnati Reds
- Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago White Sox
- Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers
- Miami Marlins vs Boston Red Sox
- Oakland Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels
- Seattle Mariners vs Baltimore Orioles
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the strongest 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Corbin Burnes (BAL, P) | $21,190 | 19.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Kenta Maeda (DET, P) | $10,470 | 13.3 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Brooks Lee (MIN, SS) | $8,610 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Julio Rodríguez (SEA, OF) | $6,980 | 8.1 | 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 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 | Adley Rutschman (BAL) | $7,570 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $6,740 | 6.2 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Shea Langeliers (OAK) | $8,640 | 4.3 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Adley Rutschman (BAL) | $7,570 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Gunnar Henderson (BAL) | $9,720 | 8.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Bo Bichette (TOR) | $6,750 | 7.8 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Brooks Lee (MIN) | $8,610 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Dylan Moore (SEA) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Aaron Judge (NYY) | $12,920 | 9.1 | 0.7 |
| Value | Julio Rodríguez (SEA) | $6,980 | 8.1 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Kevin Pillar (LAA) | $8,220 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Colton Cowser (BAL) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,670 | 9.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Alexander Bregman (HOU) | $7,460 | 7.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Jose Miranda (MIN) | $8,020 | 4.7 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Christopher Morel (CHC) | $7,130 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $9,780 | 8.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Andrés Giménez (CLE) | $7,990 | 7.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Zachary Gelof (OAK) | $8,810 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Nicholas Hoerner (CHC) | $7,940 | 7 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,120 | 8.3 | 1 |
| Value | Tyler France (SEA) | $5,820 | 6.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Nolan Schanuel (LAA) | $8,500 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Joshua Bell (MIA) | $6,880 | 6.6 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Corbin Burnes (BAL) | $21,190 | 19.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Kenta Maeda (DET) | $10,470 | 13.3 | 1.3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Early Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kenta Maeda. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Corbin Burnes is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Julio Rodríguez.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brooks Lee is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Early Friday slate closes at 3:05am AEST on Friday. 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 Early Friday slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your MLB DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised MLB Early Friday 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.
