MLB Early Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 5, 2024
Last updated: May 4, 2024, 5:26PM | Published: May 4, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Early Sunday DFS contest commences at 4:10am AEST on May 5, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 5 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Early Sunday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Oakland Athletics vs Miami Marlins
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago White Sox
- Cleveland Guardians vs Los Angeles Angels
- Washington Nationals vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Philadelphia Phillies vs San Francisco Giants
- Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs Colorado Rockies
- Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Cincinnati Reds 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 most reliable 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 find the best selections on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Pablo López (MIN, P) | $19,170 | 19.9 | 1 |
| Value | John Means (BAL, P) | $11,380 | 13.4 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Kody Clemens (PHI, 1B) | $8,890 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Jake Fraley (CIN, OF) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
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 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 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) | $10,090 | 7.3 | 0.7 |
| Value | Keibert Ruiz (WSH) | $5,760 | 4.7 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Daniel Jansen (TOR) | $9,860 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Patrick Bailey (SF) | $5,000 | 3.7 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $9,200 | 8.6 | 0.9 |
| Value | Bo Bichette (TOR) | $7,010 | 7.9 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Tyler Fitzgerald (SF) | $8,500 | 1.2 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $7,990 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kyle Schwarber (PHI) | $9,740 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jake Fraley (CIN) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Peter Crow-Armstrong (CHC) | $9,290 | 2.2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Michael Conforto (SF) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $8,380 | 8.6 | 1 |
| Value | José Ramírez (CLE) | $8,380 | 8.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Willi Castro (MIN) | $8,920 | 3.7 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Christian Encarnacion-Strand (CIN) | $6,770 | 6.6 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Andrés Giménez (CLE) | $8,070 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Value | Andrés Giménez (CLE) | $8,070 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Jorge Mateo (BAL) | $8,950 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Edouard Julien (MIN) | $6,810 | 5.9 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,120 | 8.3 | 1 |
| Value | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,120 | 8.3 | 1 |
| Fade | Kody Clemens (PHI) | $8,890 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Joshua-Douglas Naylor (CLE) | $7,500 | 7.6 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Pablo López (MIN) | $19,170 | 19.9 | 1 |
| Value | John Means (BAL) | $11,380 | 13.4 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Early Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like John Means. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Pablo López 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 Jake Fraley.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kody Clemens is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Early Sunday slate closes at 4:10am AEST on Sunday. 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 Sunday 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 Early Sunday 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.
