MLB Early Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 2, 2026
Last updated: Apr 1, 2026, 3:38PM | Published: Apr 1, 2026, 7:34AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Early Thursday DFS contest commences at 3:15am AEDT on April 2, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy 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 April 2 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Early Thursday slate includes these games:
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Colorado Rockies
- Miami Marlins vs Chicago White Sox
- Baltimore Orioles vs Texas Rangers
- Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Milwaukee Brewers vs Tampa Bay Rays
- San Diego Padres vs San Francisco Giants
- Seattle Mariners vs New York Yankees
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Detroit Tigers
- St. Louis Cardinals vs New York Mets
- Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Angels
- Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox
- Atlanta Braves vs Athletics
- Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce 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've 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 | Tarik Skubal (DET, P) | $22,870 | 23.4 | 1 |
| Value | Oneil Cruz (PIT, OF) | $5,000 | 7.4 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Jose Fernandez (AZ, SS) | $8,760 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Masyn Winn (STL, SS) | $6,080 | 7.2 | 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $9,660 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | William Contreras (MIL) | $7,790 | 7.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Liam Hicks (MIA) | $8,550 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Tyler Stephenson (CIN) | $5,220 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Gunnar Henderson (BAL) | $9,130 | 9.3 | 1 |
| Value | Masyn Winn (STL) | $6,080 | 7.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Jose Fernandez (AZ) | $8,760 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Paul Abrams (WSH) | $7,210 | 7.9 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Aaron Judge (NYY) | $11,550 | 10 | 0.9 |
| Value | Oneil Cruz (PIT) | $5,000 | 7.4 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Myles Straw (TOR) | $9,200 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | James Wood (WSH) | $7,790 | 8.3 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $9,200 | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Nolan Arenado (AZ) | $5,830 | 5.8 | 1 |
| Fade | Matthew Shaw (CHC) | $9,050 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Ke'Bryan Hayes (CIN) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $8,080 | 7.8 | 1 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SF) | $6,840 | 6.8 | 1 |
| Fade | Davis Schneider (TOR) | $10,260 | 4.1 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Matthew McLain (CIN) | $6,510 | 6.3 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $11,390 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Peter Alonso (BAL) | $8,560 | 8.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Dominic Smith (ATL) | $8,760 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Spencer Horwitz (PIT) | $5,000 | 5 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (DET) | $22,870 | 23.4 | 1 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL) | $8,150 | 10.7 | 1.3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Early Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Oneil Cruz. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tarik Skubal is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Masyn Winn.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jose Fernandez 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 Early Thursday slate closes at 3:15am AEDT 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 Early Thursday 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 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.
