MLB Early Wednesday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 30, 2026
Last updated: Sep 29, 2026, 10:26AM | Published: Sep 29, 2026, 12:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Early Wednesday DFS contest begins at 4:00am AEST on September 30, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 September 30 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Early Wednesday slate includes these games:
- Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Houston Astros vs Chicago White Sox
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 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 find the best choices on Wednesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL, P) | $21,990 | 21.3 | 1 |
| Value | Jesús Luzardo (PHI, P) | $8,770 | 18.4 | 2.1 |
| Fade | Lucas Spence (HOU, OF) | $10,540 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Hagen Smith (CWS, P) | $5,000 | 8.9 | 1.8 |
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 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 | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $8,450 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Jacob Realmuto (PHI) | $5,790 | 4.8 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Kyle Teel (CWS) | $9,870 | 4.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Edgar Quero (CWS) | $5,000 | 4.1 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Trea Turner (PHI) | $8,130 | 8 | 1 |
| Value | Trea Turner (PHI) | $8,130 | 8 | 1 |
| Fade | Mauricio Dubón (ATL) | $8,630 | 3.7 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Luisangel Acuña (CWS) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ronald Acuña (ATL) | $10,560 | 9.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Kyle Schwarber (PHI) | $8,050 | 8.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Lucas Spence (HOU) | $10,540 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Justin Crawford (PHI) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Michael Riley (ATL) | $7,830 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Michael Riley (ATL) | $7,830 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Miguel Vargas (CWS) | $10,950 | 5.9 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Alec Bohm (PHI) | $6,880 | 6.3 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $8,870 | 7.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (PHI) | $5,000 | 6.8 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Chase Meidroth (CWS) | $8,140 | 5.6 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Bryson Stott (PHI) | $7,700 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Matthew Olson (ATL) | $10,090 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (PHI) | $5,000 | 6.8 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Miguel Vargas (CWS) | $10,950 | 5.9 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Bryce Harper (PHI) | $7,610 | 7.9 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL) | $21,990 | 21.3 | 1 |
| Value | Jesús Luzardo (PHI) | $8,770 | 18.4 | 2.1 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Early Wednesday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jesús Luzardo. 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, explore our cheapie options, including Hagen Smith.
On the other hand, according to our model, Lucas Spence 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 Early Wednesday slate closes at 4:00am AEST on Wednesday. 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 Wednesday 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 Wednesday 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.
