MLB Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 14, 2026
Last updated: Aug 13, 2026, 10:44PM | Published: Aug 13, 2026, 8:29AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Friday DFS contest commences at 9:30am AEST on August 14, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable 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 Friday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Friday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers
- Minnesota Twins vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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 find the best picks on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob deGrom (TEX, P) | $21,540 | 19.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Shane Drohan (MIL, P) | $13,960 | 17.8 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX, 2B/SS) | $9,490 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Zachary Neto (LAA, SS) | $7,560 | 8.1 | 1.1 |
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 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 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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $8,260 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | William Contreras (MIL) | $8,260 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Ryan Jeffers (MIN) | $9,080 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Logan O'Hoppe (TEX) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $7,560 | 8.1 | 1.1 |
| Value | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $7,560 | 8.1 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX) | $9,490 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Ortiz (MIL) | $6,490 | 5.5 | 0.8 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $10,630 | 11.2 | 1.1 |
| Value | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $10,630 | 11.2 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Garrett Mitchell (MIL) | $8,130 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Joshua Lowe (LAA) | $5,430 | 5.5 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Alec Bohm (PHI) | $7,620 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Alec Bohm (PHI) | $7,620 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Brooks Lee (MIN) | $8,680 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Cody Freeman (TEX) | $5,000 | 3.1 | 0.6 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Brice Turang (MIL) | $10,900 | 7.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (PHI) | $7,350 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX) | $9,490 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Christian Moore (LAA) | $5,000 | 3.5 | 0.7 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $8,810 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Value | Nolan Schanuel (LAA) | $6,740 | 6.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Kody Clemens (MIN) | $8,880 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Luis Arraez (PHI) | $7,350 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob deGrom (TEX) | $21,540 | 19.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Shane Drohan (MIL) | $13,960 | 17.8 | 1.3 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Shane Drohan. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jacob deGrom is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Zachary Neto.
On the other hand, according to our model, Ezequiel Duran 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 Friday slate closes at 9:30am 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 Friday 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 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.
