MLB Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 25, 2025
Last updated: Jul 24, 2025, 11:25PM | Published: Jul 24, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Friday DFS contest commences at 9:45am AEST on July 25, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 Friday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Friday slate consists of the following games:
- St. Louis Cardinals vs San Diego Padres
- Houston Astros vs Athletics
- Los Angeles Angels vs Seattle Mariners
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 picks on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sonny Gray (STL, P) | $15,900 | 19.1 | 1.2 |
| Value | Jason Alexander (HOU, P) | $7,830 | 10.6 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Taylor Trammell (HOU, OF) | $8,490 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jorge Polanco (SEA, 2B) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 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 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $10,220 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $10,220 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Mitchell Garver (SEA) | $8,660 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Iván Herrera (STL) | $7,520 | 5.6 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $8,780 | 8.5 | 1 |
| Value | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $8,780 | 8.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Brice Matthews (HOU) | $9,990 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $7,100 | 6.4 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Fernando Tatis (SD) | $9,000 | 9.2 | 1 |
| Value | Fernando Tatis (SD) | $9,000 | 9.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Taylor Trammell (HOU) | $8,490 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jordon Adell (LAA) | $7,610 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,940 | 8 | 1 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,940 | 8 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Arenado (STL) | $7,230 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $9,410 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jorge Polanco (SEA) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Dylan Moore (SEA) | $8,020 | 3.5 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $6,590 | 5.7 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luis Arraez (SD) | $8,000 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SD) | $8,000 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Christian Walker (HOU) | $8,910 | 7.1 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Alec Burleson (STL) | $7,660 | 5.5 | 0.7 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sonny Gray (STL) | $15,900 | 19.1 | 1.2 |
| Value | Jason Alexander (HOU) | $7,830 | 10.6 | 1.4 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jason Alexander. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Sonny Gray 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 Jorge Polanco.
On the other hand, according to our model, Taylor Trammell is one of the worst 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 Friday slate closes at 9:45am 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 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 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.
