MLB Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 3, 2026
Last updated: Jul 2, 2026, 5:28PM | Published: Jul 2, 2026, 8:30AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Friday DFS contest starts at 9:15am AEST on July 3, 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 a must for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Friday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Friday slate includes the following match-ups:
- Texas Rangers vs Detroit Tigers
- Seattle Mariners vs Los Angeles Angels
- Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres
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 most accurate 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 Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ian Seymour (TB, P) | $15,340 | 18.8 | 1.2 |
| Value | Roki Sasaki (LAD, P) | $12,770 | 17.5 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Victor Mesa (TB, OF) | $8,140 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Josh Smith (TEX, 2B) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 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 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $9,940 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $6,450 | 6.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Dalton Rushing (LAD) | $8,190 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Logan O'Hoppe (LAA) | $5,860 | 4.5 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,040 | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Masyn Winn (STL) | $7,350 | 7.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Kevin McGonigle (DET) | $9,200 | 5.2 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Carson Williams (TB) | $5,000 | 4.9 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,800 | 11.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Victor Scott (STL) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Victor Mesa (TB) | $8,140 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Nimmo (TEX) | $7,870 | 7.6 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $11,080 | 8.2 | 0.7 |
| Value | Michael Riley (ATL) | $7,310 | 7.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $9,690 | 4.6 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Colten Keith (DET) | $6,470 | 5.9 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ozhaino Albies (ATL) | $9,640 | 6.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Josh Smith (TEX) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Cole Young (SEA) | $9,710 | 4.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $6,960 | 6.2 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $9,870 | 8.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Spencer Torkelson (DET) | $7,560 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Tyler France (SD) | $8,060 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Schanuel (LAA) | $7,180 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ian Seymour (TB) | $15,340 | 18.8 | 1.2 |
| Value | Roki Sasaki (LAD) | $12,770 | 17.5 | 1.4 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Roki Sasaki. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Ian Seymour 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 Josh Smith.
On the other hand, according to our model, Victor Mesa 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 Friday slate closes at 9:15am 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 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.
