MLB Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for June 20, 2025
Last updated: Jun 19, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Jun 19, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Friday DFS contest starts at 9:15am AEST on June 20, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 consists of these games:
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres
- Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles
- Atlanta Braves vs New York Mets
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 most reliable DFS projections available.
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 make the best selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Spencer Strider (ATL, P) | $20,670 | 21.4 | 1 |
| Value | Gunnar Henderson (BAL, SS) | $7,700 | 8.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Mauricio Dubón (HOU, OF/2B) | $8,460 | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD, SS) | $6,160 | 6.5 | 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'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 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 | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $8,240 | 6.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Adley Rutschman (BAL) | $6,710 | 6.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | William Smith (LAD) | $9,830 | 5.5 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Drake Baldwin (ATL) | $6,350 | 3.2 | 0.5 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Francisco Lindor (NYM) | $9,080 | 8.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Gunnar Henderson (BAL) | $7,700 | 8.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Thomas Edman (LAD) | $8,860 | 6.5 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $6,160 | 6.5 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $12,260 | 10.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Michael Harris (ATL) | $6,670 | 6.9 | 1 |
| Fade | Mauricio Dubón (HOU) | $8,460 | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Ryan O'Hearn (BAL) | $6,780 | 6.2 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $8,250 | 7.9 | 1 |
| Value | Michael Austin Riley (ATL) | $7,660 | 7.8 | 1 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $8,470 | 5.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Ramón Urías (BAL) | $5,000 | 3.3 | 0.7 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $9,940 | 7.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ozhanio Albies (ATL) | $7,430 | 7.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Mauricio Dubón (HOU) | $8,460 | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Jackson Holliday (BAL) | $6,780 | 6.1 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $8,550 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SD) | $7,380 | 7.3 | 1 |
| Fade | Jonathan Aranda (TB) | $9,830 | 5.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Ryan O'Hearn (BAL) | $6,780 | 6.2 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Spencer Strider (ATL) | $20,670 | 21.4 | 1 |
| Value | Spencer Strider (ATL) | $20,670 | 21.4 | 1 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Gunnar Henderson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Spencer Strider 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 Xander Bogaerts.
On the other hand, according to our model, Mauricio Dubón is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out 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 slate. 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.
