MLB Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 2, 2025
Last updated: May 1, 2025, 10:26PM | Published: May 1, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Friday DFS contest begins at 8:45am AEST on May 2, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together 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 includes these match-ups:
- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies
- Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox
- Los Angeles Angels vs Detroit Tigers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yusei Kikuchi (LAA, P) | $16,300 | 17.7 | 1.1 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL, P) | $8,750 | 13 | 1.5 |
| Fade | David Villar (SF, 2B) | $8,690 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Cheapie | Michael Yastrzemski (SF, OF) | $5,000 | 5.2 | 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 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 | Keibert Ruiz (WSH) | $7,580 | 5.3 | 0.7 |
| Value | Keibert Ruiz (WSH) | $7,580 | 5.3 | 0.7 |
| Fade | Logan O'Hoppe (LAA) | $8,810 | 4.9 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Patrick Bailey (SF) | $6,630 | 4.1 | 0.6 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Abrams (WSH) | $11,250 | 8.3 | 0.7 |
| Value | Bo Bichette (TOR) | $8,140 | 7.6 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Willy Adames (SF) | $10,040 | 7.2 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Trevor Story (BOS) | $7,670 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jarren Duran (BOS) | $11,700 | 8.2 | 0.7 |
| Value | Michael Yastrzemski (SF) | $5,000 | 5.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Johan Rojas (PHI) | $8,330 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Ward (LAA) | $7,540 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rafael Devers (BOS) | $11,190 | 7.7 | 0.7 |
| Value | Ryan McMahon (COL) | $6,940 | 6.2 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Ednel Báez (DET) | $8,470 | 3.5 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Alec Bohm (PHI) | $7,400 | 6.2 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Alexander Bregman (BOS) | $10,520 | 7.4 | 0.7 |
| Value | Colten Keith (DET) | $5,000 | 5.2 | 1 |
| Fade | David Villar (SF) | $8,690 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Cheapie | Kyren Paris (LAA) | $5,000 | 3.3 | 0.7 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,470 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,470 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Wilmer Flores (SF) | $9,060 | 3.7 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Joshua Bell (WSH) | $7,780 | 5.4 | 0.7 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) | $16,300 | 17.7 | 1.1 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL) | $8,750 | 13 | 1.5 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kyle Freeland. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Yusei Kikuchi is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Michael Yastrzemski.
On the other hand, according to our model, David Villar 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 8:45am 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 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.
