MLB Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 22, 2026
Last updated: May 21, 2026, 10:32PM | Published: May 21, 2026, 8:28AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Friday DFS contest starts at 8:40am AEST on May 22, 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 crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 22 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Friday slate consists of these games:
- Los Angeles Angels vs Athletics
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies
- New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the best 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 make the best choices on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Spencer Strider (ATL, P) | $19,030 | 19.2 | 1 |
| Value | Sandy Alcantara (MIA, P) | $13,000 | 15 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (AZ, 1B) | $8,820 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | McKenzie Moniak (COL, OF) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 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 | Shea Langeliers (ATH) | $9,120 | 6.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Shea Langeliers (ATH) | $9,120 | 6.8 | 0.7 |
| Fade | Gabriel Moreno (AZ) | $9,530 | 4.6 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Mack (MIA) | $6,190 | 3.2 | 0.5 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $9,690 | 8.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $8,100 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Otto Lopez (MIA) | $8,780 | 5.8 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Ha-Seong Kim (ATL) | $6,200 | 4.5 | 0.7 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Aaron Judge (NYY) | $11,870 | 10 | 0.8 |
| Value | McKenzie Moniak (COL) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Carlos Cortes (ATH) | $8,280 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Lawrence Butler (ATH) | $6,780 | 6.6 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Michael Riley (ATL) | $8,370 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Michael Riley (ATL) | $8,370 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Zachary Gelof (ATH) | $8,550 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Kazuma Okamoto (TOR) | $7,540 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $13,180 | 7.8 | 0.6 |
| Value | Edouard Julien (COL) | $5,000 | 4.1 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Xavier Edwards (MIA) | $10,140 | 6.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Jeffrey McNeil (ATH) | $7,580 | 5.5 | 0.7 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,420 | 9 | 1 |
| Value | Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (AZ) | $8,820 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Troy Johnston (COL) | $6,220 | 3.3 | 0.5 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Spencer Strider (ATL) | $19,030 | 19.2 | 1 |
| Value | Sandy Alcantara (MIA) | $13,000 | 15 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Sandy Alcantara. 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, check out our cheapie options, including McKenzie Moniak.
On the other hand, according to our model, Ildemaro Vargas is one of the lowest 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 8:40am 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.
