MLB Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 25, 2026
Last updated: Sep 24, 2026, 10:25PM | Published: Sep 24, 2026, 8:37AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Friday DFS contest kicks off at 9:05am AEST on September 25, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy 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:
- Athletics vs Houston Astros
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres
- Seattle Mariners vs Los Angeles Angels
- Atlanta Braves vs Cincinnati Reds
- New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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 selections on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ian Seymour (TB, P) | $15,980 | 18.8 | 1.2 |
| Value | Brady Singer (CIN, P) | $8,990 | 14.3 | 1.6 |
| Fade | Donovan Walton (ATH, 2B) | $9,090 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Ward (SEA, 1B) | $5,000 | 7.4 | 1.5 |
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 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) | $10,210 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $10,210 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Drake Baldwin (ATL) | $10,340 | 5.9 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Austin Wells (NYY) | $6,000 | 4.8 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $11,900 | 9.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Anthony Volpe (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | George Lombard (NYY) | $8,410 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Carson Williams (TB) | $5,000 | 4.9 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $10,690 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Value | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $10,690 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Carlos Cortes (ATH) | $9,210 | 2.3 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Joshua Lowe (LAA) | $6,000 | 5.5 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $7,980 | 8.2 | 1 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,340 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Zachary Gelof (ATH) | $9,280 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Junior Caminero (TB) | $7,980 | 8.2 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $7,990 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $7,990 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Donovan Walton (ATH) | $9,090 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Matthew McLain (CIN) | $7,680 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $8,480 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Value | Joseph Ward (SEA) | $5,000 | 7.4 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $10,160 | 6.2 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ian Seymour (TB) | $15,980 | 18.8 | 1.2 |
| Value | Brady Singer (CIN) | $8,990 | 14.3 | 1.6 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Brady Singer. 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 Joseph Ward.
On the other hand, according to our model, Donovan Walton 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 9:05am 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 maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
