MLB Late Friday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 31, 2026
Last updated: Jul 30, 2026, 9:33PM | Published: Jul 30, 2026, 8:38AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Late Friday DFS contest kicks off at 11:40am AEST on July 31, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential 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 July 31 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Late Friday slate includes these match-ups:
- San Diego Padres vs San Francisco Giants
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Seattle Mariners
- Athletics vs Boston Red Sox
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 strongest 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 find the best picks on Friday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bryan Woo (SEA, P) | $16,910 | 18.6 | 1.1 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD, 2B/SS) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Dominic Canzone (SEA, OF) | $10,120 | 4.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jeffrey McNeil (ATH, 2B) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 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 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $8,690 | 8.3 | 1 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $8,690 | 8.3 | 1 |
| Cheapie | Carlos Narváez (BOS) | $5,000 | 3.9 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $7,180 | 7.8 | 1.1 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Willy Adames (SF) | $8,920 | 7.3 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Markus Betts (LAD) | $7,180 | 7.8 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,120 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Value | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,120 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Dominic Canzone (SEA) | $10,120 | 4.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Lawrence Butler (ATH) | $6,700 | 6.6 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $9,640 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $9,640 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $8,680 | 4.6 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Durbin (BOS) | $7,340 | 5.8 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luis Arraez (SF) | $9,470 | 6.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Cole Young (SEA) | $8,470 | 4.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jeffrey McNeil (ATH) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $8,880 | 8.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $8,880 | 8.4 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Lucas Raley (SEA) | $8,360 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Robert Refsnyder (SEA) | $5,000 | 2.4 | 0.5 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bryan Woo (SEA) | $16,910 | 18.6 | 1.1 |
| Value | Mason Barnett (ATH) | $10,560 | 13 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Late Friday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jacob Cronenworth. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Bryan Woo 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 Jeffrey McNeil.
On the other hand, according to our model, Dominic Canzone 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 Late Friday slate closes at 11:40am 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 Late 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 Late 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.
