MLB Late Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 10, 2025
Last updated: Jul 10, 2025, 12:25AM | Published: Jul 9, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Late Thursday DFS contest commences at 11:38am AEST on July 10, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable 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 Thursday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Late Thursday slate consists of these match-ups:
- San Diego Padres vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers
- Oakland Athletics vs Atlanta Braves
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Cease (SD, P) | $16,980 | 19.4 | 1.1 |
| Value | Brandon Pfaadt (AZ, P) | $12,670 | 14.7 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Drake Baldwin (ATL, C) | $8,430 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Nicholas Allen (ATL, SS) | $5,170 | 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'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 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 (OAK) | $7,850 | 5.1 | 0.7 |
| Value | Shea Langeliers (OAK) | $7,850 | 5.1 | 0.7 |
| Fade | Drake Baldwin (ATL) | $8,430 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Travis d'Arnaud (LAA) | $5,000 | 2.9 | 0.6 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $10,110 | 8.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Nicholas Allen (ATL) | $5,170 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Josh Smith (TEX) | $8,340 | 5.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $7,690 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ronald Acuña (ATL) | $9,880 | 9.4 | 1 |
| Value | Ronald Acuña (ATL) | $9,880 | 9.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Evan Carter (TEX) | $8,940 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Michael Harris (ATL) | $7,340 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $9,390 | 7.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Eugenio Suárez (AZ) | $7,590 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Yoán Moncada (LAA) | $8,240 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Giovanny Urshela (OAK) | $5,000 | 1.4 | 0.3 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $8,590 | 7.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $7,300 | 6.9 | 1 |
| Fade | Yoán Moncada (LAA) | $8,240 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Zachary Gelof (OAK) | $6,390 | 5.6 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Matthew Olson (ATL) | $10,530 | 7.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SD) | $8,550 | 7.2 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Nolan Schanuel (LAA) | $8,770 | 6.5 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Burger (TEX) | $7,660 | 5.7 | 0.7 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Cease (SD) | $16,980 | 19.4 | 1.1 |
| Value | Brandon Pfaadt (AZ) | $12,670 | 14.7 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Late Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Brandon Pfaadt. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Dylan Cease 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 Nicholas Allen.
On the other hand, according to our model, Drake Baldwin is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Late Thursday slate closes at 11:38am AEST on Thursday. 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 Thursday slate. 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 Thursday 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.
