MLB Late Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for June 19, 2025
Last updated: Jun 19, 2025, 12:26AM | Published: Jun 18, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Late Thursday DFS contest kicks off at 11:45am AEST on June 19, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on June 19 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Late Thursday slate consists of the following games:
- Athletics vs Houston Astros
- San Francisco Giants vs Cleveland Guardians
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres
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 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Framber Valdez (HOU, P) | $22,000 | 19.6 | 0.9 |
| Value | George Sheehan (LAD, P) | $10,390 | 16.5 | 1.6 |
| Fade | Casey Schmitt (SF, 1B) | $9,820 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Brent Rooker (ATH, OF) | $7,680 | 7.6 | 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 | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $7,980 | 6.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $7,980 | 6.5 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Patrick Bailey (SF) | $5,000 | 3.7 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $9,930 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jacob Wilson (ATH) | $7,190 | 7 | 1 |
| Fade | Thomas Edman (LAD) | $8,420 | 6.5 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $7,510 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,290 | 10.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Brent Rooker (ATH) | $7,680 | 7.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Michael Yastrzemski (SF) | $8,220 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Lane Thomas (CLE) | $6,520 | 5.1 | 0.8 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,390 | 9.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,390 | 9.4 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Wilmer Flores (SF) | $8,430 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Giovanny Urshela (ATH) | $5,430 | 1.8 | 0.3 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $8,720 | 7.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $8,720 | 7.9 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Tyler Fitzgerald (SF) | $8,120 | 4.8 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Hyeseong Kim (LAD) | $5,000 | 3 | 0.6 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $9,090 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Christian Walker (HOU) | $7,780 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Casey Schmitt (SF) | $9,820 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Carlos Santana (CLE) | $7,290 | 5.6 | 0.8 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Framber Valdez (HOU) | $22,000 | 19.6 | 0.9 |
| Value | George Sheehan (LAD) | $10,390 | 16.5 | 1.6 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Late Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like George Sheehan. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Framber Valdez 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 Brent Rooker.
On the other hand, according to our model, Casey Schmitt is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Late Thursday slate closes at 11:45am 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.
