MLB Late Wednesday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 30, 2025
Last updated: Jul 30, 2025, 12:26AM | Published: Jul 29, 2025, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Late Wednesday DFS contest kicks off at 11:38am AEST on July 30, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on July 30 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Late Wednesday slate features the following games:
- Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners
- Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers
- San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- San Diego Padres vs New York Mets
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
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 selections on Wednesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yusei Kikuchi (LAA, P) | $16,830 | 17.5 | 1 |
| Value | Sean Manaea (NYM, P) | $15,660 | 16.3 | 1 |
| Fade | Samuel Haggerty (TEX, OF) | $9,690 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Josh Smith (TEX, SS/OF) | $5,000 | 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 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) | $10,740 | 7.7 | 0.7 |
| Value | Patrick Bailey (SF) | $5,000 | 3.9 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Travis d'Arnaud (LAA) | $8,040 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Bart (PIT) | $5,000 | 3 | 0.6 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $10,030 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Josh Smith (TEX) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Francisco Lindor (NYM) | $10,680 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $7,620 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Fernando Tatis (SD) | $9,930 | 9.1 | 0.9 |
| Value | Josh Smith (TEX) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Samuel Haggerty (TEX) | $9,690 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Brent Rooker (OAK) | $7,920 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $10,080 | 7.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Rafael Devers (SF) | $8,740 | 7.6 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Joshua Jung (TEX) | $9,270 | 5.8 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Ke'Bryan Hayes (PIT) | $6,400 | 5.5 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $8,070 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $8,070 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Jeff McNeil (NYM) | $8,270 | 5.6 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Nicholas Gonzales (PIT) | $7,340 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $8,640 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SD) | $7,520 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Spencer Horwitz (PIT) | $8,140 | 4.9 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Schanuel (LAA) | $7,640 | 6.4 | 0.8 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) | $16,830 | 17.5 | 1 |
| Value | Sean Manaea (NYM) | $15,660 | 16.3 | 1 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Late Wednesday teams, consider starting with a value player like Sean Manaea. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Yusei Kikuchi 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 Josh Smith.
On the other hand, according to our model, Samuel Haggerty is one of the worst 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 Wednesday slate closes at 11:38am AEST on Wednesday. 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 Wednesday 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 Late Wednesday 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.
