MLB Late Wednesday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 23, 2026
Last updated: Sep 23, 2026, 12:25AM | Published: Sep 22, 2026, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Late Wednesday DFS contest starts at 11:40am AEST on September 23, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on September 23 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Late Wednesday slate features the following games:
- Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels
- Seattle Mariners vs Houston Astros
- San Francisco Giants vs Minnesota Twins
- 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 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 Wednesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Logan Gilbert (SEA, P) | $19,450 | 18.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Cristian Javier (HOU, P) | $11,730 | 13.5 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Emmanuel Rodriguez (MIN, OF) | $9,730 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Royce Lewis (MIN, 1B) | $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'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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $9,330 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $9,330 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | William Smith (LAD) | $9,000 | 5.8 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Moisés Ballesteros (LAA) | $5,000 | 4.2 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $9,460 | 8.1 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jeremy Peña (HOU) | $8,400 | 7.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $9,990 | 6.2 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Ryan Kreidler (MIN) | $5,000 | 1.8 | 0.4 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Fernando Tatis (SD) | $11,820 | 9.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Julio Rodríguez (SEA) | $9,330 | 9 | 1 |
| Fade | Emmanuel Rodriguez (MIN) | $9,730 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Cameron Smith (HOU) | $5,410 | 4.8 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $8,540 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $8,540 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (ATH) | $9,670 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Shay Whitcomb (SF) | $5,000 | 2.5 | 0.5 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $8,000 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $8,000 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Kody Clemens (MIN) | $8,420 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Thomas Edman (LAD) | $6,830 | 4.1 | 0.6 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $8,520 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Value | Royce Lewis (MIN) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Tyler France (SD) | $8,610 | 2.9 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Christian Walker (HOU) | $6,990 | 6.2 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Logan Gilbert (SEA) | $19,450 | 18.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Cristian Javier (HOU) | $11,730 | 13.5 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Late Wednesday teams, consider starting with a value player like Cristian Javier. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Logan Gilbert 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 Royce Lewis.
On the other hand, according to our model, Emmanuel Rodriguez is one of the worst 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 Wednesday slate closes at 11:40am 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 contest. 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.
