MLB Late Wednesday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 9, 2026
Last updated: Sep 8, 2026, 7:38PM | Published: Sep 8, 2026, 12:19PM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Late Wednesday DFS contest commences at 11:40am AEST on September 9, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Wednesday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Late Wednesday slate features these games:
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati Reds
- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals
- San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals
- Seattle Mariners vs Texas Rangers
- Athletics vs Toronto Blue Jays
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 most reliable 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 Wednesday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (LAD, P) | $24,220 | 23.4 | 1 |
| Value | Riley Cornelio (WSH, P) | $5,000 | 9.6 | 1.9 |
| Fade | Brett Bateman (TOR, OF) | $9,090 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Terry Friedl (CIN, OF) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
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) | $9,530 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Logan O'Hoppe (TEX) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Leonardo Bernal (STL) | $8,920 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Freddy Fermin (SD) | $5,000 | 3.8 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $9,730 | 9.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $9,730 | 9.2 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX) | $9,130 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | John Crawford (SEA) | $7,020 | 5.5 | 0.8 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,660 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Value | Terry Friedl (CIN) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Brett Bateman (TOR) | $9,090 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Victor Scott (STL) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $11,640 | 7.7 | 0.7 |
| Value | Ke'Bryan Hayes (CIN) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
| Fade | Christian Koss (SF) | $8,130 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $5,000 | 4.6 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Matthew McLain (CIN) | $6,510 | 6.3 | 1 |
| Value | Josh Smith (TOR) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Osleivis Basabe (SF) | $8,250 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Matthew McLain (CIN) | $6,510 | 6.3 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,360 | 9 | 1 |
| Value | Joshua-Douglas Naylor (SEA) | $7,750 | 7.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Tyler France (SD) | $8,150 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Ward (SEA) | $7,720 | 7.4 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (LAD) | $24,220 | 23.4 | 1 |
| Value | Riley Cornelio (WSH) | $5,000 | 9.6 | 1.9 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Late Wednesday teams, consider starting with a value player like Riley Cornelio. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tarik Skubal is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Terry Friedl.
On the other hand, according to our model, Brett Bateman 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 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 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.
