MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 20, 2026
Last updated: Apr 19, 2026, 9:26AM | Published: Apr 19, 2026, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest commences at 3:35am AEST on April 20, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must 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 April 20 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Monday slate features these match-ups:
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Athletics vs Chicago White Sox
- Washington Nationals vs San Francisco Giants
- Houston Astros vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets
- Minnesota Twins vs Cincinnati Reds
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs Tampa Bay Rays
- New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals
- Seattle Mariners vs Texas Rangers
- Boston Red Sox vs Detroit Tigers
- Cleveland Guardians vs Baltimore Orioles
- Los Angeles Angels vs San Diego Padres
- Miami Marlins vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Garrett Crochet (BOS, P) | $19,590 | 22.3 | 1.1 |
| Value | Jarren Duran (BOS, OF) | $5,000 | 7.8 | 1.6 |
| Fade | Christian Vázquez (HOU, C) | $8,080 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Michael Lorenzen (COL, P) | $7,330 | 11 | 1.5 |
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 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $8,620 | 8.3 | 1 |
| Value | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $5,540 | 6.2 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Christian Vázquez (HOU) | $8,080 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Samuel Basallo (BAL) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,230 | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Geraldo Perdomo (AZ) | $5,000 | 7.2 | 1.4 |
| Fade | José Caballero (NYY) | $8,730 | 4.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $17,500 | 11.2 | 0.6 |
| Value | Jarren Duran (BOS) | $5,000 | 7.8 | 1.6 |
| Fade | Everson Pereira (CWS) | $8,380 | 3.1 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Trenton Grisham (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,410 | 8.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Mark Vientos (NYM) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Casey Schmitt (SF) | $9,620 | 3.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Ryan McMahon (NYY) | $5,000 | 4.9 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $9,060 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Hyeseong Kim (LAD) | $9,400 | 2.3 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Colten Keith (DET) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,080 | 9 | 1 |
| Value | Luis García (WSH) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Jakob Bauers (MIL) | $9,010 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $5,540 | 6.2 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Garrett Crochet (BOS) | $19,590 | 22.3 | 1.1 |
| Value | Tobias Myers (NYM) | $11,330 | 17.2 | 1.5 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jarren Duran. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Garrett Crochet 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 Michael Lorenzen.
On the other hand, according to our model, Christian Vázquez 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 Monday slate closes at 3:35am AEST on Monday. 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 Monday 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 Monday 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.
