MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 17, 2026
Last updated: Aug 16, 2026, 4:45PM | Published: Aug 16, 2026, 8:33AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest starts at 3:35am AEST on August 17, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Monday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Monday slate features the following match-ups:
- New York Mets vs Washington Nationals
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Athletics vs Texas Rangers
- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies
- Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs Boston Red Sox
- Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees
- Cincinnati Reds vs Miami Marlins
- Cleveland Guardians vs San Diego Padres
- Los Angeles Angels vs Kansas City Royals
- Minnesota Twins vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Atlanta Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks
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 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (LAD, P) | $21,700 | 23.4 | 1.1 |
| Value | Andrew Anderson (DET, P) | $5,000 | 21.4 | 4.3 |
| Fade | Drew Cavanaugh (SF, C) | $8,320 | 1.3 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jakob Marsee (MIA, OF) | $5,000 | 7.3 | 1.5 |
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'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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $7,060 | 7.5 | 1.1 |
| Value | William Contreras (MIL) | $7,060 | 7.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Drew Cavanaugh (SF) | $8,320 | 1.3 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Logan O'Hoppe (TEX) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,940 | 9.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Masyn Winn (STL) | $6,480 | 7.2 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX) | $8,410 | 3.1 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $6,720 | 7 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,180 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Value | Jakob Marsee (MIA) | $5,000 | 7.3 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Joshua Baez (STL) | $11,920 | 2.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Terry Friedl (CIN) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,050 | 8.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Brady House (WSH) | $5,000 | 5 | 1 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $8,940 | 4.6 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Brett Baty (NYM) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $9,470 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jeffrey McNeil (ATH) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX) | $8,410 | 3.1 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Brice Turang (MIL) | $7,600 | 7.6 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $8,690 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Value | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $8,690 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Jared Young (NYM) | $10,340 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Andrew Vaughn (MIL) | $6,360 | 5.9 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (LAD) | $21,700 | 23.4 | 1.1 |
| Value | Andrew Anderson (DET) | $5,000 | 21.4 | 4.3 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Andrew Anderson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tarik Skubal is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Jakob Marsee.
On the other hand, according to our model, Drew Cavanaugh is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building 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 contest. 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.
