MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 18, 2026
Last updated: May 17, 2026, 5:25PM | Published: May 17, 2026, 8:27AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest starts at 3:35am AEST on May 18, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 18 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Monday slate includes the following match-ups:
- New York Mets vs New York Yankees
- Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Detroit Tigers vs Toronto Blue Jays
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals
- Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Cleveland Guardians vs Cincinnati Reds
- Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles
- Athletics vs San Francisco Giants
- Colorado Rockies vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Chicago White Sox vs Chicago Cubs
- Atlanta Braves vs Boston Red Sox
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Skenes (PIT, P) | $23,480 | 21 | 0.9 |
| Value | Robert Gasser (MIL, P) | $5,000 | 16 | 3.2 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (AZ, 1B) | $9,720 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Michael Lorenzen (COL, P) | $7,700 | 11 | 1.4 |
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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $8,630 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Logan O'Hoppe (LAA) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Adrian Del Castillo (AZ) | $8,270 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Tyler Stephenson (CIN) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,690 | 9.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Joseph Ortiz (MIL) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Colson Montgomery (CWS) | $9,730 | 6.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Masyn Winn (STL) | $6,880 | 7.2 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,150 | 11.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Christian Yelich (MIL) | $5,000 | 6.4 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Yohendrick Piñango (TOR) | $8,220 | 1.8 | 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) | $10,590 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Alec Bohm (PHI) | $6,120 | 6.3 | 1 |
| Fade | Daniel Schneemann (CLE) | $8,310 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Michael Riley (ATL) | $7,600 | 7.4 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Brice Turang (MIL) | $10,810 | 7.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Bryson Stott (PHI) | $6,850 | 6.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Travis Bazzana (CLE) | $8,660 | 2.9 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Lenyn Sosa (TOR) | $5,000 | 4.4 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,350 | 9 | 1 |
| Value | Spencer Torkelson (DET) | $6,160 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (AZ) | $9,720 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Luis Arraez (SF) | $7,860 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Skenes (PIT) | $23,480 | 21 | 0.9 |
| Value | Robert Gasser (MIL) | $5,000 | 16 | 3.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Robert Gasser. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Paul Skenes is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Michael Lorenzen.
On the other hand, according to our model, Ildemaro Vargas is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering 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.
