MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 18, 2026
Last updated: May 17, 2026, 11:27AM | Published: May 17, 2026, 8:27AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest commences at 3:35am AEST on May 18, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Monday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Monday slate features the following match-ups:
- Cleveland Guardians vs Cincinnati Reds
- Detroit Tigers vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Athletics vs San Francisco Giants
- Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals
- Chicago White Sox vs Chicago Cubs
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Atlanta Braves vs Boston Red Sox
- Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers
- Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- New York Mets vs New York Yankees
- Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles
- Colorado Rockies vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best picks 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 | Caleb Durbin (BOS) | $5,630 | 5.8 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $11,990 | 7.8 | 0.6 |
| 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 | Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
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
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 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, take a look at 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 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 contest. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
