MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 4, 2026
Last updated: May 3, 2026, 5:26PM | Published: May 3, 2026, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest begins at 3:35am AEST on May 4, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 4 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Monday slate features these match-ups:
- Tampa Bay Rays vs San Francisco Giants
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Miami Marlins vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Colorado Rockies vs Atlanta Braves
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cincinnati Reds
- San Diego Padres vs Chicago White Sox
- Los Angeles Angels vs New York Mets
- Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros
- Athletics vs Cleveland Guardians
- Washington Nationals vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals
- New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles
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 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 | Spencer Strider (ATL, P) | $20,330 | 19.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Richard Gibson (BAL, P) | $5,000 | 12.4 | 2.5 |
| Fade | Elijah White (ATL, OF) | $9,050 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Cronenworth (SD, SS/2B) | $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 are 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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $9,660 | 7.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Adley Rutschman (BAL) | $7,640 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Jonah Heim (ATL) | $8,320 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Freddy Fermin (SD) | $5,000 | 3.8 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,170 | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Mauricio Dubón (ATL) | $9,300 | 3.7 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Ortiz (MIL) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $12,790 | 11.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Corbin Carroll (AZ) | $9,400 | 9.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Elijah White (ATL) | $9,050 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Luisangel Acuña (CWS) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,540 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Alexander Bregman (CHC) | $8,120 | 7.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Daniel Schneemann (CLE) | $8,970 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Arenado (AZ) | $7,100 | 5.8 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $10,000 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Edouard Julien (COL) | $9,030 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Semien (NYM) | $7,580 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Peter Alonso (BAL) | $8,110 | 8.6 | 1.1 |
| Value | Mark Vientos (NYM) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Casey Schmitt (SF) | $9,050 | 3.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Nicholas Kurtz (ATH) | $7,850 | 8.3 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Spencer Strider (ATL) | $20,330 | 19.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Richard Gibson (BAL) | $5,000 | 12.4 | 2.5 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Richard Gibson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Spencer Strider 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 Jacob Cronenworth.
On the other hand, according to our model, Elijah White is one of the worst 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 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.
