MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 1, 2025
Last updated: Aug 31, 2025, 5:25PM | Published: Aug 31, 2025, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest starts at 3:35am AEST on September 1, 2025, 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 enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Monday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Monday slate includes these games:
- Chicago White Sox vs New York Yankees
- Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners
- Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels
- New York Mets vs Miami Marlins
- Athletics vs Texas Rangers
- Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers
- San Francisco Giants vs Baltimore Orioles
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Colorado Rockies vs Chicago Cubs
- Washington Nationals vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Boston Red Sox vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce 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 | Tarik Skubal (DET, P) | $23,590 | 23.7 | 1 |
| Value | Tanner Gordon (COL, P) | $6,740 | 10 | 1.5 |
| Fade | José Caballero (NYY, SS) | $8,390 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Vincent Pasquantino (KC, 1B) | $6,160 | 7.3 | 1.2 |
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 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) | $8,650 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $6,340 | 6.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | William Contreras (MIL) | $8,040 | 6.4 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Agustín Ramírez (MIA) | $7,860 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $9,280 | 9.2 | 1 |
| Value | Bo Bichette (TOR) | $7,350 | 7.4 | 1 |
| Fade | José Caballero (NYY) | $8,390 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | John Crawford (SEA) | $5,900 | 5.5 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,270 | 9.5 | 0.7 |
| Value | Joseph Ward (LAA) | $7,190 | 7.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Andrew McCutchen (PIT) | $8,360 | 4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jordon Adell (LAA) | $7,480 | 7.2 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,000 | 9.5 | 1 |
| Value | Junior Caminero (TB) | $8,760 | 8.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Brett Baty (NYM) | $8,250 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Matt Chapman (SF) | $7,780 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $7,770 | 7.6 | 1 |
| Value | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $7,770 | 7.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Jeremiah Jackson (BAL) | $9,730 | 3.8 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Lenyn Sosa (CWS) | $6,360 | 5.7 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $7,670 | 8.2 | 1.1 |
| Value | Vincent Pasquantino (KC) | $6,160 | 7.3 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Michael Busch (CHC) | $13,080 | 5.9 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $7,670 | 8.2 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (DET) | $23,590 | 23.7 | 1 |
| Value | Tanner Gordon (COL) | $6,740 | 10 | 1.5 |
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 Tanner Gordon. 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 Vincent Pasquantino.
On the other hand, according to our model, José Caballero 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.
