MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 21, 2026
Last updated: Sep 20, 2026, 3:10PM | Published: Sep 20, 2026, 8:31AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest commences at 3:10am AEST on September 21, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate 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 improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on September 21 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Monday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Chicago White Sox vs Detroit Tigers
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs New York Yankees
- Houston Astros vs Atlanta Braves
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Washington Nationals
- Texas Rangers vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants
- New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs
- Cleveland Guardians vs Athletics
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs Kansas City Royals
- Colorado Rockies vs Seattle Mariners
- Los Angeles Angels vs Minnesota Twins
- San Diego Padres vs Miami Marlins
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce 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 have 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 | Hunter Brown (HOU, P) | $18,920 | 19.3 | 1 |
| Value | Shohei Ohtani (LAD, OF) | $5,000 | 11.2 | 2.2 |
| Fade | Leonardo Bernal (STL, C) | $8,790 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Ward (SEA, 1B) | $5,000 | 7.4 | 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 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 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $9,900 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Adley Rutschman (BOS) | $6,920 | 6.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Leonardo Bernal (STL) | $8,790 | 1.7 | 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) | $11,670 | 9.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Francisco Lindor (NYM) | $7,460 | 8.7 | 1.2 |
| Fade | George Lombard (NYY) | $8,450 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Andrés Giménez (TOR) | $6,020 | 6.1 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $5,000 | 11.2 | 2.2 |
| Value | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $5,000 | 11.2 | 2.2 |
| Fade | Walker Jenkins (MIN) | $9,860 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Daylen Lile (WSH) | $5,000 | 6.3 | 1.3 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $11,300 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Michael Riley (ATL) | $6,590 | 7.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Javier Sanoja (MIA) | $8,680 | 3.5 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,920 | 7.7 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $9,170 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Gleyber Torres (DET) | $5,000 | 7.2 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Hao-Yu Lee (DET) | $10,530 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Semien (NYM) | $6,360 | 6.9 | 1.1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $7,320 | 9 | 1.2 |
| Value | Joseph Ward (SEA) | $5,000 | 7.4 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Yohandy Morales (WSH) | $8,690 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $7,320 | 9 | 1.2 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Hunter Brown (HOU) | $18,920 | 19.3 | 1 |
| Value | Patrick Sandoval (BOS) | $11,650 | 17 | 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 Shohei Ohtani. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Hunter Brown 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 Joseph Ward.
On the other hand, according to our model, Leonardo Bernal 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 3:10am 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 balance star power, value and budget management 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.
