MLB Monday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 7, 2026
Last updated: Sep 6, 2026, 5:28PM | Published: Sep 6, 2026, 10:56AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Monday DFS contest commences at 3:35am AEST on September 7, 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 a must for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on September 7 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Monday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Cleveland Guardians vs Detroit Tigers
- Kansas City Royals vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays
- San Diego Padres vs New York Yankees
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Angels
- Colorado Rockies vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Miami Marlins vs Chicago Cubs
- New York Mets vs San Francisco Giants
- Houston Astros vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Baltimore Orioles vs Boston Red Sox
- Seattle Mariners vs Athletics
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the best 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Skenes (PIT, P) | $21,970 | 21 | 1 |
| Value | Kyle Leahy (STL, P) | $14,830 | 17.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Leonardo Bernal (STL, C) | $10,860 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Josh Smith (TOR, 2B) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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) | $10,830 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Adley Rutschman (BOS) | $8,240 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Leonardo Bernal (STL) | $10,860 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Austin Wells (NYY) | $6,320 | 4.8 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,210 | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Gunnar Henderson (BAL) | $8,110 | 9.3 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Alexander Williams (ATH) | $8,160 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Zachary Neto (LAA) | $7,290 | 8.1 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Juan Soto (NYM) | $10,260 | 9.8 | 1 |
| Value | Brandon Nimmo (TEX) | $6,850 | 7.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Brett Bateman (TOR) | $8,800 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Colton Cowser (BAL) | $5,000 | 5.2 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $10,150 | 8.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $8,560 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Weston Wilson (SEA) | $9,600 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Durbin (BOS) | $6,480 | 5.8 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $9,710 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Josh Smith (TOR) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Travis Bazzana (CLE) | $9,550 | 2.9 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Semien (NYM) | $6,940 | 6.9 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,200 | 9 | 1 |
| Value | Mark Vientos (NYM) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Michael Gasper (BOS) | $9,180 | 1.4 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,670 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Skenes (PIT) | $21,970 | 21 | 1 |
| Value | Kyle Leahy (STL) | $14,830 | 17.2 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Monday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kyle Leahy. 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 Josh Smith.
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 3:35am 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 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.
