MLB Padres vs Astros Draftstars DFS Captain Contest Preview and Projections for August 10, 2026
Last updated: Aug 9, 2026, 10:38AM | Published: Aug 9, 2026, 8:28AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Padres vs Astros DFS Captain Contest commences at 10:20am AEST on August 10, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player in the game to help you create 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 August 10 and beyond.
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 most accurate DFS projections available.
With the latest 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 players from each team to help you find the best choices on Monday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cristian Javier (HOU) | $13,300 | 13.5 | 1 |
| Stud | Randy Vásquez (SD) | $15,660 | 10.2 | 0.7 |
| Value | Cristian Javier (HOU) | $13,300 | 13.5 | 1 |
| Value | Jacob Meyers (HOU) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Taylor Trammell (HOU) | $10,810 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Sung-Mun Song (SD) | $5,000 | 4.1 | 0.8 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "studs" are 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 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.
Captain Contest Tips
Monday's MLB Padres vs Astros contest is a Captain Contest, in which you generally pick one captain and five other players. The captain scores 1.5x the usual number of Draftstars points, but they also cost 1.5x their usual salary.
You may want to consider players with a high ceiling, like Cristian Javier and Randy Vásquez, who can score big points and make the most of that 1.5x multiplier. They may be expensive, but if they go big, you go big too.
Alternatively, if you want to spread your funds around your line-up, you could select player who you think is good value, with our model liking Jacob Meyers as a potential value option. Choosing a value pick as captain gives you more points per dollar spent, which could help you spend your budget more effectively.
For more help selecting your captain, check out Draftstars' Captain Contest explainer, as well as the Fantasy Insider cruncher on Draftstars, which is free to access when logged into your account.
Conclusion
As highlighted above, there is extra thought that goes into a captain contest, with either a stud or value pick the best option, depending on how you want to fill out the rest of your MLB Padres vs Astros lineup today.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Padres vs Astros slate closes at 10:20am 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 Padres vs Astros slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge when you make your MLB DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised MLB Padres vs Astros 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.
