MLB Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 1, 2026
Last updated: Jul 31, 2026, 10:32AM | Published: Jul 31, 2026, 8:28AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Saturday DFS contest kicks off at 9:05am AEST on August 1, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Saturday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Saturday slate consists of these games:
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Boston Red Sox
- Colorado Rockies vs Kansas City Royals
- San Diego Padres vs San Francisco Giants
- Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers
- Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals
- Toronto Blue Jays vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Cleveland Guardians vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- New York Mets vs Miami Marlins
- Athletics vs Detroit Tigers
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago White Sox
- Los Angeles Angels vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Baltimore Orioles vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Seattle Mariners vs Minnesota Twins
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 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD, P) | $21,590 | 19.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Ryan Johnson (LAA, P) | $10,810 | 16.2 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Jared Young (NYM, 1B) | $8,470 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Agustín Ramírez (MIA, C) | $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 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 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) | $9,720 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Agustín Ramírez (MIA) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Francis Dingler (DET) | $9,020 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Logan O'Hoppe (TEX) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Gunnar Henderson (BAL) | $9,850 | 9.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Cooper Pratt (MIL) | $8,590 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $6,320 | 7 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $10,810 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Value | Jordan Beck (COL) | $5,000 | 5.8 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Samuel Antonacci (CWS) | $9,390 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Matthew Wallner (MIN) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $11,200 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Colten Keith (DET) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Christian Encarnacion-Strand (BAL) | $9,210 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Brady House (WSH) | $5,000 | 5 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $8,230 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Hao-Yu Lee (DET) | $10,450 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jeffrey McNeil (ATH) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,090 | 9 | 1 |
| Value | Kyle Manzardo (CLE) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Jared Young (NYM) | $8,470 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Connor Norby (MIA) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) | $21,590 | 19.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Ryan Johnson (LAA) | $10,810 | 16.2 | 1.5 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Ryan Johnson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto 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 Agustín Ramírez.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jared Young 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 Saturday slate closes at 9:05am AEST on Saturday. 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 Saturday 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 Saturday 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.
