MLB Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 18, 2026
Last updated: Jul 17, 2026, 8:36PM | Published: Jul 17, 2026, 12:32AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Saturday DFS contest starts at 9:05am AEST on July 18, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential 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 Saturday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Saturday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Atlanta Braves vs Texas Rangers
- Seattle Mariners vs San Francisco Giants
- Cleveland Guardians vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Chicago White Sox
- Houston Astros vs Baltimore Orioles
- Kansas City Royals vs San Diego Padres
- Colorado Rockies vs Cincinnati Reds
- Athletics vs Washington Nationals
- Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays
- New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Los Angeles Angels vs Detroit Tigers
- Chicago Cubs vs Minnesota Twins
- Milwaukee Brewers 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 make some of the most reliable 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 every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL, P) | $22,140 | 21.3 | 1 |
| Value | Anthony Kay (CWS, P) | $9,980 | 14.1 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT, OF) | $12,330 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Lawrence Butler (ATH, OF) | $5,000 | 6.6 | 1.3 |
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 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) | $7,840 | 8.3 | 1.1 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $7,840 | 8.3 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Eduardo Valencia (DET) | $8,100 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Salvador Perez (KC) | $6,590 | 6.7 | 1 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $10,070 | 9.7 | 1 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (ATH) | $8,540 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Markus Betts (LAD) | $7,560 | 7.8 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,240 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Value | Lawrence Butler (ATH) | $5,000 | 6.6 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT) | $12,330 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Terry Friedl (CIN) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $10,230 | 8.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Willi Castro (COL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Curtis Mead (WSH) | $10,080 | 2.2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Colten Keith (DET) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $8,650 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Bryan Torres (STL) | $8,430 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Willi Castro (COL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $11,190 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Marcell Ozuna (PIT) | $5,000 | 5.8 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Tyler France (SD) | $8,020 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Luis García (WSH) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL) | $22,140 | 21.3 | 1 |
| Value | Anthony Kay (CWS) | $9,980 | 14.1 | 1.4 |
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 Anthony Kay. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Christopher Sale is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Lawrence Butler.
On the other hand, according to our model, Esmerlyn Valdez 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 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.
