MLB Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 16, 2026
Last updated: May 15, 2026, 10:35PM | Published: May 15, 2026, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Saturday DFS contest kicks off at 9:10am AEST on May 16, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build 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 games:
- Chicago White Sox vs Chicago Cubs
- Colorado Rockies vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- New York Mets vs New York Yankees
- Cleveland Guardians vs Cincinnati Reds
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals
- Atlanta Braves vs Boston Red Sox
- Seattle Mariners vs San Diego Padres
- Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins
- Athletics vs San Francisco Giants
- Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers
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 strongest DFS projections in the world.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Spencer Strider (ATL, P) | $19,720 | 19.2 | 1 |
| Value | Ian Seymour (TB, P) | $5,000 | 18.8 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Braden Shewmake (HOU, SS) | $9,760 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Shohei Ohtani (LAD, OF) | $6,210 | 11.2 | 1.8 |
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'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 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.
Positional Breakdown
C (Catcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | William Contreras (MIL) | $9,900 | 7.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Austin Wells (NYY) | $5,350 | 4.8 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Dalton Rushing (LAD) | $9,130 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Logan O'Hoppe (LAA) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $12,070 | 9.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Masyn Winn (STL) | $6,660 | 7.2 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Braden Shewmake (HOU) | $9,760 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Anthony Volpe (NYY) | $5,540 | 5.9 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $6,210 | 11.2 | 1.8 |
| Value | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $6,210 | 11.2 | 1.8 |
| Fade | Samuel Antonacci (CWS) | $9,030 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Joshua Lowe (LAA) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $9,930 | 8.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,680 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $10,430 | 4.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Durbin (BOS) | $5,960 | 5.8 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $11,510 | 7.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $7,440 | 7.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Travis Bazzana (CLE) | $8,720 | 2.9 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Semien (NYM) | $7,140 | 6.9 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nicholas Kurtz (ATH) | $12,460 | 8.3 | 0.7 |
| Value | Andrew Vaughn (MIL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (AZ) | $9,660 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Schanuel (LAA) | $6,400 | 6.5 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Spencer Strider (ATL) | $19,720 | 19.2 | 1 |
| Value | Ian Seymour (TB) | $5,000 | 18.8 | 3.8 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Ian Seymour. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Spencer Strider is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Shohei Ohtani.
On the other hand, according to our model, Braden Shewmake is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Saturday slate closes at 9:10am 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 contest. The unique insights here can give you an edge 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.
