MLB Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 17, 2025
Last updated: May 16, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: May 16, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Saturday DFS contest starts at 9:05am AEST on May 17, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 17 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Saturday slate includes these games:
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Los Angeles Angels
- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics
- Miami Marlins vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Baltimore Orioles vs Washington Nationals
- Milwaukee Brewers vs Minnesota Twins
- New York Yankees vs New York Mets
- Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros
- San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Detroit Tigers
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies
- Kansas City Royals vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Boston Red Sox vs Atlanta Braves
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 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 | Garrett Crochet (BOS, P) | $22,550 | 21.9 | 1 |
| Value | Carson Palmquist (COL, P) | $5,000 | 13.9 | 2.8 |
| Fade | Robert Refsnyder (BOS, OF) | $8,510 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Michael Yastrzemski (SF, OF) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 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'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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $8,280 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $6,270 | 6.3 | 1 |
| Fade | Iván Herrera (STL) | $9,410 | 4.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Gabriel Moreno (AZ) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $10,590 | 9.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Gunnar Henderson (BAL) | $9,130 | 8.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Trey Sweeney (DET) | $8,510 | 3.9 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Luis Rengifo (LAA) | $6,200 | 5.9 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $12,530 | 10.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Michael Yastrzemski (SF) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Robert Refsnyder (BOS) | $8,510 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Brenton Doyle (COL) | $7,320 | 7.7 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Michael Austin Riley (ATL) | $8,590 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Yandy Díaz (TB) | $7,240 | 7.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Wilmer Flores (SF) | $8,970 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Arenado (STL) | $7,350 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $9,690 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $6,200 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Brandon Lowe (TB) | $11,300 | 6.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jackson Holliday (BAL) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $10,010 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Matthew Olson (ATL) | $6,510 | 7.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Wilmer Flores (SF) | $8,970 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Christian Walker (HOU) | $6,730 | 7.2 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Garrett Crochet (BOS) | $22,550 | 21.9 | 1 |
| Value | Carson Palmquist (COL) | $5,000 | 13.9 | 2.8 |
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 Carson Palmquist. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Garrett Crochet 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 Michael Yastrzemski.
On the other hand, according to our model, Robert Refsnyder 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.
