MLB Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 18, 2024
Last updated: May 17, 2024, 10:25PM | Published: May 17, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Saturday DFS contest starts at 9:05am AEST on May 18, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview aims to guide you in assembling your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contestsas well as enhancing your season-long fantasy line-ups on Saturday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Saturday slate includes these match-ups:
- San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies
- Cleveland Guardians vs Minnesota Twins
- Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati Reds
- Houston Astros vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Baltimore Orioles vs Seattle Mariners
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Detroit Tigers
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Atlanta Braves vs San Diego Padres
- Kansas City Royals vs Oakland Athletics
- Miami Marlins vs New York Mets
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Boston Red Sox
- New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best picks on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (DET, P) | $21,880 | 21.9 | 1 |
| Value | Mitch Spence (OAK, P) | $5,000 | 11.9 | 2.4 |
| Fade | Willie Calhoun (LAA, OF) | $8,250 | 1.2 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Corbin Carroll (ARI, OF) | $7,120 | 8.4 | 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 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.
Positional Breakdown
C (Catcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | William Contreras (MIL) | $10,910 | 7.2 | 0.7 |
| Value | Daniel Jansen (TOR) | $5,000 | 3.9 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Tyler Stephenson (CIN) | $8,760 | 4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $7,600 | 5.3 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $12,560 | 9.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jeremy Peña (HOU) | $7,060 | 7.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Dylan Moore (SEA) | $8,630 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,330 | 7.4 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ronald Acuña (ATL) | $10,720 | 10.7 | 1 |
| Value | Corbin Carroll (ARI) | $7,120 | 8.4 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Willie Calhoun (LAA) | $8,250 | 1.2 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Mervyl Melendez (KC) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,430 | 8.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Nolan Arenado (STL) | $7,840 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Joseph Ortiz (MIL) | $9,230 | 4.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Alexander Bregman (HOU) | $7,700 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $12,140 | 8.7 | 0.7 |
| Value | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $8,780 | 8.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Luis Rengifo (LAA) | $9,850 | 4.7 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $6,970 | 6.3 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,880 | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,880 | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Jakob Bauers (MIL) | $9,750 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Burger (MIA) | $7,060 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (DET) | $21,880 | 21.9 | 1 |
| Value | Mitch Spence (OAK) | $5,000 | 11.9 | 2.4 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Mitch Spence. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tarik Skubal is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Corbin Carroll.
On the other hand, according to our model, Willie Calhoun is one of the lowest 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 maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
