MLB Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 17, 2025
Last updated: Aug 16, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Aug 16, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Sunday DFS contest starts at 9:10am AEST on August 17, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Sunday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Sunday slate features the following games:
- Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers
- Cleveland Guardians vs Atlanta Braves
- San Francisco Giants vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels
- St. Louis Cardinals vs New York Yankees
- Kansas City Royals vs Chicago White Sox
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres
- Houston Astros vs Baltimore Orioles
- Colorado Rockies vs Arizona Diamondbacks
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 find the best picks on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Cease (SD, P) | $18,080 | 19.8 | 1.1 |
| Value | Chase Dollander (COL, P) | $7,230 | 12.3 | 1.7 |
| Fade | Colby Thomas (ATH, OF) | $8,380 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Luis Arraez (SD, 1B) | $5,760 | 6.9 | 1.2 |
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 are 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 | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,730 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,730 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Francis Dingler (DET) | $8,690 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Adley Rutschman (BAL) | $7,440 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,620 | 9.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $6,660 | 6.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Geraldo Perdomo (AZ) | $12,310 | 6.6 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Willy Adames (SF) | $7,000 | 6.8 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $12,280 | 10 | 0.8 |
| Value | Lawrence Butler (ATH) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Colby Thomas (ATH) | $8,380 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jasson Domínguez (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $13,330 | 9.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,540 | 7.9 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Ramón Urías (HOU) | $8,010 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Karros (COL) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $12,940 | 8.2 | 0.6 |
| Value | Lenyn Sosa (CWS) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Blaze Alexander (AZ) | $8,790 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $6,370 | 5.5 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $8,450 | 7.6 | 0.9 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SD) | $5,760 | 6.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Tyler Locklear (AZ) | $8,230 | 4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Carlos Santana (CLE) | $5,000 | 5 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Cease (SD) | $18,080 | 19.8 | 1.1 |
| Value | Chase Dollander (COL) | $7,230 | 12.3 | 1.7 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Chase Dollander. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Dylan Cease is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Luis Arraez.
On the other hand, according to our model, Colby Thomas is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Sunday slate closes at 9:10am AEST on Sunday. 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 Sunday contest. 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 Sunday 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.
