MLB Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 23, 2026
Last updated: Aug 22, 2026, 10:33PM | Published: Aug 22, 2026, 8:29AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Sunday DFS contest starts at 9:05am AEST on August 23, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each 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 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 match-ups:
- Chicago White Sox vs New York Mets
- Boston Red Sox vs San Francisco Giants
- Colorado Rockies vs Cleveland Guardians
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Cincinnati Reds
- Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Seattle Mariners vs Chicago Cubs
- San Diego Padres vs Minnesota Twins
- Baltimore Orioles vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers
- Houston Astros vs Athletics
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with some of the best 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 Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (LAD, P) | $23,300 | 23.4 | 1 |
| Value | Andrew Anderson (DET, P) | $14,040 | 21.4 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Angel Genao (CLE, 2B) | $8,250 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Brendan Donovan (SEA, 3B) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 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 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 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $7,270 | 8.3 | 1.1 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $7,270 | 8.3 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Rafael Flores (PIT) | $8,650 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $7,020 | 6 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,970 | 9.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Gunnar Henderson (BAL) | $8,400 | 9.3 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX) | $9,830 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Jared Triolo (PIT) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $14,180 | 11.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Bryan Reynolds (PIT) | $6,530 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Nicholas Sogard (BOS) | $9,850 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Oneil Cruz (PIT) | $7,540 | 7.4 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,800 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Brendan Donovan (SEA) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Denzer Guzman (LAA) | $8,150 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Jared Triolo (PIT) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nicholas Hoerner (CHC) | $8,280 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (NYM) | $6,540 | 6.9 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Angel Genao (CLE) | $8,250 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Gleyber Torres (DET) | $7,430 | 7.2 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Peter Alonso (BAL) | $10,810 | 8.6 | 0.8 |
| Value | Spencer Torkelson (DET) | $6,200 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Jared Young (NYM) | $8,240 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,880 | 6.7 | 0.8 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tarik Skubal (LAD) | $23,300 | 23.4 | 1 |
| Value | Andrew Anderson (DET) | $14,040 | 21.4 | 1.5 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Sunday teams, consider starting with a value player like Andrew Anderson. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tarik Skubal is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Brendan Donovan.
On the other hand, according to our model, Angel Genao is one of the worst 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 9:05am 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.
