MLB Sunday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 24, 2026
Last updated: May 23, 2026, 11:00PM | Published: May 23, 2026, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Sunday DFS contest commences at 9:15am AEST on May 24, 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 May 24 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Sunday slate includes these match-ups:
- Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies
- San Diego Padres vs Athletics
- Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers
- Milwaukee Brewers vs Los Angeles Dodgers
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 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 find the best choices on Sunday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Roki Sasaki (LAD, P) | $13,610 | 17.5 | 1.3 |
| Value | Kyle Leahy (STL, P) | $11,120 | 17.2 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Justin Foscue (TEX, 2B) | $11,060 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Michael Lorenzen (COL, P) | $7,370 | 11 | 1.5 |
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 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 | Shea Langeliers (ATH) | $9,560 | 6.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | William Smith (LAD) | $7,880 | 5.8 | 0.7 |
| Fade | Gabriel Moreno (AZ) | $9,610 | 4.6 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Freddy Fermin (SD) | $5,300 | 3.8 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $12,120 | 9.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Joseph Ortiz (MIL) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Jose Fernandez (AZ) | $8,400 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $7,160 | 7 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,670 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Value | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,670 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Bryan Torres (STL) | $8,070 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Victor Scott (STL) | $6,350 | 5.3 | 0.8 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $8,970 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $8,970 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Zachary Gelof (ATH) | $8,600 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Willi Castro (COL) | $7,850 | 5.9 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $12,680 | 7.8 | 0.6 |
| Value | Sung-Mun Song (SD) | $5,000 | 4.1 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Justin Foscue (TEX) | $11,060 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Willi Castro (COL) | $7,850 | 5.9 | 0.8 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $9,850 | 8.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Andrew Vaughn (MIL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (AZ) | $8,670 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Nolan Schanuel (LAA) | $7,580 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Roki Sasaki (LAD) | $13,610 | 17.5 | 1.3 |
| Value | Kyle Leahy (STL) | $11,120 | 17.2 | 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 Kyle Leahy. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Roki Sasaki is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Michael Lorenzen.
On the other hand, according to our model, Justin Foscue 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 Sunday slate closes at 9:15am 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.
