MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for April 23, 2026
Last updated: Apr 22, 2026, 10:26PM | Published: Apr 22, 2026, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest starts at 9:10am AEST on April 23, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on April 23 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres
- San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Texas Rangers vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago White Sox
- New York Mets vs Minnesota Twins
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD, P) | $20,140 | 17.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Connor Prielipp (MIN, P) | $5,000 | 13 | 2.6 |
| Fade | Felix Reyes (PHI, 1B) | $8,480 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Willi Castro (COL, OF/3B) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 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 | Hunter Goodman (COL) | $10,070 | 6.4 | 0.6 |
| Value | Patrick Bailey (SF) | $5,000 | 4 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Moisés Ballesteros (CHC) | $8,510 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Victor Caratini (MIN) | $5,000 | 3.4 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Francisco Lindor (NYM) | $10,370 | 8.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Willy Adames (SF) | $7,510 | 7.3 | 1 |
| Fade | Colson Montgomery (CWS) | $10,900 | 6.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Nicholas Gonzales (PIT) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Juan Soto (NYM) | $11,130 | 9.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Willi Castro (COL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Everson Pereira (CWS) | $9,100 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Justin Crawford (PHI) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $8,850 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Willi Castro (COL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Kyle Karros (COL) | $8,410 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Matt Chapman (SF) | $7,430 | 7.1 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $10,670 | 7.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SF) | $6,790 | 6.8 | 1 |
| Fade | Tyler Freeman (COL) | $8,600 | 3.8 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Cronenworth (SD) | $7,540 | 6.2 | 0.8 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $10,090 | 8.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Rafael Devers (SF) | $7,600 | 8 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Felix Reyes (PHI) | $8,480 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Luis Arraez (SF) | $6,790 | 6.8 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $20,140 | 17.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Connor Prielipp (MIN) | $5,000 | 13 | 2.6 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Connor Prielipp. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Shohei Ohtani is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Willi Castro.
On the other hand, according to our model, Felix Reyes 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 Thursday slate closes at 9:10am AEST on Thursday. 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 Thursday 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 Thursday 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.
