MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 1, 2024
Last updated: Jul 31, 2024, 10:25PM | Published: Jul 31, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:10am AEST on August 1, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on August 1 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate includes these games:
- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics
- Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs
- San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Los Angeles Angels vs Colorado Rockies
- Houston Astros vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver 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 Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Cease (SD, P) | $22,800 | 20.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jacob Woodford (PIT, P) | $5,000 | 10.1 | 2 |
| Fade | Kevin Pillar (LAA, OF) | $9,340 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Oneil Cruz (PIT, SS) | $7,320 | 7.7 | 1 |
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 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 | William Smith (LAD) | $7,410 | 6.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | William Smith (LAD) | $7,410 | 6.2 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Elias Díaz (COL) | $8,020 | 4.3 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Tyler Stephenson (CIN) | $7,850 | 4.7 | 0.6 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $12,520 | 9.1 | 0.7 |
| Value | Oneil Cruz (PIT) | $7,320 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $10,250 | 7.4 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Jeremy Peña (HOU) | $7,210 | 7 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $12,040 | 9.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Bryan Reynolds (PIT) | $7,750 | 7.9 | 1 |
| Fade | Kevin Pillar (LAA) | $9,340 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Teoscar Hernández (LAD) | $7,670 | 7.4 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Luis Rengifo (LAA) | $9,780 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Alexander Bregman (HOU) | $7,740 | 7.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Matt Chapman (SF) | $9,870 | 6.4 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Isaac Paredes (CHC) | $7,790 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $9,870 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Zachary Gelof (OAK) | $6,180 | 6.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $9,420 | 6.4 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Nicholas Hoerner (CHC) | $7,940 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Cody Bellinger (CHC) | $8,700 | 7.1 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ryan Tellez (PIT) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Patrick Wisdom (CHC) | $8,670 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Luis Arraez (SD) | $7,290 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Cease (SD) | $22,800 | 20.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jacob Woodford (PIT) | $5,000 | 10.1 | 2 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Jacob Woodford. 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, check out our cheapie options, including Oneil Cruz.
On the other hand, according to our model, Kevin Pillar is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together 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.
