MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 21, 2025
Last updated: Aug 20, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Aug 20, 2025, 9:28PM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:15am AEST on August 21, 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 essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on August 21 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of these match-ups:
- San Diego Padres vs San Francisco Giants
- Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Los Angeles Angels vs Cincinnati Reds
- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees
- Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers
- Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Minnesota Twins vs Oakland Athletics
- Atlanta Braves vs Chicago White Sox
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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) | $16,010 | 17.4 | 1.1 |
| Value | Tanner Gordon (COL, P) | $5,000 | 9.9 | 2 |
| Fade | Adam Frazier (KC, 2B) | $8,590 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Anthony Volpe (NYY, SS) | $5,820 | 6.7 | 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 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 Contreras (MIL) | $8,130 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Value | Hunter Goodman (COL) | $7,410 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Kyle Teel (CWS) | $9,800 | 3.8 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Austin Wells (NYY) | $5,000 | 3.8 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $12,460 | 9.6 | 0.8 |
| Value | Anthony Volpe (NYY) | $5,820 | 6.7 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Colson Montgomery (CWS) | $8,290 | 5.3 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Dansby Swanson (CHC) | $6,660 | 6.7 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Fernando Tatis (SD) | $9,880 | 9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Evan Carter (TEX) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Michael Conforto (LAD) | $8,860 | 4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Beck (COL) | $6,560 | 6.4 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $8,410 | 8.1 | 1 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $8,120 | 8 | 1 |
| Fade | Wilmer Flores (SF) | $8,540 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Yandy Díaz (TB) | $7,800 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $9,350 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Nicholas Hoerner (CHC) | $7,440 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Adam Frazier (KC) | $8,590 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $7,610 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $12,900 | 7.7 | 0.6 |
| Value | Yandy Díaz (TB) | $7,800 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Wilmer Flores (SF) | $8,540 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Michael Busch (CHC) | $7,890 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $16,010 | 17.4 | 1.1 |
| Value | Tanner Gordon (COL) | $5,000 | 9.9 | 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 Tanner Gordon. 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, check out our cheapie options, including Anthony Volpe.
On the other hand, according to our model, Adam Frazier is one of the worst 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 9:15am 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 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 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.
