MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for August 28, 2025
Last updated: Aug 27, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Aug 27, 2025, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest commences at 9:07am AEST on August 28, 2025, 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 essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on August 28 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of the following match-ups:
- New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Chicago White Sox vs Kansas City Royals
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati Reds
- Athletics vs Detroit Tigers
- Houston Astros vs Colorado Rockies
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Minnesota Twins
- Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels
- San Francisco Giants vs Chicago Cubs
- Milwaukee Brewers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- St. Louis Cardinals 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 come up with some of the most accurate DFS projections available.
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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sonny Gray (STL, P) | $19,750 | 19.1 | 1 |
| Value | Nolan McLean (NYM, P) | $5,960 | 14.6 | 2.5 |
| Fade | Nathan Church (STL, OF) | $8,620 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT, P) | $5,000 | 11.3 | 2.3 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks provide 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 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) | $8,700 | 6.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,710 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Kyle Teel (CWS) | $8,330 | 4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Hunter Goodman (COL) | $7,260 | 6.3 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,280 | 9.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $6,340 | 6.9 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Carlos Correa (HOU) | $10,640 | 6.4 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Warming Bernabel (COL) | $5,410 | 5 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Corbin Carroll (AZ) | $11,490 | 8.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Tyler Freeman (COL) | $5,960 | 6.3 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Nathan Church (STL) | $8,620 | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Beck (COL) | $6,090 | 6.1 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rafael Devers (SF) | $9,510 | 7.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ke'Bryan Hayes (CIN) | $5,750 | 5.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Zachary McKinstry (DET) | $8,250 | 4.3 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Alec Bohm (PHI) | $7,830 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $9,820 | 7.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Matthew McLain (CIN) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Nolan Gorman (STL) | $9,210 | 4.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Zachary Gelof (ATH) | $5,000 | 4.9 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Bryce Harper (PHI) | $10,380 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Michael Busch (CHC) | $5,000 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Pavin Smith (AZ) | $8,100 | 4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,710 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Sonny Gray (STL) | $19,750 | 19.1 | 1 |
| Value | Nolan McLean (NYM) | $5,960 | 14.6 | 2.5 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Nolan McLean. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Sonny Gray is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Carmen Mlodzinski.
On the other hand, according to our model, Nathan Church 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 9:07am 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.
