MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 2, 2026
Last updated: Jul 1, 2026, 5:32PM | Published: Jul 1, 2026, 8:33AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest starts at 9:15am AEST on July 2, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you build 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 July 2 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate includes the following games:
- Colorado Rockies vs Miami Marlins
- Houston Astros vs Minnesota Twins
- Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds
- Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Francisco Giants
- Athletics vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Atlanta Braves vs St. Louis Cardinals
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the strongest 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 have reviewed every player from every team to help you make the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shane McClanahan (TB, P) | $16,420 | 18.7 | 1.1 |
| Value | Reynaldo López (ATL, P) | $11,790 | 18.3 | 1.6 |
| Fade | Taylor Trammell (HOU, OF) | $9,660 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Matthew McLain (CIN, 2B) | $5,000 | 6.3 | 1.3 |
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'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 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) | $9,200 | 7.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Agustín Ramírez (MIA) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Jonah Heim (ATH) | $8,520 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Salvador Perez (KC) | $6,880 | 6.7 | 1 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,640 | 9.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $7,000 | 7 | 1 |
| Fade | Otto Lopez (MIA) | $10,210 | 5.8 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Carson Williams (TB) | $5,000 | 4.9 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $12,960 | 11.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Jordan Beck (COL) | $5,000 | 5.8 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Taylor Trammell (HOU) | $9,660 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Matthew Wallner (MIN) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $11,970 | 8.2 | 0.7 |
| Value | Michael Riley (ATL) | $6,750 | 7.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Javier Sanoja (MIA) | $9,870 | 3.5 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Matt Chapman (SF) | $7,570 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $10,510 | 7.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Matthew McLain (CIN) | $5,000 | 6.3 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Thomas Edman (LAD) | $8,350 | 4.1 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Willi Castro (COL) | $7,890 | 5.9 | 0.8 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $10,630 | 8.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Connor Norby (MIA) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Kody Clemens (MIN) | $8,900 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Graham Pauley (MIA) | $5,000 | 3.6 | 0.7 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shane McClanahan (TB) | $16,420 | 18.7 | 1.1 |
| Value | Reynaldo López (ATL) | $11,790 | 18.3 | 1.6 |
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 Reynaldo López. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Shane McClanahan is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Matthew McLain.
On the other hand, according to our model, Taylor Trammell is one of the worst 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 9:15am 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 slate. The unique insights here can give you an edge 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.
