MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 24, 2025
Last updated: Jul 23, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Jul 23, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest starts at 9:07am AEST on July 24, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Philadelphia Phillies vs Boston Red Sox
- Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago White Sox
- Texas Rangers vs Oakland Athletics
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make 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've 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 | Max Fried (NYY, P) | $16,450 | 17.8 | 1.1 |
| Value | Wilyer Abreu (BOS, OF) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Michael Helman (TEX, SS/2B) | $9,540 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Addison Barger (TOR, 3B) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
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 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 | Shea Langeliers (OAK) | $8,640 | 5.5 | 0.6 |
| Value | Alejandro Kirk (TOR) | $6,610 | 5.1 | 0.8 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Realmuto (PHI) | $7,880 | 5.1 | 0.6 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Trea Turner (PHI) | $9,900 | 8.6 | 0.9 |
| Value | Bo Bichette (TOR) | $7,660 | 7.7 | 1 |
| Fade | Michael Helman (TEX) | $9,540 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Anthony Volpe (NYY) | $6,800 | 6.7 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Aaron Judge (NYY) | $12,210 | 9.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Wilyer Abreu (BOS) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Robert Refsnyder (BOS) | $8,850 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jarren Duran (BOS) | $7,210 | 7.2 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $8,940 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Addison Barger (TOR) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Roman González (BOS) | $8,640 | 3.7 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Marcelo Mayer (BOS) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $10,030 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (TEX) | $7,990 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Michael Helman (TEX) | $9,540 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Edmundo Sosa (PHI) | $5,000 | 2.7 | 0.5 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,850 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Value | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,850 | 8.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Roman González (BOS) | $8,640 | 3.7 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $5,000 | 4.4 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Max Fried (NYY) | $16,450 | 17.8 | 1.1 |
| Value | Max Fried (NYY) | $16,450 | 17.8 | 1.1 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Wilyer Abreu. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Max Fried is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Addison Barger.
On the other hand, according to our model, Michael Helman 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 9:07am 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 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.
