MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 30, 2026
Last updated: Jul 29, 2026, 6:39PM | Published: Jul 29, 2026, 8:34AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest kicks off at 9:10am AEST on July 30, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each 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 assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate features these games:
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Seattle Mariners
- Chicago White Sox vs New York Yankees
- Minnesota Twins vs Kansas City Royals
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs
- Cincinnati Reds vs Cleveland Guardians
- Los Angeles Angels vs Houston Astros
- Athletics vs Boston Red Sox
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce 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 choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joseph Cantillo (CLE, P) | $15,420 | 18.8 | 1.2 |
| Value | Eric Lauer (LAD, P) | $12,520 | 18.3 | 1.5 |
| Fade | Thomas White (ATH, 3B) | $8,540 | 1.3 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Lawrence Butler (ATH, OF) | $5,000 | 6.6 | 1.3 |
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 highlight 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $8,790 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $8,790 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $10,290 | 6.2 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Logan O'Hoppe (LAA) | $5,000 | 4.5 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $10,130 | 9.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Anthony Volpe (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Andruw Monasterio (BOS) | $8,130 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | John Crawford (SEA) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,470 | 11.2 | 1 |
| Value | Lawrence Butler (ATH) | $5,000 | 6.6 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Jahmai Jones (BOS) | $8,690 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Terry Friedl (CIN) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $10,910 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Gabriel Arias (CLE) | $5,000 | 4.2 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Thomas White (ATH) | $8,540 | 1.3 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Ryan McMahon (NYY) | $6,070 | 4.9 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $9,450 | 7.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $9,450 | 7.5 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Pedro Ramirez (CHC) | $10,770 | 2.2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jonathan Wetherholt (STL) | $7,870 | 5.9 | 0.7 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $10,370 | 8.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Alec Burleson (STL) | $6,810 | 6.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Kody Clemens (MIN) | $8,400 | 3.2 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Vincent Pasquantino (KC) | $7,950 | 7.3 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Joseph Cantillo (CLE) | $15,420 | 18.8 | 1.2 |
| Value | Eric Lauer (LAD) | $12,520 | 18.3 | 1.5 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Eric Lauer. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Joseph Cantillo is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Lawrence Butler.
On the other hand, according to our model, Thomas White is one of the lowest 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 9:10am 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 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.
