MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 4, 2024
Last updated: Jul 3, 2024, 10:26PM | Published: Jul 3, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest starts at 9:05am AEST on July 4, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble 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 features the following games:
- Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Oakland Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Seattle Mariners vs Baltimore Orioles
- Colorado Rockies vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Texas Rangers vs San Diego Padres
- Atlanta Braves vs San Francisco Giants
- Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers
- New York Yankees vs Cincinnati Reds
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Houston Astros
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 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 choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL, P) | $23,600 | 21.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Cristian Mena (AZ, P) | $7,010 | 12.8 | 1.8 |
| Fade | Justyn-Henry Malloy (DET, OF) | $8,020 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Keider Montero (DET, P) | $7,610 | 12.8 | 1.7 |
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 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) | $11,020 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Value | Adley Rutschman (BAL) | $7,810 | 6.6 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Shea Langeliers (OAK) | $9,510 | 4.3 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $7,910 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $10,820 | 9.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Bo Bichette (TOR) | $6,960 | 7.8 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Maxwell Schuemann (OAK) | $8,190 | 3.1 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Dansby Swanson (CHC) | $5,730 | 6.3 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,330 | 9.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Christopher Morel (CHC) | $6,190 | 6.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Justyn-Henry Malloy (DET) | $8,020 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Cody Bellinger (CHC) | $7,240 | 7 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Michael Austin Riley (ATL) | $7,870 | 7.9 | 1 |
| Value | Christopher Morel (CHC) | $6,190 | 6.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Miguel Rojas (LAD) | $8,010 | 3.7 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Michael Austin Riley (ATL) | $7,870 | 7.9 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $11,030 | 8.1 | 0.7 |
| Value | Ozhanio Albies (ATL) | $8,020 | 8 | 1 |
| Fade | Spencer Horwitz (TOR) | $8,550 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Nicholas Hoerner (CHC) | $7,350 | 7 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $10,050 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ryan Mountcastle (BAL) | $6,370 | 6.4 | 1 |
| Fade | Jakob Bauers (MIL) | $9,020 | 2.9 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Matthew Olson (ATL) | $7,910 | 7.8 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL) | $23,600 | 21.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Cristian Mena (AZ) | $7,010 | 12.8 | 1.8 |
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 Cristian Mena. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Christopher Sale 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 Keider Montero.
On the other hand, according to our model, Justyn-Henry Malloy is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate closes at 9:05am 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 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.
