MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for July 9, 2026
Last updated: Jul 8, 2026, 3:34PM | Published: Jul 8, 2026, 8:37AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:10am AEST on July 9, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 Thursday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of these games:
- Chicago White Sox vs Boston Red Sox
- San Diego Padres vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Cincinnati Reds vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Guardians
- New York Mets vs Kansas City Royals
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Colorado Rockies
- Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels
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 most reliable 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 choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Chase Burns (CIN, P) | $18,900 | 17.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Gabriel Hughes (COL, P) | $5,000 | 10 | 2 |
| Fade | Cole Carrigg (COL, OF) | $10,020 | 2.4 | 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 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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $7,660 | 7.5 | 1 |
| Value | William Contreras (MIL) | $7,660 | 7.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Dalton Rushing (LAD) | $9,510 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Teel (CWS) | $5,000 | 4.3 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,890 | 9.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Francisco Lindor (NYM) | $7,660 | 8.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX) | $9,390 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $6,620 | 7 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $14,120 | 11.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jordan Beck (COL) | $5,000 | 5.8 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Cole Carrigg (COL) | $10,020 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Matthew Wallner (MIN) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Manuel Machado (SD) | $10,430 | 7.7 | 0.7 |
| Value | Willi Castro (COL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Nicholas Loftin (KC) | $8,670 | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Caleb Durbin (BOS) | $6,260 | 5.8 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $9,160 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Matthew McLain (CIN) | $5,000 | 6.3 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Tyler Tolbert (KC) | $10,510 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Willi Castro (COL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Frederick Freeman (LAD) | $10,890 | 8.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Andrew Vaughn (MIL) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Kody Clemens (MIN) | $10,150 | 3.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Mark Vientos (NYM) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Chase Burns (CIN) | $18,900 | 17.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Gabriel Hughes (COL) | $5,000 | 10 | 2 |
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 Gabriel Hughes. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Chase Burns 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, Cole Carrigg 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 9:10am 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.
