MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for June 12, 2025
Last updated: Jun 11, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Jun 11, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest commences at 9:10am AEST on June 12, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on June 12 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Colorado Rockies vs San Francisco Giants
- Houston Astros vs Chicago White Sox
- Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers
- Kansas City Royals vs New York Yankees
- New York Mets vs Washington Nationals
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 most reliable DFS projections available.
With the latest 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 find the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Ray (SF, P) | $22,940 | 18.6 | 0.8 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL, P) | $9,890 | 12.8 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Casey Schmitt (SF, 1B) | $8,450 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Luis García (WSH, 2B) | $6,260 | 6.5 | 1 |
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 | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $8,460 | 6.5 | 0.8 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,850 | 6.3 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Carlos Narváez (BOS) | $8,250 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jonah Heim (TEX) | $6,040 | 3.2 | 0.5 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $10,810 | 9.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Paul Abrams (WSH) | $8,990 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Trevor Story (BOS) | $9,610 | 5.4 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Willy Adames (SF) | $7,850 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Aaron Judge (NYY) | $13,370 | 9.5 | 0.7 |
| Value | James Wood (WSH) | $8,130 | 7.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Tyler Freeman (COL) | $8,060 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Isbel (KC) | $5,830 | 4.8 | 0.8 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rafael Devers (BOS) | $10,860 | 7.5 | 0.7 |
| Value | Brooks Lee (MIN) | $5,000 | 4.9 | 1 |
| Fade | German Rosario (WSH) | $8,080 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Joshua Jung (TEX) | $7,750 | 6.4 | 0.8 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $8,690 | 7.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Luis García (WSH) | $6,260 | 6.5 | 1 |
| Fade | German Rosario (WSH) | $8,080 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Brooks Lee (MIN) | $5,000 | 4.9 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $11,210 | 7.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Christian Walker (HOU) | $8,130 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Casey Schmitt (SF) | $8,450 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $5,000 | 4.3 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Ray (SF) | $22,940 | 18.6 | 0.8 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL) | $9,890 | 12.8 | 1.3 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kyle Freeland. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Robert Ray is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Luis García.
On the other hand, according to our model, Casey Schmitt 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 slate. 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.
