MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 14, 2026
Last updated: May 13, 2026, 11:26PM | Published: May 13, 2026, 8:30AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:07am AEST on May 14, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you create 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 May 14 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of these match-ups:
- Texas Rangers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Milwaukee Brewers vs San Diego Padres
- Athletics vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Minnesota Twins vs Miami Marlins
- Chicago White Sox vs Kansas City Royals
- Houston Astros vs Seattle Mariners
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants
- Atlanta Braves vs Chicago Cubs
- New York Mets vs Detroit Tigers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to deliver some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
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 make the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Cease (TOR, P) | $20,200 | 18.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Kumar Rocker (TEX, P) | $6,080 | 13.8 | 2.3 |
| Fade | Adrian Del Castillo (AZ, C) | $8,510 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| 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 those needing to stay under the salary cap, "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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $10,530 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Agustín Ramírez (MIA) | $5,000 | 6.2 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Adrian Del Castillo (AZ) | $8,510 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Edgar Quero (CWS) | $5,000 | 4.1 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $12,650 | 9.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Joseph Ortiz (MIL) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Kevin McGonigle (DET) | $9,690 | 5.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Willy Adames (SF) | $6,920 | 7.3 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Juan Soto (NYM) | $8,640 | 9.8 | 1.1 |
| Value | Lawrence Butler (ATH) | $5,000 | 6.6 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Samuel Antonacci (CWS) | $8,650 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Matthew Wallner (MIN) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $9,360 | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Matt Chapman (SF) | $7,150 | 7.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Nicholas Loftin (KC) | $8,270 | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Yandy Díaz (TB) | $7,880 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $10,820 | 7.8 | 0.7 |
| Value | Marcus Semien (NYM) | $6,600 | 6.9 | 1 |
| Fade | Ezequiel Duran (TEX) | $8,870 | 3.1 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Luis Arraez (SF) | $7,020 | 6.8 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,520 | 9 | 1.1 |
| Value | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,520 | 9 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Ryan Ward (LAD) | $8,120 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Luis Arraez (SF) | $7,020 | 6.8 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Dylan Cease (TOR) | $20,200 | 18.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Kumar Rocker (TEX) | $6,080 | 13.8 | 2.3 |
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 Kumar Rocker. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Dylan Cease 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, Adrian Del Castillo is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if putting together 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 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.
