MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 15, 2025
Last updated: May 14, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: May 14, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest commences at 9:07am AEST on May 15, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you build 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 enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 15 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate features these match-ups:
- Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Oakland Athletics
- New York Mets vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Chicago Cubs vs Miami Marlins
- San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Angels
- Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals
- Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago White Sox
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Texas Rangers vs Colorado Rockies
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 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 have 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 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD, P) | $21,980 | 18.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Antonio Senzatela (COL, P) | $5,440 | 9.8 | 1.8 |
| Fade | Zachary Dezenzo (HOU, OF) | $8,420 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Lawrence Butler (OAK, OF) | $7,500 | 7.6 | 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 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 | Yainer Diaz (HOU) | $8,470 | 6.3 | 0.7 |
| Value | Salvador Perez (KC) | $7,820 | 6.2 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Carson Kelly (CHC) | $8,100 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Daniel Jansen (TB) | $5,000 | 3.2 | 0.6 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,340 | 9.4 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jacob Wilson (OAK) | $7,450 | 6.6 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Josh Smith (TEX) | $10,500 | 5.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Xander Bogaerts (SD) | $7,830 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,930 | 10.2 | 0.7 |
| Value | Lawrence Butler (OAK) | $7,500 | 7.6 | 1 |
| Fade | Zachary Dezenzo (HOU) | $8,420 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Bryan Reynolds (PIT) | $7,450 | 7.3 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Michael Austin Riley (ATL) | $10,200 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Miguel Vargas (CWS) | $6,690 | 5.6 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Addison Barger (TOR) | $8,420 | 3.3 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Gavin Lux (CIN) | $7,610 | 4.8 | 0.6 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $8,870 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Michael Massey (KC) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Yoán Moncada (LAA) | $9,060 | 4.8 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Chase Meidroth (CWS) | $7,180 | 5.5 | 0.8 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,640 | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Matthew Olson (ATL) | $8,020 | 7.4 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Justin Turner (CHC) | $8,100 | 3.5 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Vincent Pasquantino (KC) | $7,750 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) | $21,980 | 18.9 | 0.9 |
| Value | Antonio Senzatela (COL) | $5,440 | 9.8 | 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 Antonio Senzatela. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto 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, Zachary Dezenzo is one of the lowest 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 9:07am 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 slate. 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.
