MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 2, 2024
Last updated: May 1, 2024, 10:26PM | Published: May 1, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest kicks off at 9:10am AEST on May 2, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for every player on the slate to help you create winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview aims to guide you in building your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contestsas well as enhancing your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 2 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate features the following games:
- Boston Red Sox vs San Francisco Giants
- Houston Astros vs Cleveland Guardians
- Texas Rangers vs Washington Nationals
- New York Mets vs Chicago Cubs
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce 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 find the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD, P) | $18,690 | 19.1 | 1 |
| Value | Triston McKenzie (CLE, P) | $12,360 | 13.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Alex Call (WSH, OF) | $9,660 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Corbin Carroll (AZ, OF) | $7,700 | 8.1 | 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 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 Smith (LAD) | $10,070 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Value | Gabriel Moreno (AZ) | $6,220 | 4.9 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Connor Wong (BOS) | $8,490 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jonah Heim (TEX) | $7,800 | 4.9 | 0.6 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $11,670 | 8.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Dansby Swanson (CHC) | $7,290 | 6.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Corey Seager (TEX) | $10,260 | 7.3 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Jeremy Peña (HOU) | $7,800 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Kyle Tucker (HOU) | $11,150 | 8.9 | 0.8 |
| Value | Corbin Carroll (AZ) | $7,700 | 8.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Alex Call (WSH) | $9,660 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Jung Hoo Lee (SF) | $7,570 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $9,220 | 8.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | José Ramírez (CLE) | $9,220 | 8.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | LaVictor Lipscomb (WSH) | $8,080 | 1.4 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Alexander Bregman (HOU) | $7,640 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $11,670 | 8.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Nicholas Hoerner (CHC) | $7,400 | 7.3 | 1 |
| Fade | Ildemaro Vargas (WSH) | $8,120 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $7,940 | 7.6 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $9,060 | 8.4 | 0.9 |
| Value | Peter Alonso (NYM) | $9,060 | 8.4 | 0.9 |
| Fade | David Lowe (TEX) | $9,660 | 6.8 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Joey Meneses (WSH) | $7,300 | 5.7 | 0.8 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) | $18,690 | 19.1 | 1 |
| Value | Triston McKenzie (CLE) | $12,360 | 13.7 | 1.1 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Triston McKenzie. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto 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 Corbin Carroll.
On the other hand, according to our model, Alex Call 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 9:10am 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 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.
