MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 21, 2026
Last updated: May 20, 2026, 11:28PM | Published: May 20, 2026, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:40am AEST on May 21, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for each player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 21 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate includes these match-ups:
- St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Los Angeles Angels vs Athletics
- San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Kansas City Royals vs Boston Red Sox
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to come up with 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 make the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT, P) | $14,520 | 18.5 | 1.3 |
| Value | Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT, P) | $14,520 | 18.5 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Carlos Cortes (ATH, OF) | $8,360 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Masyn Winn (STL, SS) | $6,470 | 7.2 | 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 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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $8,240 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | William Contreras (MIL) | $8,240 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Carson Kelly (CHC) | $8,460 | 3.6 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Austin Wells (NYY) | $5,560 | 4.8 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $10,630 | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Masyn Winn (STL) | $6,470 | 7.2 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Anthony Volpe (NYY) | $8,390 | 5.9 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Joseph Ortiz (MIL) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Aaron Judge (NYY) | $10,840 | 10 | 0.9 |
| Value | Fernando Tatis (SD) | $8,230 | 9.1 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Carlos Cortes (ATH) | $8,360 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Jeffrey Caglianone (KC) | $5,000 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Maikel Garcia (KC) | $9,130 | 7.8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,200 | 7.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Zachary Gelof (ATH) | $9,760 | 3.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Kazuma Okamoto (TOR) | $6,850 | 6.1 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Brice Turang (MIL) | $10,960 | 7.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $9,220 | 7.5 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Brandon Lowe (PIT) | $9,130 | 5.8 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Jeffrey McNeil (ATH) | $7,180 | 5.5 | 0.8 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,870 | 9 | 1 |
| Value | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,870 | 9 | 1 |
| Fade | Jakob Bauers (MIL) | $9,680 | 3.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) | $14,520 | 18.5 | 1.3 |
| Value | Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) | $14,520 | 18.5 | 1.3 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Carmen Mlodzinski. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Carmen Mlodzinski 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 Masyn Winn.
On the other hand, according to our model, Carlos Cortes is one of the lowest value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if entering multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate closes at 9:40am 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 maximize points while adhering to the salary cap 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.
