MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 23, 2024
Last updated: May 22, 2024, 10:25PM | Published: May 22, 2024, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest commences at 8:40am AEST on May 23, 2024, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every player on the slate to help you make winning line-ups.
A handy Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you build your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on May 23 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate includes the following games:
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox
- Oakland Athletics vs Colorado Rockies
- Philadelphia Phillies vs Texas Rangers
- Miami Marlins vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Chicago Cubs vs Atlanta Braves
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Cincinnati Reds vs San Diego Padres
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Chicago White Sox
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Francisco Giants
- New York Yankees vs Seattle Mariners
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, employs the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the best 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've 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 | Tyler Glasnow (LAD, P) | $24,570 | 22.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Nicholas Nastrini (CWS, P) | $9,050 | 13 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Heliot Ramos (SF, OF) | $8,080 | 2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Marsh (PHI, OF) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
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 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 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 | William Contreras (MIL) | $10,270 | 7.1 | 0.7 |
| Value | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $6,740 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Shea Langeliers (OAK) | $8,550 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Gabriel Moreno (AZ) | $5,940 | 4.7 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $12,030 | 8.5 | 0.7 |
| Value | Oneil Cruz (PIT) | $6,920 | 7 | 1 |
| Fade | Dylan Moore (SEA) | $9,060 | 3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Manuel Machado (SD) | $7,800 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ronald Acuña (ATL) | $10,720 | 10.7 | 1 |
| Value | Julio Rodríguez (SEA) | $8,220 | 8.8 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Heliot Ramos (SF) | $8,080 | 2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Brandon Marsh (PHI) | $5,000 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rafael Devers (BOS) | $10,490 | 8.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jorge Polanco (SEA) | $6,540 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Abraham Toro (OAK) | $8,730 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Eugenio Suárez (AZ) | $6,030 | 5.2 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Markus Betts (LAD) | $12,030 | 8.5 | 0.7 |
| Value | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $8,110 | 7.6 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Abraham Toro (OAK) | $8,730 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jorge Polanco (SEA) | $6,540 | 6 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $9,050 | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Christian Walker (AZ) | $7,410 | 7.2 | 1 |
| Fade | Bryce Harper (PHI) | $11,760 | 7.6 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Jacob Burger (MIA) | $6,380 | 6.2 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Tyler Glasnow (LAD) | $24,570 | 22.5 | 0.9 |
| Value | Nicholas Nastrini (CWS) | $9,050 | 13 | 1.4 |
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 Nicholas Nastrini. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Tyler Glasnow is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, explore our cheapie options, including Brandon Marsh.
On the other hand, according to our model, Heliot Ramos 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 8:40am 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 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.
