MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for May 7, 2026
Last updated: May 6, 2026, 10:26AM | Published: May 6, 2026, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest starts at 9:05am AEST on May 7, 2026, 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 a must 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 7 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate consists of the following games:
- New York Yankees vs Texas Rangers
- Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds
- Colorado Rockies vs New York Mets
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 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've reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best selections on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Skenes (PIT, P) | $20,490 | 21 | 1 |
| Value | Michael Soroka (AZ, P) | $16,190 | 19.5 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Austin Slater (NYM, OF) | $9,070 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Brenton Doyle (COL, OF) | $5,000 | 6 | 1.2 |
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 | Salvador Perez (KC) | $8,210 | 6.7 | 0.8 |
| Value | Noah Naylor (CLE) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Endy Rodríguez (PIT) | $8,080 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Austin Wells (NYY) | $6,460 | 4.8 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,010 | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Value | Anthony Volpe (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Corey Seager (TEX) | $10,170 | 6.7 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $6,760 | 7 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Aaron Judge (NYY) | $10,640 | 10 | 0.9 |
| Value | Brenton Doyle (COL) | $5,000 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Fade | Austin Slater (NYM) | $9,070 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Jordan Beck (COL) | $5,000 | 5.8 | 1.2 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | José Ramírez (CLE) | $9,080 | 8.9 | 1 |
| Value | Nolan Arenado (AZ) | $5,570 | 5.8 | 1 |
| Fade | Joshua Jung (TEX) | $8,280 | 5.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Jared Triolo (PIT) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $7,790 | 7.8 | 1 |
| Value | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $7,790 | 7.8 | 1 |
| Fade | Andy Ibáñez (NYM) | $8,720 | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $7,930 | 7.5 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vincent Pasquantino (KC) | $7,870 | 7.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Kyle Manzardo (CLE) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Endy Rodríguez (PIT) | $8,080 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) | $5,000 | 4.8 | 1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Paul Skenes (PIT) | $20,490 | 21 | 1 |
| Value | Michael Soroka (AZ) | $16,190 | 19.5 | 1.2 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Michael Soroka. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Paul Skenes is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Brenton Doyle.
On the other hand, according to our model, Austin Slater is one of the worst 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 9:05am 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 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.
