MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 18, 2025
Last updated: Sep 17, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Sep 17, 2025, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest commences at 9:05am AEST on September 18, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has looked at the data for every 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 assemble your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on Thursday and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate features the following games:
- New York Mets vs San Diego Padres
- Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers
- Kansas City Royals vs Seattle Mariners
- Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Milwaukee Brewers vs Los Angeles Angels
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Minnesota Twins vs New York Yankees
- Colorado Rockies vs Miami Marlins
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 find the best picks on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob deGrom (TEX, P) | $21,040 | 20.2 | 1 |
| Value | McCade Brown (COL, P) | $7,380 | 12.5 | 1.7 |
| Fade | Liam Hicks (MIA, C) | $9,070 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Paul Goldschmidt (NYY, 1B) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 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'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 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 | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $11,090 | 7.6 | 0.7 |
| Value | Jacob Realmuto (PHI) | $6,630 | 5.4 | 0.8 |
| Fade | Liam Hicks (MIA) | $9,070 | 3.4 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Alejandro Kirk (TOR) | $7,080 | 5 | 0.7 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $10,570 | 9.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Carlos Correa (HOU) | $6,530 | 6.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Thomas Edman (LAD) | $8,700 | 5.7 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Jeremy Peña (HOU) | $7,870 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $11,010 | 10.2 | 0.9 |
| Value | Joseph Ward (LAA) | $6,900 | 7 | 1 |
| Fade | Christopher Martin (MIN) | $8,820 | 3.8 | 0.4 |
| Cheapie | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $6,990 | 7 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $8,560 | 9 | 1 |
| Value | Addison Barger (TOR) | $5,000 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Connor Norby (MIA) | $10,410 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Maikel Garcia (KC) | $7,420 | 7.1 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $9,470 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Jose Altuve (HOU) | $6,990 | 7 | 1 |
| Fade | Otto Lopez (MIA) | $10,820 | 6.3 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Maikel Garcia (KC) | $7,420 | 7.1 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $8,890 | 8.7 | 1 |
| Value | Paul Goldschmidt (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $8,640 | 5.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Christian Walker (HOU) | $6,310 | 6.7 | 1.1 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jacob deGrom (TEX) | $21,040 | 20.2 | 1 |
| Value | McCade Brown (COL) | $7,380 | 12.5 | 1.7 |
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 McCade Brown. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Jacob deGrom 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 Paul Goldschmidt.
On the other hand, according to our model, Liam Hicks 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 9:05am 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 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.
