MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 25, 2025
Last updated: Sep 24, 2025, 10:25PM | Published: Sep 24, 2025, 8:25AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:05am AEST on September 25, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is crucial 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 September 25 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate includes the following games:
- Los Angeles Angels vs Kansas City Royals
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox
- San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Seattle Mariners vs Colorado Rockies
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets
- Texas Rangers vs Minnesota Twins
- New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox
- Oakland Athletics vs Houston Astros
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 most accurate DFS projections available.
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 | Garrett Crochet (BOS, P) | $22,690 | 23.3 | 1 |
| Value | Daulton Varsho (TOR, OF) | $5,000 | 6.7 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Dominic Canzone (SEA, OF) | $11,280 | 3.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Trenton Grisham (NYY, OF) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 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 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) | $13,490 | 8.3 | 0.6 |
| Value | Shea Langeliers (OAK) | $7,050 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Francisco Alvarez (NYM) | $8,100 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Hunter Goodman (COL) | $6,980 | 6.3 | 0.9 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Robert Witt (KC) | $11,280 | 10 | 0.9 |
| Value | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $6,400 | 6.7 | 1 |
| Fade | John Crawford (SEA) | $9,320 | 5.9 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Willy Adames (SF) | $7,460 | 7.4 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,490 | 10.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Daulton Varsho (TOR) | $5,000 | 6.7 | 1.3 |
| Fade | Dominic Canzone (SEA) | $11,280 | 3.2 | 0.3 |
| Cheapie | Trenton Grisham (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Rafael Devers (SF) | $9,030 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Value | Ryan McMahon (NYY) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Fade | Isaac Paredes (HOU) | $8,690 | 5.1 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Blaze Alexander (AZ) | $5,850 | 5.8 | 1 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $8,140 | 8.5 | 1 |
| Value | Ketel Marte (AZ) | $8,140 | 8.5 | 1 |
| Fade | Jorge Polanco (SEA) | $10,400 | 5.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Blaze Alexander (AZ) | $5,850 | 5.8 | 1 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $7,950 | 8.6 | 1.1 |
| Value | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $7,950 | 8.6 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Benjamin Rice (NYY) | $8,610 | 5.2 | 0.6 |
| Cheapie | Alec Burleson (STL) | $7,510 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Garrett Crochet (BOS) | $22,690 | 23.3 | 1 |
| Value | Tanner Gordon (COL) | $9,280 | 11.9 | 1.3 |
Conclusion
When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Daulton Varsho. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Garrett Crochet is a strong option. If you're seeking budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Trenton Grisham.
On the other hand, according to our model, Dominic Canzone is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building out 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 balance star power, value and budget management 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.
