This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
Lineup No. 1: All-In Attack
This week's set of fixtures could set us up uniquely well to push our chips all-in on three top forwards. This all hinges on the lineup for the early match, Toronto FC v. Orlando City SC, and the status of Herculez Gomez in particular. Many Torontonians are clamoring for Herc, a former US National Team forward and Liga MX force, to replace struggling Jozy Altidore in the lineup. While Gomez is several steps slower than the one we're used to watching in the stars and stripes, an attacking spot alongside Sebastian Giovinco is certainly a downright bargain for $3,500 in a midfield spot. Rather than recommend a safe, sure-to-start DraftKings lineup, I'm presenting this one with Gomez in hopes that we can truly grab an edge over our opponents. We'll know if Herc gets the start before lineups lock, and I'll provide a contingency plan at the end of this write-up in case we need to adjust.
The other midfield piece that allows us to maximize our budget up top is Rolando Escobar. Mauro Diaz will miss out on a crucial match once more, as Dallas travel to Vancouver, allowing Escobar another chance to shine. The Panamanian international was a bright spot in last week's loss to the Galaxy and should shoulder the creative burden once more. Star winger Fabian Castillo and fellow countrymen Blas Perez provide Escobar with more than enough surrounding talent to make Dallas dangerous on the road even without Diaz. Escobar costs just $3,000 this week, and if he and Herc play up to even half of their potential, we've made the heist of the century.
Believe it or not, a $6,500 midfield does not quite allow us to fill out the rest of our team with ease. We'll need to budget our defense and keeper as well, but let's focus on the forwards first. The two players I most want in my lineups this week are Giovinco and Obafemi Martins. I noted on this week's RotoWire Fantasy MLS Podcast that a healthy Martins is right behind Giovinco and alongside Tally Hall made a fantastic save. Speaking of Orlando City's suspicious defense, our other forward pick, Giovinco, will get to prey on them next. Giovinco buried a trio of goals when he played the Lions just a few weeks ago and it would be fairly shocking to see him get held off the score sheet on Saturday given his simply dominant 2015 campaign.
Depending on how we want to structure our back line, our third forward spot could range from a mid-$9,000 star to a smart-$6,000 gamble. I like Cyle Larin ($9,400) or Dom Dwyer ($9,200) too much to pass up, and am leaning towards Larin. Major League Soccer's clear front-runner for Rookie of the Year, Larin will return to his home country of Canada to play a weak Toronto FC defense. Orlando City will have to score to keep pace in this match, and Larin's clinical finishing is their best bet. While Dwyer also has a good match against a poor Columbus defense, he played midweek and will be without top playmaker Benny Feilhaber.
To round out our group, we'll have to spend frugally in the back. The Rapids travel to Chicago, but I like their chances defensively. The Fire just sold Shaun Maloney, and the locker room seems to be a complete disaster under manager Frank Yallop. While Chicago showed they can score in a 3-3 tie last week, they also were shut out by Philadelphia just days earlier. Colorado have been quietly stout defensively this season, and I'm selecting Clint Irwin ($3,900) in goal and newly signed fullback Maynor Figueroa ($3,400) to provide our lineup with a decent clean sheet opportunity. Even if the Rapids don't blank the Fire, Irwin should nab a decent amount of saves and Figueroa could pitch in offensively. The last defensive spot is a bit of a placeholder that we can change as lineups come out. I picked a goal-hungry Kendall Waston ($3,600), who is bound to grab a goal from a set piece one of these days. However, Abdoulie Mansally, Dylan Remick, Harrison Afful or Chris Klute, and several other cheap defending options make for good options at that price or cheaper.
Let's briefly discuss our plan if Gomez does not play. We'll need to sacrifice Larin, so let's look at some similarly priced pairings: Herc/Larin could become Didier Drogba and Michael Bradley, Kevin Doyle and Graham Zusi or Alvaro Saborio and Cristian Techera. In a slightly more complex maneuver, we can afford Drogba/Zusi if we also downgrade Waston to a cheaper defender. This last option is probably my favorite at the moment. Clearly, options are plentiful!
Devil's Advocate: We're passing up on plenty of elite midfield talent, including Javier Morales, Ignacio Piatti and Pedro Morales. Also, picking a poor Rapids side on the road inspires little confidence. Overall, a third expensive forward like Larin may be more tempting than wise and the extra savings could be better used elsewhere in a position of weakness.
Why We'll Win: We're going to score more goals than our opponents. Most of the competition won't be able or willing to squeeze three $9,000+ options into their lineup and many will be tempted by Kei Kamara who I think could be a let down. We might only need 15-20 points from our bargain bin midfield to help our attacking trio vault us to the top of a tournament.
Lineup No. 2: Interchangeable Parts
Nearly every player in this lineup has an alternative that I like nearly as much. While I think this group is quite strong, I'm excited to provide a starting foundation for what could become many great lineups, depending on your personal preferences!
Let's begin with Obafemi Martins up top. I consider him a must-play this week, even on the road. He's the sole player in this group that has no peer within his DraftKings price range. Contrast to the earlier lineup, we'll be looking at some value forwards here. I like Alvaro Saborio's chances at home against San Jose this weekend, after the Earthquakes played midweek against Kansas City. While their performance was impressive, a second consecutive road match against a formidable DC United team feels ripe for a let down. Saborio has looked good in each match since joining DC United and has a great chance to bury a goal this weekend. For our third forward, I'm looking to a slightly off-the-wall pick in Carlos Rivas. Before picking up a small injury, Rivas was really burrowing his way into the daily fantasy discussion with a high volume of shots and an improving Orlando City attack. He now looks set to return on the wing where Toronto fields Marco Delgado (rookie) and Justin Morrow (one of many weak TFC fullbacks). It's a definite GPP gamble, but one that could set us apart from nearly the entire tournament field.
Following the theme of this lineup, let's take a quick look at forward alternatives. In Saborio's range, I think Krisztian Nemeth and C.J. Sapong are also plays to consider. In place of Rivas, David Accam (questionable) and Nelson Valdez are intriguing.
Moving to the midfield, we're initially looking to two options from the same match: Ethan Finlay and Graham Zusi. Sporting Kansas City have easily been one of MLS's most consistent and impressive sides, so I'm not at all concerned about a shocking 5-0 loss to San Jose on Wednesday. Benny Feilhaber's absence is a bit worrisome, but I think it opens up potential for Zusi to thrive as a playmaker in a still-dangerous offense. 2013's Captain Fantasy is one of my favorite value plays this week at just $6,300 and will still get to provide service for Dom Dwyer and Nemeth while also taking free kick duties previously dominated by Feilhaber. On the other side of this match is Finlay, the recently de-throned MLS assist leader. He has a good bet to vault back into the lead this weekend, as Sporting Kansas City could begin the match with a fairly inexperienced set of fullbacks. Columbus will sense that this is their opportunity to take advantage of a shorthanded Midwestern rival as they look to solidify their playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
I toyed with the idea of playing Cristian Techera for $4,900 instead of Ethan Finlay, which would allow us to use two top defenders. While I like both ideas, the extra firepower usually prevails. If Pedro Morales is truly back in form, though I am skeptical, he's a great alternative to Finlay at $8,500 while Michael Bradley ($5,900) and Andres Romero ($6,300) could be good riffs on a Zusi play.
Defensively, I'm looking to the Fire for this lineup. Sean Johnson stood on his head at least half a dozen times in Philadelphia last week, collecting one of the best goalkeeping performances MLS has seen in some time. The Fire will hope to lend him a helping hand this time around, and Johnson's clean sheet chances are great if he plays even half as well as he did last weekend. I'll be pairing him with Lovel Palmer, a sub-optimal player, but nearly always a solid value on DraftKings. For just $3,600, Palmer gives us a decent amount of potential pushing up the wing to join the attack. Rounding our our defensive group, I'm looking to Harrison Afful or Chris Klute in Columbus. We'll budget for Afful, and pivot to Klute should he start instead. Like Finlay, either of these Columbus fullbacks should be eager to attack the questionable Kansas City wings. I'm not fond of their clean sheet chances, but they are at home and SKC are without Feilhaber after being shut out midweek. Regardless, we can't get picky in this price range. Opt for Abdoulie Mansally, Maynor Figueroa. Dylan Remick, or Saad Abdul-Salaam if you want to diversify these defender picks. Meanwhile, Evan Bush is a great play in goal if you can shell out a few extra hundred fantasy dollars.
Devil's Advocate: This lineup includes the typical "Does Not Include Giovinco" disclaimer. We've gone with a budget attack in favor of picking a good midfield, too. Perhaps we should be locking down a stellar defense if we're going to save the cash at forward. Also, Johnson's play can be a bit bi-polar so we could see a huge let down after last week's goalkeeping clinic.
Why We'll Win: Fading Giovinco may end up paying off, as Orlando City sound really motivated to shut him down after letting him run rampant last match. Whether that happens is a different story, but even it does not, we have built a sound alternative. Martins has nearly as high a ceiling, while Saborio and Rivas are more dangerous than their prices suggest. Zusi and Finlay are quality midfielders who can break a game open and Johnson could lead our back line to tournament victory against a dull Colorado Rapids attack.
