This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
Lineup No. 1: Pick One
Saturday brings us a simple slate with just one huge question: Do we play Giovinco or Kamara or both? The two star forwards are neck and neck in the Golden Boot standings, sitting on 22 goals apiece, and will feature in the same match this weekend. Both are deserving and set themselves apart from other great scorers in the league with a tireless work rate both on and off the ball in each and every game they play. It's impossible to say who is hungrier to win the honor that Bradley Wright-Phillips ran away with at 27 goals last season, but I know who the better player is: Giovinco. I also know who the worse defensive team is: Columbus. We would have the trifecta if Giovinco cost less on DraftKings, but let's settle for two of three.
Locking in Giovinco brings some challenges on a slate with few cheap defending options. In goal, I am looking toward the Dallas at Real Salt Lake match. Nick Rimando ($4,700) is the type of keeper who can steal a match and a DraftKings tournament, but his team is all but mathematically eliminated. Dallas on the other hand, still could win the Supporters Shield and will be motivated to continue its streak of dominance. Jesse Gonzalez ($4,800) has been spectacular behind an improving back line, and I am not the least bit concerned about him playing on the road. The two keepers priced higher than Gonzalez are tasked with stopping Kei Kamara and Didier Drogba. Gonzalez is tasked with stopping some combination of Sebastian Jaime, Burrito, Joao Plata and Devon Sandoval. I'll run with Gonzalez over Rimando in most of my lineups.
Also on defense, I've fit in Waylon Francis ($4,000) and Ambroise Oyongo ($4,200). DraftKings has most viable FC Dallas defensive options listed as midfielders, so instead of stacking them with Gonzalez we must look elsewhere. Francis has become overlooked in favor of the fantastic Harrison Afful ($5,300). While Afful heaves crosses into the box more frequently, and consistently, Francis has similar upside in terms of shooting and fouls drawn. Both Columbus fullbacks should be targeting Kei Kamara in the box early and often, so it's reasonable to grab Francis at a $1,300 discount to Afful. Oyongo, on the other hand, has a tough match at New England. I still am eager to get him into my lineups given his offensive potential and New England's susceptibility on the wing. We can't bump up a price range without suffering in the midfield or attack, so Oyongo will have to do and gives us a little exposure to a talented Montreal side.
Let's round out our attack. At forward, Tesho Akindele and Juan Agudelo blend a fair level of upside with a reasonable price. I'd love to upgrade Akindele to Texeira if some extra salary was laying around, but both are quality players and play among a highly skilled group of attackers. Mauro Diaz and Michael Barrios should open up plenty of room for Tesho who won't need much to return value on his $5,100 price. Agudelo looks set to start atop the formation for New England, who will have a lot of motivation to win this one. The speedy forward has not gotten many starting opportunities lately, but made the most of the last with a goal against Chicago. I see the Revs handily defeating the Impact on Saturday, and since Lee Nguyen is extremely expensive, I'll opt for their forward.
In the midfield, I'm doing my best to get Justin Meram or Michael Barrios (both $6,600) into my lineups this weekend. While Barrios has the better form, Meram has a great match up against Toronto FC. I prefer to get exposure to as many good attacks as I can, rather than stack two of them, so Meram allows us to get a piece of the Crew offense that we were lacking. Ethan Finlay has been quiet lately, and Federico Higuain may not be at 100 percent, so Meram may be tasked with additional attacking responsibility. For our final spot, I've picked Johan Venegas ($4,500). He's been a popular pick given the low cost on DraftKings, but has rarely lived up to his attacking potential since joining Montreal midseason. We have little room to be picky, however, and Venegas provides a decent floor for this price range. Other players to consider are Justin Mapp ($4,100), Herculez Gomez ($3,500) and Jermaine Jones ($3,400).
Devil's Advocate: I tabbed New England for a victory, but have more exposure in this lineup to the other side of that match in Montreal players. If we think Giovinco plays well, we should consider pairing him with Michael Bradley, Herculez Gomez or Luke Moore (depending on who starts). For costing $4,000-plus, our fullback options have shown a fairly low floor at times this season.
Why We'll Win: Picking the right star forward (I'm confident in Giovinco over Kei) and fading Real Salt Lake players is a great start for our lineups. Our four complimentary attackers have good matchups and are each capable of grabbing a goal. Many will be scared by Gonzalez's road match, but he's the best keeper on the slate and could set us apart even further.
Lineup No. 2: Why not Both?
Even though I prefer Giovinco to Kamara on Saturday, and most days, it's undeniable that Kei is miles ahead of the next best option on this slate. If both of these star scorers are motivated and playing weak defenses, on a small three game slate, why not roster both? To do so, I have opted to grab minimum price defender Mark Bloom ($2,000) who won't see the field. Some smart people will frown upon this strategy of voluntarily playing with seven players versus everybody else's eight. However, take a look at some of Giovinco and Kamara's box scores this season and tell me that some $4,000 fullback averaging six points is going to matter more. Rather than sweat the Toronto vs. Columbus match, I'm going to throw a few of these daring lineups out and enjoy goals from either side.
OK, so we have no money left and need to fill five spots. Challenge accepted!
In the flex spot, I am hoping Luke Moore ($3,200) will start up top for Toronto FC. He has been serviceable when called to action this year and benefits from playing alongside Giovinco. With Altidore suspended thanks to a red card from the bench, either Moore or Herculez Gomez should get the nod, and the aging Gomez just played 71 minutes midweek.
In the midfield, I have to get a piece of Supporters Shield contending FC Dallas against down-and-out Real Salt Lake. Michael Barrios ($6,600) is the pick, given Mauro Diaz costs a fortune and Rolando Escobar is injured. I've been using Barrios a ton and he has paid off frequently. Now that he is comfortably acclimated to MLS, don't hesitate to get him into your lineups. Further, I've selected Jermaine Jones ($3,400) for our New England exposure. He has zero goals and zero assists on the season, but played a chunk of his games along the New England back line or in a defensive midfield position. He's looked a bit friskier lately, and won't hesitate to put a shot on target. Coming off of a disappointing U.S. National Team camp (again...) he should be eager to raise his level of play and lead New England into another successful postseason, similar to what he did last season. Remember, we've fit both Kamara and Giovinco into our lineup, so any production from players like Jones is simply icing on the cake.
Jesse Gonzalez remains my pick in goal given the impressive run of form he and Dallas are on. Paying up for Shuttleworth (facing Drogba and Piatti) would not allow us to purchase a viable fullback, and I prefer Gonzalez anyway. Finally, we have $4,000 to select either Waylon Francis, Ashtone Morgan, Jordan Allen, or Michel. Again, I like Francis and we will be sure he is starting in the first match of the day. Allen and Michel are not locks to start and are scheduled for the late match, while Ashtone Morgan is not the same caliber of attacker as Francis. While I'm excited to be able to afford Francis, he would be my first choice to downgrade should Luke Moore not start, requiring us to buy a pricier forward. Ultimately, I'm open to punting both defender spots if it allows us to buy the best attackers.
Devil's Advocate: If Kamara or Giovinco disappoint, we are done. If a popular low-priced forward has a big day, we are hurting. Missing out on top midfielders like Lee Nguyen, Javier Morales, Mauro Diaz and Ignacio Piatti is not ideal. Didier Drogba has been on fire, and it's a bit scary that he's so overlooked on this slate (particularly by me).
Why We'll Win: While everyone else is concerned about fitting in two legitimate defenders, we will have Giovinco and Kei Kamara instead. They are two of the highest scoring MLS fantasy players all season, and are set up for great performances. Barrios also is a great play regardless of roster construction as is Jesse Gonzalez. We don't need much from our other picks in order to turn in a solid outing on this slate.
