This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
Lineup No. 1: Kings of Texas
FC Dallas have won their previous five Texas Derby matches against the Houston Dynamo, with two of those victories coming on the road. I expect them to add to that today, and this DraftKings lineup reflects it. Jesse Gonzalez ($3,700) is a premier goalkeeping talent in MLS, but he comes at a cheaper price than last week when he had a clean sheet since he is playing on the road. I rarely care when good MLS teams play on the road, so the deflated pricing for away keepers is something I love to take advantage of.
Houston's three-goal performance on opening weekend gives slight pause for concern, but it feels more like an anomaly than a sign of things to come. Our next two Dallas players are listed as defenders, but can play in other positions, and project to this week. Kellyn Acosta ($3,300) looked good last week in the defensive midfield alongside newcomer Carlos Gruezo and could see expanded attacking responsibilities with Fabian Castillo very likely out for the match. On that note, swiss-army knife Ryan Hollingshead ($2,600) is the odds-on favorite to fill Castillo's place in the lineup. This isn't a like-for-like swap, since Hollingshead is far more defensive, but the return will far outweigh the bargain price. It's possible that Tesho Akindele starts on the wing instead, but I think manager Oscar Pareja will lean Hollingshead's way in an effort to manage DaMarcus Beasley's offensive forays from Houston's left back spot.
Mauro Diaz ($6,900) is our final pick from FC Dallas thanks to his complete command of a top MLS attack. I'm not particularly concerned about Castillo's injury affecting Diaz much, as Houston are not an imposing defensive team and Dallas still have plenty of great attacking personnel. In fact, while Maxi Urruti ($4,900) didn't make this lineup, I would have no qualms about adding him to a forward slot in this already Dallas-saturated lineup.
Let's move to the most intriguing matchup of the week for fantasy purposes, Seattle at Real Salt Lake. Both teams have plenty of offensive firepower and both are missing players along their back line. Seattle will be without Brad Evans in the middle, but will return Tyrone Mears on the flank. Grisly veteran Zach Scott will step in for Evans. While he's a smart player, his athleticism is long gone, save aerial ability.
On the Real Salt Lake side, Demar Philips will miss the match after earning a red card in Orlando. Philips' absence is the least of RSL's worries, however, as they possess a quagmire of a centerback pairing. If you squint, you can still see glimpses of a top MLS centerback in Jamison Olave, but the gaffes have become far too frequent and the speed just isn't there any longer. Justin Glad or Aaron Maund partner with Olave and neither currently inspire confidence. With the current state of the RSL defense, it'd be a dice roll to not get some exposure to Seattle's offense. Oh, you want the actual picks? Fine.
Andreas Ivanschitz ($4,600) and Nelson Valdez ($4,400) continue to be the value plays for the Sounders. Ivanschitz is quietly the key to their attack and is as likely to factor into a tally as Clint Dempsey. Side note: Dempsey does not have a shot on goal from the run of play in his first three matches this season. Valdez will be overlooked by box-score junkies, but I remain convinced that he's worth consideration. A hard-working, quality finisher atop the Seattle formation isn't something to just overlook, particularly at such an affordable salary.
As for the home side, I'm looking at Jordan Allen ($2,700) in our third defender spot. Ironically, he is our third defender who won't actually play in defense. It's quite likely that Allen will step into the shoes of a banged-up Javier Morales. While the promising youngster hasn't seen much of that role in MLS, he's proven capable of playing it in youth U.S. National Team appearances. If you want more exposure to the home team at Rio Tinto, all three of Joao Plata ($5,000), Burrito Martinez ($4,600), and Yura Movsisyan ($5,400) are solid plays. In terms of value, I like them in that order (though Burrito is my favorite cash game play).
Let's tidy up our attack! Columbus host a lousy Philadelphia team, and Kei Kamara is the odds-on favorite to score. Federico Higuain's sweet bicycle kick from last week and Kamara's huge price tag may make last year's MLS co-leader in goals a less popular play than he should be, but we won't be distracted! Ethan Finlay ($7,100) is also a good option, but I prefer Ignacio Piatti for $1,100 less. Piatti had a monstrous opening weekend, and sees a New York Red Bulls team without suspended Ronald Zubar in defense. The Red Bulls are a very good MLS side, but Piatti is matchup proof with both a safe floor and a sky high ceiling. Mike Magee ($3,500) also had a memorable first match week and projects to start with Giovani dos Santos (leg) out with injury. Magee's hype train is rambling a bit too fast for my tastes, but he's impossible to ignore at such a low price. Roland Alberg ($2,800) of the Philadelphia Union helps us fit everyone else into the lineup. While he has a less-than-ideal matchup, I liked what I saw in his debut off the bench last week and the Union would be crazy not to give him a full 90 minutes this week.
Devil's Advocate: My one concern with this lineup is that I predicted a few too many uncertain starters for my liking. While I think all are likely starters, none of Acosta, Hollingshead, Allen, Alberg and Magee are locked into their 11s just yet. Magee and Ivanschitz, while good plays, may be extremely over-owned.
Why We'll Win: If all goes well, we actually rostered zero players who will actually play at defender. Kamara, Diaz and Piatti are three of the week's top plays and at least two of them should safely grab us over 20 points. Rather than be contrarian, we're sticking with the sensible plays of Magee and Ivanschitz and hoping the rest of our lineup is what sets us apart.
Lineup No. 2: Speed and Powers
This lineup is far more a gamble than the previous, but has juicy upside with some of my favorite differential plays this weekend. In the back, Bobby Shuttleworth is a representation of my severe disdain for D.C. United's toothless attack. It would be shocking if New England's defense didn't bounce back from last week's performance. We're also grabbing both Columbus fullbacks. They have everything you want in your fantasy lineup, as they join the attack, play at home against a poor attacking team, and ooze speed. Jordan Allen finds his way into this lineup as well, but you could just as easily copy Ryan Hollingshead over instead. I just think Allen has slightly more offensive potential if he plays in Javier Morales' attacking midfield role.
While Mike Magee's tremendous value is another repeat play, the rest of our attack is full of fresh picks. Dillon Powers ($3,700) and the Rapids looked quite capable last week despite getting shut out in San Jose. Shkelzen Gashi is the upside play as the Rapids take on a shaky Los Angeles Galaxy side, but Powers is the safe bet and better value. Watching him and Steven Gerrard battle in the midfield will be a tremendous mismatch, and not in the way name recognition suggests. Lloyd Sam ($6,500) is carrying a knock but should start for the Red Bulls in Montreal. His matchup with Ambroise Oyongo is appealing, as the former Red Bulls defender gets caught upfield far too often. Sam's speed should allow him to capitalize on that.
Speaking of speed, we're rostering four quick forwards to round out the lineup. We talked in depth about the Seattle-Real Salt Lake fixture, and I expect the lightning flash that is Joao Plata to pose serious threats to defenders Chad Marshall and Zach Scott, who have never been mistaken for athletic specimens. Another two-goal performance wouldn't be surprising.
Another player who wouldn't shock me with a multiple-goal outing but nobody else seems to like is Octavio Rivero. The forward is backed by tons of talent in Vancouver and had a very active first week, firing off six shots (four on target). His finishing ability is always brought into question, but he won't often be held off the scoresheet with four shots on goal. Vancouver play Sporting Kansas City who are a quality opponent, but I expect goals in this one. With that in mind, I also am selecting Graham Zusi ($5,300). Fraser Aird was not good defensively last week for the Whitecaps, and projects to face a side-switching combination of Zusi and Brad Davis on the wing. Maxi Urruti was the FC Dallas player I opted not to squeeze in the first time around, but I can't pass up on him twice. He's a shifty and smart false-nine type of player that gets service from Mauro Diaz. The goal last week in his FC Dallas debut is a sign of things to come.
Devil's Advocate: While I like each of these individual picks, I'm not keen on the lack of exposure to the Seattle or Columbus attacks. Sam may be an under-the-radar force in his match, but is he worth $6,500? Do we have enough goals in this lineup to really make a run at the top of the tournament table?
Why We'll Win: We went a little bold with this one. After identifying weaknesses in teams on opening weekend, we've picked players that can exploit their matchup. A great defensive backbone should help steady our attacking risks. Also, this lineup is extremely flexible. If you want Andreas Ivanschitz and Ethan Finlay, swap out Sam and Zusi. Rivero is also a pricey player you can easily exchange. Take this one and run with it!
