DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday MLS Value Plays

This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.

Here's the schedule:

Real Salt Lake at Montreal Impact - 4:00 p.m. EDT
Seattle Sounders at Vancouver Whitecaps - 7:00 p.m.
Toronto FC at New England Revolution - 7:30 p.m.
Colorado Rapids at Sporting KC - 8:30 p.m.
Portland Timbers at Houston Dynamo - 8:30 p.m.
Columbus Crew at San Jose Earthquakes - 10:30 p.m.

And with that out of the way, let's go to the picks:

Goalkeepers
Nick Rimando ($4,700)
In eight games this season, Rimando has allowed more than one goal just once. In five MLS matches this season, Montreal have scored more than one goal just once. I like that combination for RSL's star keeper. Rimando has aged well, remaining both reliable and capable of stealing a match as he nears his 36th birthday. Meanwhile, Montreal played Toronto FC on Wednesday in the Canadian Championship semifinal and squeaked through to the final on aggregate despite a 3-2 loss. Montreal are usually a team to consider targeting with your keeper. A Montreal group on short rest is a team to metaphorically push your chips all-in against. Rolling with Rimando is the safest play in a slate that should have few predictable results, and while Montreal could sneak one in, don't bet on Rimando struggling too much.

Steve Clark ($4,300)
Traveling across the country to play at San Jose is not an ideal situation for the Crew, who are now without defender Hernan Grana, whose contract was terminated this past week. However, the Earthquakes have gone seven straight matches without breaking the single-goal barrier and sit last in the league in average possession (44.1 percent). The Crew have been willing to push play this year and sacrifice defensively, but don't let some recent score lines concern you too much. This group remains quite capable in the back with veteran Michael Parkhurst, well-traveled Emanuel Pogatetz, and, still, one of the better fullback groups in the league. One small concern is that Columbus can be beaten aerially, which could be problematic against Chris Wondolowski and Adam Jahn, but that risk is balanced by the high likelihood that Clark will earn you the win bonus. Clark's price sits in the bottom half of DraftKings goalies this weekend, but he should make a case for the highest score when all is said and done.

Tim Melia ($3,600)
A careless fantasy player might not scroll down far enough to notice Melia on DraftKings this weekend, but the new starting goalie in Kansas City projects to get the nod for a home meeting with the Rapids, who have just nine goals in 10 games, while SKC have earned three clean sheets in five home fixtures. Selecting Melia comes with some risk, as he isn't considered starting quality, but some would argue that the same goes for much of Colorado's starting 11. Melia's price on the other hand gives some much needed breathing room for a Saturday slate that is stacked with expensive options on offense. Our recent sample size isn't very large with Melia, but the Kansas City Cauldron is one of Major League Soccer's toughest places to play, making both clean sheet and victory bonuses very possible.

Others to Consider:Adam Kwarasey ($4,500), Evan Bush ($4,600)

Defenders
Chris Tierney ($5,700)
His price continues to rise, but Tierney remains alone in an entirely different class of fantasy MLS defenders. His golden left foot has been talked about in great detail, and anyone mildly familiar with the league knows what a threat he is both crossing and on set pieces. However, Tierney stands out even more this week for a few reasons. First, his previous two matches have only seen him collect seven total points on DraftKings. If this chases people away, he makes for an amazing tournament play. Second, Toronto FC are traveling to New England after a tiring midweek match in the Canadian Championship. It's possible that we don't see one of Sebastian Giovinco or Jozy Altidore, and when Tierney gets forward, he could see an already poor defense now playing a half-step slower. The potential at both ends of the pitch is alluring and even in a big slate of expensive options, Tierney deserves heavy consideration.

Jalil Anibaba ($4,800)
Anibaba has multi-cross efforts in five of the last six matches and should once again get the start at outside back rather than his occasional place in the central defense. Colorado present a good clean-sheet opportunity, as noted in the Melia recommendation at keeper, and Anibaba projects to get upfield plenty. He is no Ike Opara in the air, but he has the ability to get on the end of some set piece services. The Rapids are missing their best defender in Drew Moor as well, and while they are still a decent defense, it's easy to imagine plenty of opportunities to spring speedy Dom Dwyer through to goal on a long ball. Anibaba will cost you a bit extra, but pairing him with Melia in goal can alleviate the burden on your salary cap.

Laurent Ciman ($3,500)
Writing up a centerback for DraftKings feels strange, but Ciman is a different animal. He roams far up the field when the opportunity arises and feels little responsibility to stay tied down to his central spot. Ciman is kind of like a more adventurous Aurelien Collin, even in appearances, and shares a love for hard tackles and getting into the opponent's box on set pieces. A clean sheet and headed goal are what you are hoping for with Ciman, who won't collect many crosses, but for just $3,500 it is a reasonable investment. Not many people have warmed up to using Montreal players yet, and a good Ciman performance could really set you apart from the pack.

Others to Consider:Alvas Powell ($3,900), Chris Klute ($2,600), Erik Palmer-Brown ($2,600).

Midfielders
Federico Higuain ($8,000)
Pipa is now midfield eligible on DraftKings! As a forward, his goal scoring was not as consistent as we would have liked, but with nine shots and eight crosses in the past two matches, he currently presents a great floor as a fantasy midfielder. He is one of the league's best set-piece takers, and has a wealth of talented teammates to connect with. San Jose simply does not have the tools to keep up defensively and there's a great chance that the Crew hang at least two goals on them. Higuain has averaged over 13 DraftKings points per game since the beginning of April, and is hitting stride along with the rest of his exciting team. Teammates Ethan Finlay and Justin Meram are also newly midfield eligible, and all three should be significantly owned. Paying up for Higuain might be a play that goes against the grain while giving you the highest upside in your midfield.

Diego Valeri ($6,300)
Valeri hasn't taken long to prove that he deserves a spot in your lineups. He still has the shoot-first mentality that makes him such an extraordinary fantasy talent in Portland, and in an admittedly small sample size, it doesn't appear that he has lost his shooting touch one bit. While his goal was on every MLS highlight reel for the week, the rest of his performance also looked promising. Houston began the year playing great defense, but that has tailed off considerably of late, and the Timbers will be disappointed with anything less than two goals on the road. Valeri is, without any exaggeration, an MVP candidate player and you can get him in your lineups for just $6,300.

Luis Gil ($4,900)
Gil's fantasy output has not matched the influence he has had at times over the past few matches. With star attacking midfielder Javier Morales (concussion) out, the young RSL talent has done his best to fill in. Last match in particular, Gil and Jordan Allen looked very promising in the midfield, and with Allen leaving for the US U-20 World Cup squad shortly, the two will hope to enjoy a final glowing performance against the Montreal Impact. Salt Lake are near the league basement in chance creation and shots on target, but seem to have figured things out a bit recently. Of the few chances they've been creating, the team is converting at a high level, which should benefit Gil should his ambitious attempts see a touch more good luck. The price and opponent are both attractive here for a growing young talent on a rising team, and this could be as good a week as any to take a calculated chance on Gil.

Others to Consider:Benny Feilhaber ($7,700), Rodney Wallace ($5,600), Lee Nguyen ($8,300).

Forwards
Kei Kamara ($9,500)
Two goals, seven shots, 33 points last match and his price...goes down $300! I'm not complaining, as it makes it that little bit easier to squeeze fantasy soccer's No. 1 asset this season into our lineups. With the three other biggest attacking threats on the Crew all moving into the midfield on DraftKings, it's now significantly more convenient to pair Kamara with another Columbus player, and this weekend should be the first of many great opportunities to do so. Of all the great forward options on Saturday, he may have the tastiest matchup, and is a good bet to improve his league-leading seven goals. Even if he doesn't, single points for shots should be plentiful, and assists are always in play for the quick and crafty forward. Clint Dempsey ($10,400) is a natural top option on this weekend's slate, but Kei Kamara is a close second.

Gabriel Torres ($7,000)
Yes, Colorado's opponent, Sporting Kansas City, have been mentioned as a good bet for a clean sheet in this same article, but Torres is too good a value on DraftKings not to mention. Averaging 14.5 points over his past six matches, with four goals in that stretch, he should not be sitting at this low a price. Colorado do have some additional attacking options in this match that could also be good plays, but I like the in-form Torres for his well-rounded attacking game. Teen-aged centerback Erik Palmer-Brown should start for Kansas City and while very promising, his inexperience could allow Torres to get a few big chances. Even if Colorado is shut out, the roaming forward has a decent floor for shots and crosses. On a large slate, filling your flex spot with the right player will be crucial, and perhaps no other player on Saturday combines form and value in the way that Torres does.

Juan Agudelo ($7,700)
Agudelo could be a great differential pick to the many players targeting the streaking Charlie Davies instead. Toronto FC enters this match both fatigued and defensively inept, particularly on the wings where Agudelo can torment defenders. The young New England talent lacks consistency, which doesn't make him the safest play this weekend, but he is capable of piling on shots and grabbing goals in a variety of ways. A goal, assist and six shots earlier this season against a strong Real Salt Lake defense show what Agudelo is capable of, and it's difficult to imagine him not out-producing his most recent two appearances. While Davies costs $600 more and plays closer to the opponent's goal, Agudelo should have an equally good match against a soft opponent and could pay big dividends in your tournaments this weekend.

Others to Consider: Dom Dwyer ($8,900), Octavio Rivero ($9,400), Kekutah Manneh ($5,000).