This article is part of our MLS Fantasy Rankings series.
MATCHES (ET)
- Saturday, 1:30 pm: New England Revolution vs. Chicago Fire
- Saturday, 2:00 pm: Real Salt Lake vs. New York Red Bulls
- Saturday, 3:00 pm: FC Dallas vs. Montreal Impact
- Saturday, 3:30 pm: D.C. United vs. Inter Miami CF
- Saturday, 5:00 pm: Toronto FC vs. New York City FC
- Saturday, 7:00 pm: Atlanta United vs. FC Cincinnati
- Saturday, 8:00 pm: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Minnesota United
- Saturday, 8:30 pm: Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo
- Saturday, 9:00 pm: Colorado Rapids vs. Orlando City SC
- Saturday, 10:00 pm: Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Saturday, 10:00 pm: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Columbus Crew
- Sunday, 7:00 pm: Portland Timbers vs. Nashville SC
- Sunday, 10:30 pm: Los Angeles Football Club vs. Philadelphia Union
Forwards | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Cristian Pavon | LA v. VAN | 12.0 | Chicharito drew plenty of attention in Week 1, and it allowed Pavon to shine. Vancouver may not have many solutions on the road, considering they were gouged for three at home. |
2 | Carlos Vela | LAFC v. PHI | 13.8 | All LAFC players come with some risk this week - they play their next CCL match four days later, and every other game will be over by the time we know their lineup. Many will find Vela worth the risk, but as of Wednesday night, I'm leaning towards playing it safe with three other forwards. |
3 | Gustavo Bou | NE v. CHI | 11.5 | Bou both benefits and is hurt by Carles Gil's absence. He becomes the primary playmaker, but the offense is understandably worse without another star in the lineup. I like him regardless of Gil's status. |
4 | Chicharito | LA v. VAN | 10.8 | The Galaxy really struggled to find Chicharito in Houston last week, opting to just bombard the Dynamo with 27 crosses. They're still figuring things out, but the matchup is good enough for me to consider playing both Pavon and Chich. |
5 | Felipe Mora | POR v. NSH | 8.3 | |
6 | Alan Pulido | SKC v. HOU | 11.0 | Pulido had a good, not great, first match and while SKC's 3-1 win on the road is impressive, I'm not sure the attacking three are comfortable yet. Johnny Russell is not nearly as good on the left wing, while Khiry Shelton tucks inside from the right. |
7 | Diego Rossi | LAFC v. PHI | 10.3 | Rossi led MLS in week one with four shots on target. If he starts, he'll be a threat once more. |
8 | Raul Ruidiaz | SEA v. CLB | 10.3 | |
9 | Jesus Ferreira | DAL v. MTL | 8.7 | Ferreira is a rising star in the league and I'm pretty sure he'll frequently get ranked over Ondrasek due to his playmaking abilities. The Cobra is far more goal dependent. |
10 | Heber | NYC at TOR | 9.8 | With four days rest, I wouldn't be too concerned about the upcoming CCL match. |
11 | Kei Kamara | COL v. ORL | 10.5 | |
12 | Zdenek Ondrasek | DAL v. MTL | 9.0 | |
13 | Jordan Morris | SEA v. CLB | 10.5 | Morris rarely gets the love he deserves in fantasy circles, but his big outtings are somewhat less predictable and his bonus points harder to come by than many wingers who get on the ball more. |
14 | Jozy Altidore | TOR v. NYC | 9.8 | |
15 | Adam Buksa | NE v. CHI | 7.3 | |
16 | Luis Amarilla | SJ v. MIN | 10.5 | Ethan Finlay is going to cause defenses a lot of trouble if he keeps playing like he did in week one. The beneficiary of Finlay's right wing dominance will often be Amarilla. |
17 | Lucas Cavallini | VAN at LA | 8.3 | |
18 | Robert Beric | CHI at NE | 10.5 | |
19 | Maximiliano Urruti | MTL at DAL | 8.5 | He was the primary scorer, corner kick taker, and arguably creator, all at once in the first match. That likely won't continue (not if Montreal want to finish above last place), but headed into a *REVENGE GAME*, Urruti is worth a passing glance. |
20 | Jurgen Locadia | FCC at ATL | 10.6 | Others considered: Mauro Manotas, Ola Kamara, Brian Rodriguez |
Midfielders | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Sebastian Blanco | POR v. NSH | 9.8 | Valeri is safer due to his penalty kick and set piece duties, but Blanco's ceiling from open play is significantly higher in my opinion. |
2 | Pity Martinez | ATL v. FCC | 8.3 | Without Josef, this is Pity's chance to step up and carry the team. Everything I've seen and heard from him so far makes me think he'll do it. |
3 | Alejandro Pozuelo | TOR v. NYC | 12.0 | |
4 | Joao Paulo | SEA v. CLB | 9.5 | This ranking largely assumes Lodeiro will miss once again, but Paulo is top20 even if Lodeiro starts. |
5 | Ezequiel Barco | ATL v. FCC | 9.5 | |
6 | Michael Barrios | DAL v. MTL | 8.8 | Montreal have the least rest of any upcoming CCL team and Dallas look like an attack with plenty of potential. If the Impact don't trot out their A-Team, then Barrios is looking at a great matchup. |
7 | Diego Valeri | POR v. NSH | 10.4 | |
8 | Lucas Zelarayan | CLB at SEA | 10.5 | Few midfielders will still crack the top 10 when playing at Seattle, but Zelarayan is the real deal. |
9 | Rodolfo Pizarro | MIA at DC | 9.3 | I wasn't terribly impressed by Pizarro in week one, but he was clearly the Miami focal point, and it's tough to judge him too harshly in the franchise's first game against the league's best team (sorry Sounders). |
10 | Daniel Royer | NYRB at RSL | 9.5 | Both Royer and Valot had more action and impact than Kaku, but I would consider all three. Royer stands above the others due to his increased goalscoring chances while still maintaining playmaking potential. |
11 | Latif Blessing | LAFC v. PHI | 10.6 | I think Blessing gets rested or subbed off early, simply because he's looked like LAFC's second most important player this year (just my opinion). Also, Eduard Atuesta should be high in the rankings if he starts, but he is working back to fitness and I'd guess he sits too. |
12 | Cristian Roldan | SEA v. CLB | 10.5 | |
13 | Albert Rusnak | RSL v. NYRB | 8.8 | |
14 | Jonathan dos Santos | LA v. VAN | 9.5 | JdS seemed close to playing in week one, so I think he could be back this week. The Galaxy desperately miss his midfield presence. |
15 | Julian Gressel | DC v. MIA | 11.0 | To some's surprise, he started in the #10 role. Offensively, he often shifted right while Edison Flores came inside, but focused more centrally in defense. I wouldn't say it was a rousing success, but potential is there for plenty of bonus points if this continues. |
16 | Gadi Kinda | SKC v. HOU | 8.0 | Peter Vermes is going to have some incredibly tough decisions when all of his midfield are healthy, but Kinda made a case to be a first-team lock in week one. |
17 | Cristian Espinoza | SJ v. MIN | 10.0 | |
18 | Kevin Molino | MIN at SJ | 9.0 | |
19 | Jack Price | COL v. ORL | 9.5 | Price will be a popular pick this week after serving up 15 crosses, assisting five shots, and overwhelmingly commanding the play for the Rapids. Those bonus points are great, as are the assists, but be wary! Price has only scored two goals in his 57-start MLS career and picks up yellow cards about every third match. |
20 | Jamiro Monteiro | PHI at LAFC | 7.8 | Others considered: Hany Mukhtar, Edison Flores, Alexandru Mitrita, Alvaro Medran, Johnny Russell, Florian Valot |
Defenders | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Reto Ziegler | DAL v. MTL | 7.0 | Penalty duty and one of the week's best clean sheet chances. |
2 | Jorge Moreira | POR v. NSH | 5.3 | Until shown otherwise, we should assume Portland will foolishly keep pushing numbers into the attack with reckless abandon. Nashville may not be able to take advantage of their defensive vulnerabilities, so that gives Moreira great potential for points at both ends. |
3 | Fernando Meza | ATL v. FCC | 5.9 | Atlanta control the game through their back line, and Meza's passing looks up to par. With those 1-2 bonus points pretty much guaranteed, he'll be near the top of the rankings in every appealing matchup. |
4 | Ryan Hollingshead | DAL v. MTL | 7.0 | |
5 | Dario Zuparic | POR v. NSH | 5.9 | Zuparic also projects to have good passing point returns, but in a worse defense. Nashville are still figuring their offense out, though. |
6 | Emiliano Insua | LA v. VAN | 5.9 | If the Galaxy insist on bombing crosses into the box each week, Insua is one of the primary fantasy beneficiaries. He had a pretty impressive debut. |
7 | Luis Martins | SKC v. HOU | 6.0 | From the left back spot, Martins led SKC in touches! Playing through the wings is a clear focus for SKC and Martins attacking potential complements that very well. |
8 | Matt Hedges | DAL v. MTL | 7.0 | |
9 | Kyle Duncan | NYRB at RSL | 6.0 | |
10 | Tristan Blackmon | LAFC v. PHI | 6.5 | Blackmon's role as a right back that can often push into the defensive midfield in possession, but also make runs up the right flank, has been fun to watch so far. If he plays prior to CCL this week, I am keen on his fantasy potential. |
11 | Eddie Segura | LAFC v. PHI | 7.0 | |
12 | Anton Walkes | ATL v. FCC | 5.5 | |
13 | Oswaldo Alanis | SJ v. MIN | 7.0 | Surely you've seen his free kick goal from last week, but if not go find it. He did not monopolize set pieces, but could very well be the team's penalty taker too. We'll monitor his role moving forward. |
14 | Larrys Mabiala | POR v. NSH | 6.0 | |
15 | Rolf Feltscher | LA v. VAN | 4.1 | |
16 | Brooks Lennon | ATL v. FCC | 5.3 | If Atlanta have to play a little slower without Josef Martinez, and cross a little more into the imposing Adam Jahn, then Lennon may actually benefit from the superstar's absence in terms of fantasy output. |
17 | Lalas Abubakar | COL v. ORL | 5.7 | |
18 | Reggie Cannon | DAL v. MTL | 6.5 | |
19 | Steve Birnbaum | DC v. MIA | 5.4 | Birnbaum had more touches in the Colorado box last week than Ola Kamara, indicating he remains a large focus on attacking set pieces, and he's playing a new team that struggled to find a solution at striker in week one. |
20 | Milton Valenzuela | CLB at SEA | 6.5 | Others considered: Keegan Rosenberry, Vito Wormgoor, Xavier Arreaga, Kelvin Leerdam, Zach Brault-Guillard |
Goalkeepers | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Jesse Gonzalez | DAL v. MTL | 7.0 | With CCL looming, Montreal may not trot out a first-choice XI. Dallas kept a clean sheet against a better team last week. |
2 | Brad Guzan | ATL v. FCC | 6.3 | Cincy may actually have a formidable attack (I thought Regattin was impressive in addition to Locadia), but I think it'll take a few more weeks. |
3 | David Bingham | LA v. VAN | 7.0 | He won't be assisting many goals like he did in week one, and the defense in front of him is still suspect, but this matchup is favorable. |
4 | Steve Clark | POR v. NSH | 5.3 | |
5 | Clint Irwin | COL v. ORL | 6.0 | If you watched Orlando last week, I'm impressed you're reading this and not still asleep from that snooze-fest! The Lions still won't have Nani, so Colorado is a decent play defensively. |
6 | Kenneth Vermeer | LAFC v. PHI | 7.0 | |
7 | Tim Melia | SKC v. HOU | 6.3 | Houston will be more dangerous than they were in week one, presuming Alberth Elis and Darwin Quintero are back in action, so I'd try to stick with the top 5 or 6 keepers here. |
8 | Bill Hamid | DC v. MIA | 5.7 | Miami played hard in week one, and I'm not betting on them to get shut out two weeks in a row. Still, they clearly are not a finished product up top. |
9 | Stefan Frei | SEA v. CLB | 5.7 | |
10 | Luis Robles | MIA at DC | 7.0 | Also considered: David "Ball Cap" Jensen. |
Value Rankings | ||||
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(forwards and midfielders under $7.5, defenders under $6.0; not ranked above) | ||||
Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Adam Jahn | ATL v. FCC | 4.8 | Jahn led the USL in goals last year for a dominant Phoenix Rising side. Now sandwiched between Pity and Barco until reinforcements arrive, he shouldn't be as bad as many fear. Please use him from the bench if you opt to take a chance on him, though. |
2 | Mark McKenzie | PHI at LAFC | 5.4 | If LAFC rest a bunch of starters, McKenzie is the defender you'll want to use. |
3 | Tsubasa Endoh | TOR v. NYC | 6.3 | Endoh may have flown under the radar as one of the brighter surprises in week one. |
4 | Joevin Jones | SEA v. CLB | 5.7 | |
5 | Adrien Perez | LAFC v. PHI | 4.5 | If Perez, Bryce Duke, or for a bit more Francisco Ginella, get a spot start in place of some rested stars, they are worth a look. Look for these players as a last resort if your three bench guys didn't put up a good score for your switcheroo. |
6 | Sergio Santos | PHI at LAFC | 6.3 | |
7 | Memo Rodriguez | HOU at SKC | 5.7 | |
8 | Nick DePuy | LA v. VAN | 5.5 | DePuy should be good for 2-3 bonus points per game and has a clean sheet chance here. It looks like Steres will be out again, but monitor the lineup to make sure DePuy starts. |
9 | Cristian Dajome | VAN at LA | 6.8 | Vancouver actually had more expected goals than SKC last week, and I think their attack has some potential. |
10 | Khiry Shelton | SKC v. HOU | 6.4 |
Captain Rankings | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Cristian Pavon | LA v. VAN | 12.0 | Unless Vancouver goes all-in on suffocating Pavon and taking their chances with Chicharito, I can't see a scenario where the Argentine doesn't get plenty of chances. |
2 | Sebastian Blanco | POR v. NSH | 9.8 | Nashville's defense appears solid, but I'm still going to try and pick on them to start the season. Blanco was aggressive in week one, and loves to shoot from anywhere in the attacking third. |
3 | Pity Martinez | ATL v. FCC | 8.3 | It's ok to be leery of Atlanta sans Josef, but Cincy allowed three goals to a team fronted by Brian White last week. |
4 | Gustavo Bou | NE v. CHI | 11.5 | With Chicago still integrating new pieces, New England are a pretty good bet to find goals at home. |
5 | Carlos Vela | LAFC v. PHI | 13.8 | Captaining Vela is risky considering the looming CCL match and this being the last game of the week. I'd rather play it safer, but won't blame anyone who is willing to risk if for the league's biggest fantasy force. |