The MLS season continues with a full slate of games scheduled for this Saturday evening including a highly anticipated showdown between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Creating the best fantasy lineup is about finding the best mix of star players and bargain plays based on matchups, so don’t be surprised when we stay away from that clash between the New England Revolution and D.C. United for the most part. Here is a look at our optimal lineup for Saturday’s DraftKings MLS Daily Fantasy Leagues.
GK: Chris Konopka, Toronto
Salary: $5,200
Joe Bendik had solidified his role as the starting goalkeeper for Toronto FC before he suffered a foot injury that forced Konopka to take over. Some say a starter should never lose his job to injury but…after the latter has played above expectations for the past couple of weeks, it now appears as though TFC coach Greg Vanney has some tough decisions to make. Konopka was named to the MLS team of the week after his excellent performance in a 1-1 tied with New England and is expected to start on Saturday versus the Portland Timbers, so plug him in here.
D: Nat Borchers, Portland
Salary: $4,700
Borchers might be on the other side of the equation when it comes to Portland being in tough versus TFC on the road but he has consistently put up decent numbers of late and at under $5,000, we like his potential as a valuable bargain play at the back end.
D: Ike Opara, Sporting KC
Salary: $3,700
Opara is in a similar boat to Borchers as his team faces a tough matchup but he still has the potential to serve as a strong value play. He is available at under $4,000 and has put up decent numbers as of late. With only $8,400 committed to two very capable defenders, we will have more money to spend in other areas where we will need it.
M: Pedro Morales, Vancouver
Salary: $8,600
The bargain plays on the back end allow us to break the bank on the midfield position beginning with Morales as the highest-priced player at his position for Saturday. Morales has been an absolute stud in the middle of the Whitecaps attack. A favorable matchup at Colorado makes him a player we love to build this lineup around.
M: Javier Morales, Real Salt Lake
Salary: $7,600
This pick is about much more than the name as Morales has been a star for RSL with a DraftKings average fantasy points per game mark that is actually higher than the one that Morales has recorded for Vancouver. A home date with New York City FC isn’t any reason to shy away from RSL’s star midfielder here – especially considering his relatively decent price point and the fact the team will be eager to bounce back following last week’s shocking blowout loss at the hands of the Montreal Impact.
F: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto
Salary: $10,100
Giovinco has the highest DraftKings fantasy points per game average for any player on our roster for Saturday and we expect him to deliver against Portland. Giovinco has shown flashes of his world-class talent for TFC already at points this season and a home date with the Timbers could be the perfect opportunity for a monster performance.
F: Kekuta Manneh, Vancouver
Salary: $5,300
One of the reasons we don’t mind spending upwards of $10,000 on Giovinco is because we can also get a very capable striker at almost half the price in Manneh. The Whitecaps should have plenty of scoring opportunities versus Colorado on Saturday and Manneh will be right in the middle of their attack looking to add to his goal total for the season.
FLEX: Moises Hernandez, FC Dallas
Salary: $4,600
After breaking the bank on our midfields and forwards, we are left with just under $5,000 to fill out our roster and that leaves Hernandez as the best possible option remaining on the board. FC Dallas has a favorable matchup at Montreal as long as the Impact don’t play out of their minds the way they did in their shocking 4-1 win over Real Salt Lake last week. We feel very comfortable plugging in Hernandez in this spot.
