The MLS returns with an absolutely loaded schedule for this Saturday with seven games to make the DraftKings MLS Daily Fantasy Leagues that much more exciting. The number of games on the slate could make the fantasy challenges that much more difficult with 14 different teams to build our lineup with.
Here is a look at our optimal starting XI for Saturday’s DraftKings MLS Daily Fantasy Leagues.
GK: Sean Johnson, Chicago
Salary: $4,800
The Fire own the worst record in the MLS this season, so it only makes sense that we avoid their starting goalkeeper, right? Wrong. The way we see it, Johnson hasn’t been awful for Chicago and they will have a pretty favorable matchup at home against a Colorado side that is buried at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. The 20 goals the Rapids have registered so far this season are four less than the 24 scored by San Jose for the fewest in the MLS this season, so look for Johnson to stand tall with the possibility for a clean sheet win against Colorado.
D: Eric Gehrig, Chicago
Salary: $3,800
It makes sense to stick with Chicago in order to find at least one more bargain play. The defender position is absolutely perfect for plugging in a player that could produce at a higher level than his price tag suggests. Gehrig hasn’t exactly been a fantasy standout this season but he will start for the Fire this weekend and his insertion here allows us to save more money for more important positions.
D: Kendall Waston, Vancouver
Salary: $3,600
There aren’t many sneaky sleeper plays for the midfielder and forward positions, so we will plug in another bargain play at our second defender spot in the Whitecaps FC defender Waston. Vancouver is just one point back of the LA Galaxy for first place in the Western Conference and we expect a strong performance from them against FC Dallas at home on Saturday night.
M: Javier Morales, Real Salt Lake
Salary: $9,100
Only Benny Feilhaber has a better fantasy points per game average than Morales according to the DraftKings numbers but Morales is available for $400 cheaper and will be playing at home against Seattle this weekend. Morales has played an integral role in RSL’s attack all season and we expect more of the same from him this weekend.
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M: Michael Bradley, Toronto FC
Salary: $5,900
It seems like every week we are preaching about Bradley’s potential value and that probably won’t change until DraftKings finally decides to raise his price tag to over $6K. Bradley has two goals and an assist in his last four games for Toronto FC and at such a bargain price, we can’t overlook him in this midfield spot.
F: Cyle Larin, Orlando City SC
Salary: $9,400
The last time Larin visited Toronto, he had scored a combined five goals in his previous two games to match the rookie MLS record for goals in a season. He also had the opportunity to set a new record in his hometown. Larin hasn’t found the score sheet since as he has zero goals and only two shots on target over his last three games. Larin will get another opportunity to set a new rookie goal-scoring mark in front of friends and family in Toronto on Saturday and we think this time he will get it done.
F: Octavio Rivero, Vancouver
Salary: $9,200
As much as we would love to plug Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco or Kansas City’s Kei Kamara into our lineup this week, the bottom line is that Vancouver’s Octavio Rivero has been excellent all season and he is available at more than $4K less than the Giovinco, which is pretty much enough money to buy another player. The Whitecaps are at home for a huge match against FC Dallas on Saturday and they will need Rivero to produce up front in order to win that game.
FLEX: Ashtone Morgan, Toronto FC
Salary: $4,200
With the money we saved taking Rivero over Giovinco and even Kamara we have just enough left over to plug in a decent defender as our FLEX play with Morgan. Larin, Rivero, Morales and Bradley should give us more than enough star power and if Morgan, Gehrig and Waston can hold their own as sneaky value plays, we will be very happy with the numbers that our starting XI produces this weekend.
