The Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas were two of the most impressive teams from last week in the MLS but both squads will face much tougher tests this coming weekend. Seattle will take on the Columbus Crew while FC Dallas is set for a clash with the defending MLS champion LA Galaxy. With six games on the slate for Saturday, there are plenty of players to choose from in order to find the best possible fit for fantasy purposes. Here is a look at what we believe is the optimal lineup for Saturday’s MLS Daily Fantasy League action.
GK: Stefan Frei, Seattle
Salary: $4,900
Frei is coming off an outstanding performance in last week’s 3-1 win over New York City FC in which he made eight saves. The fact that he has consistently been one of the league’s best goalkeepers all season makes us that much more comfortable taking him this week. The Sounders will be in tough against FC Dallas but if Frei plays the way that he did a week ago, we could wind up with the top fantasy goalkeeper of the week in our lineup at a discount price.
D: Alvas Powell, Portland
Salary: $4,200
The Timbers might not be contending for top spot in the Western Conference but they have been much better of late in big part thanks to their improved defensive play. Powell in particular has been excellent from a fantasy standpoint. Now they get the chance to continue their impressive run against a Montreal team that is buried in the basement of the Eastern Conference standings and that should be enough to make Powell a lock on the back end for Saturday’s daily fantasy leagues.
D: Bobby Boswell, DC United
Salary: $4,200
DC United is right there with New England at the top of the Eastern Conference standings and with Boswell playing at such a high level, it makes a lot of sense to take him as the second defender we have available to us at just $4,200.
M: Javier Morales, Real Salt Lake
Salary: $7,900
Morales has the highest fantasy points per game mark this season among midfielders for Saturday’s game and a clash with the Chicago Fire isn’t any reason for us to shy away from taking him. The fact that he is available at under $8,000 also means we can feel comfortable knowing we still have money to spend elsewhere.
M: David Accam, Chicago
Salary: $5,200
It will also help that we can plug in Chicago’s best midfielder at almost $3,000 less than Morales and know that Accam and Morales have the potential to be the two best fantasy performers from that game.
F: Obafemi Martins, Seattle
Salary: $10,200
Martins has been outstanding for Seattle since the outset and he continued his strong play last week with two goals on as many shots in the 3-1 win over NYCFC. Martins now stands alone as the leading goal scorer in the MLS this season with six markers and there is a good chance that he extends his lead by finding the back of the net for the Sounders versus Columbus on Saturday.
F: Fabian Espindola, DC United
Salary: $7,400
Clint Dempsey and Kei Kamara are the only forwards other than Martins that have a better average fantasy points per game this season than Espindola, but they also cost an average of $2,000 more than the DC United forward. That price differential is way too big to take either one of them instead. Espindola had a goal and an assist last week and if he can get another two points this week, it will be an absolute steal for any fantasy GM that has him in their lineup for under $7,500.
FLEX: Jose Villarreal, LA Galaxy
Salary: $5,400
With an extra $6,000 left over, it makes sense to spend as much of it as possible by investing in the most productive and expensive player still left on the board. We get an outstanding option here in Villarreal. The Galaxy could be in for a very high scoring game against FC Dallas on Saturday and we like being able to plug in their most dangerous offensive player we can afford.
