This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
The international break, or lack thereof in Major League Soccer, makes for an interesting player pool in daily fantasy. Some unknown options will get their first starts of the season, and some known options have not had the requisite minutes to accumulate stats and boost their DraftKings prices. Thanks to this quirky scheduling setup, we can go on a bit of a shopping spree with the top talent available in this three match slate.David Villa, Mauro Diaz and Chris Tierney headline our roster. They're each the highest priced option at their respective positions, and rightly so. Each has upside that few players at their position, particularly this weekend, possess. In fact, Diaz is quite possibly the best player in MLS through three weeks, Sebastian Giovinco included. Tierney has scored double-digit points each week thanks to his crossing ability and the freedom he has in New England to push up the left flank at will. Villa does have a low floor when he doesn't net a goal, but he's by far the best bet to score multiple times.
Typically selecting three top players leaves us scraping the bottom of the barrel, but two more favorite options this weekend fit into our lineup too. Maxi Urruti ($5,100) and Pedro Morales ($5,400) are arguably the second best options at their positions this week. Urruti has scored in two of three games to start the season and is only beginning to acclimate to his new teammates, including the aforementioned assist machine in Diaz. Morales' performances look better than they were, as all three of his goals have been from the penalty spot, but his talent is still undeniable. He should have a claim to most set pieces and gets to play a Houston team that has already allowed games of three and four goals.
Three additional players have already shown well this season, but remain at cheap prices: Tony Taylor ($3,300), Patrick Nyarko ($3,500), and Ryan Hollingshead ($3,000). Taylor carries the risk of a poor outing, but New England are typically a good team to attack via the wing. It's difficult to imagine NYC FC getting blanked in Yankee Stadium two weeks running, so consider Taylor a good hedge on our pricey Villa selection. Nyarko has only played a game and a half on the attacking wing, but he has turned that into 11 points per 90 minutes without a goal or assist. That's simply good value for his price and it should continue since D.C. United's only attacking strategy (read: no strategy) appears to be forcing it up the wings. Hollingshead is sure to provide a safe handful of points but earns them in so many ways that a double-digit outing is also very possible.
We're left with three players who have not been tested yet this season: Chris Seitz, Kwadwo Poku and Cole Seiler. Seitz has been a capable keeper when given the opportunity in MLS. While he is on the road, behind a defense missing several pieces, I'm not terribly concerned. Dallas is one of the deeper squads in the league and will still field a defense that is more respectable than D.C. United's offense.
Poku's per minute production last season was impressive after jumping from the third tier of U.S. soccer into MLS, and New York City fans have been clamoring for him to get onto the field more often. This may be his big opportunity to impress manager Patrick Viera who reportedly is not impressed with Poku's focus and understanding of the system. I feel he's worth a dice roll, though safer options may exist to complement our heavy hitters. Lastly, Seiler is a placeholder defender at just $2,200. His upside is limited outside of a possible set piece threat, but he does project to play and allows us to roster a great set of attackers. If Jordan McCrary or Diego Martinez start in the earlier match, I'll likely pivot to one of them. Guillen may also be an option for FC Dallas, though with equally low upside.
Devil's Advocate: We may not have enough exposure to the Vancouver vs. Houston match given Houston's propensity to allow goals. On the flip side, we may have too much exposure to NYC FC with both Poku and Taylor, two players who could easily combine for fewer than 10 points. Seitz will likely be massively over-owned due to his price, and we may be passing up a good opportunity to pick a more talented goalkeeper.
Why We'll Win: It might not be a clever lineup, but it's a powerful one. By keeping things simple and targeting the right value plays to complement our stars, we shouldn't have much problem enjoying our weekend.
Often the best way to win a GPP is to find the "obvious" forward play of the week and avoid them at all costs. Then, throw a few different striker combinations into the pool and play the odds. If the big-time forward play busts, many of your opponents days are done (see Kei Kamara last week).For this lineup, we'll eschew David Villa at forward in favor of Will Bruin and Octavio Rivero. One of those strikers I champion even though he's been quiet for almost a year. The other produces, but I rarely can stomach playing him due to his typically one-dimensional game. The former is Rivero, who is just 24 years old, and I stick with him because I think he'll grow into the parts of his game that are lacking. Rivero is a hard worker that just doesn't seem to be a perfect fit for Carl Robinson's system or formation in Vancouver. Last week, they played Blas Perez as a second striker with Rivero and things seemed to click for the Uruguayan. While Perez won't be around this week, perhaps Rivero's good showing will stick. Houston's back line should be considered porous until they string some good defensive outings together.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Bruin can be a streaky forward that relies heavily on confidence. When he lacks it, his finishing couldn't be much poorer and I couldn't like him much less. Right now, he's full of it, and is even finding other ways to contribute on the field. Bruin is at his best right now, and I'm going to see if I can squeeze myself onto the bandwagon temporarily. I think people will shy away from Bruin this weekend on the road against a good Vancouver team. Houston will be without Giles Barnes and Boniek Garcia, but it looks like Cristian Maidana will be back for at least a portion of the match. It's worth noting that Vancouver are missing both starting centerbacks to international duty.
I think there are enough goals in this one that we can confidently grab some more attacking players. I'm opting for Leonel Miranda ($3,500) and Cristian Techera ($5,500). Miranda hasn't enjoyed the same hot start that Andrew Wenger has on Houston's other wing this year, but he does project to get a better matchup this week. Fraser Aird still looks to be somewhat of a liability on the right side of Vancouver's defense while Jordan Harvey on the left should have a better time handling Wenger. Houston may shuffle their personnel around, so be sure to check their lineup before confirming your roster. Vancouver's attacking wings are more predictable. With Christian Bolanos away with Costa Rica, Kekuta Manneh and Techera should both feature. Techera doesn't get the recognition he deserves as a dangerous player in the final third. With Manneh and Pedro Morales coming at cheaper prices, I'm betting few of our opponents will select Techera, who is far more likely to top 10 points than fall short. If he takes some corner kicks and set pieces, we'll consider it a bonus.
Let's address our defense and keeper. Following the contrarian angle, we're going to avoid Chris Seitz and use Josh Saunders instead. NYC FC plays at home to New England, who will be without their key player Lee Nguyen. Charlie Davies will return from injury and may have to shake off some rust. Saunders often steals games for New York's powder blues and should see enough shots this weekend to earn points, but not enough good ones to give up many goals. Since Tierney's price is a little prohibitive, I've opted for Taylor Kemp ($4,500) and Andoni Iraola ($3,100) instead. Both have potential to earn plenty of crossing points, Kemp in particular. Hollingshead remains a great value for FC Dallas at $3,000.
Tidying up our midfield, I've stuck with Mauro Diaz and Patrick Nyarko. If we don't use Seitz, we ought to have some exposure to D.C. United's attack at home. However, I'm just not ready to put my faith in Fabian Espindola and Luciano Acosta is overpriced relative to his output thus far. We'll hope that Nyarko is involved should either of the flashier choices do anything meaningful. Diaz doesn't need much explanation, and I'll refer you to my statement above that noted he might be playing better than Giovinco this year.
Finally, we have one spot left to fill. I've slotted Patrick Mullins in, though I'm not sure he will start. If he does, he's an outrageous value. He'd play forward alongside Villa, but can fit into our midfield for just $4,200. Fortunately, NYC FC plays the first match of the day, so we'll know if we need to pivot to somebody else. Other options are Kwadwo Poku and Tony Taylor, though if you shuffle some other players around the possibilities are even greater. For the risk averse, move Bruin to Maxi Urruti and save $700. Saunders to Seitz saves $1,000. In general, this is a very flexible lineup that you can season to your own tastes.
Devil's Advocate: One big game from Villa or Tierney and we're really chasing from the first match of the day. The author is biased towards Rivero. Maybe we should trust Espindola a little more, since he would have been a top option on this slate just one year ago.
Why We'll Win: Villa and Seitz are the two eggs you spot first on the Easter Egg Hunt. Sure, they're obvious, but those eggs won't have the biggest prizes inside. If Villa doesn't score and Seitz allows a goal, we're in a great spot relative to 50-75 percent of the tournament field. Those two events are likelier to happen than you may think. This strategy doesn't work every week, but played consistently for short slates where ownership levels are predictable, it pays dividends in the long run.
