Fantasy MLS: Saturday Cheat Sheet

Dissimilar to last week, we have quite the slate of intriguing matchups. A high profile game of stars kicks off the day in Yankee Stadium, while Kei Kamara gets to host his former team later in the day. Colorado are an incredibly high favorite according to the odds, but Orlando shouldn't be written off and the same goes for Vancouver at Sporting KC.

MATCHES (EDT)

7:00 p.m: Philadelphia Union v. Toronto FC
7:30 p.m: Montreal Impact v. Chicago Fire
7:30 p.m: New England Revolution v. Columbus Crew
9:00 p.m: Colorado Rapids v. Orlando City
10:00 p.m: Real Salt Lake v. FC Dallas
10:00 p.m: Sporting KC v. Vancouver Whitecaps

ODDS REPORT

EXPECTED CORNER TAKERS

Philadelphia Union: Tranquillo Barnetta
Toronto FC: Sebastian Giovinco
Montreal Impact: Hernan Bernardello, Ignacio Piatti
Chicago Fire: John Goossens
New England Revolution: Federico Higuain
Colorado Rapids: Shkelzen Gashi
Orlando City: Kaka
Real Salt Lake: Joao Plata, Javier Morales
FC Dallas: Mauro Diaz
Sporting KC: Graham Zusi
Vancouver Whitecaps: Christian Bolanos

PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS

GOALKEEPER

Evan Bush, MON v. CHI: Among expensive keepers this week, it really boils down to Tim Howard or Bush, both of whom are abnormally large favorites according to the MLS odds this week. While Howard is the larger favorite, I prefer Bush for $200 less. Orlando are simply a friskier offensive team of late. Kaka is healthy, Cyle Larin is scoring, and Kevin Molino may return to the lineup. Orlando have scored at least two goals in four of their previous six matches. Colorado, for all of their defensive plaudits, are tied for most goals allowed in the past six in the Western Conference (granted it's an acceptable total of nine). Montreal have also allowed nine goals in six but are playing a team that still hasn't figured out how to attack. The Fire are last in the league in possession, and 19th in shots per game. While that may suggest a lower ceiling for Bush, it also reinforces my feelings that he's the safest play among keepers this week.

Joe Bendik, ORL at RSL: Orlando City aren't a good defense, but the Rapids don't boast the most explosive attack either. I think this spells good things for Bendik as a fantasy option. The Orlando goalkeeper has won the MLS save of the week more times this summer than most have in their career. More shots mean potential for more points, and Bendik has churned out two straight seven-save performances on the road. The downside is certainly present, but the tournament potential can't be ignored. At such a cheap price, Bendik also allows us to fit in a group of expensive attackers during a slate that has very few affordable options.

DEFENDER

Chris Tierney, NER v. CLB ($6,500): If you stepped away from this week's RotoWire Soccer Podcast wondering who loved Tierney more this week, Schuyler Redpath or Andrew Laird, then I'm with you. Going all in on a $6,500 fullback is not my style, but if you're working a high priced one into your lineup, Tierney should really be the first and possibly only guy you're looking to this week. Since the calendars turned to June, Tierney is averaging more than 11 crosses per home match (less than five on the road). While Columbus allow fewer than the league average in crosses, I still find them to be a susceptible defense, and think Tierney's floor from crosses alone is six or seven points. If he does anything significant on top of that, we'll have a good buy this week.

Saad Abdul-Salaam, SKC v. VAN: Vancouver allow the most crosses in Major League Soccer, which puts Sporting Kansas City's wide players in an unusually favorable spot for me. Most notably this applies to Abdul-Salaam, who according to FourFourTwo's fantastic Stats Zone app has actually had more influence upfield lately than Jimmy Medranda. While that hasn't necessarily translated into similar DraftKings success, it is encouraging against this opponent. Abdul-Salaam is capable in all areas of the pitch and should supply a nice floor of points in addition to a potential clean sheet bonus. Keep an eye on the starting lineup and see if even cheaper options along the KC back line arise.

Brandon Vincent, CHI at MTL: Plenty of DraftKings rosters this week will look straight past the dismal Chicago Fire, but that would ignore the great game their wing backs had last week and the fact that Montreal struggled as they tried out a 4-4-2 diamond formation. While I don't see Chicago keeping a clean sheet, I do like Vincent's value. He's becoming more and more confident as the season rolls on and manager Veljko Paunovic trusts him to choose when and how he gets involved in the attack. Vincent should escape Ignacio Piatti's wing regardless of Montreal's formation, which is encouraging for his prospects pushing upfield. Finding value on bad teams is a key component of daily fantasy soccer success, and Vincent jumps out as just that this weekend.

MIDFIELDER

Ignacio Piatti, MTL v. CHI: While Mauro Diaz and Giovani dos Santos are compelling differential plays in the top midfield tier, no player may be more essential this week than Piatti. While the MVP candidate is prone to the occasional disappointment, he more frequently gives opposing defenses nightmares. Didier Drogba appears set to play and pillage the most dangerous free-kick opportunities, but that's only a minor chink in Piatti's armor. With an average of three shots per match and a goal in nearly two-thirds of his games, Piatti is near Giovinco-levels of cash game necessity, particularly when factoring in price.

Tranquillo Barnetta, PHI v. TOR: I wrote up Barnetta last week as well, but I'd be doing both he and my readers a disservice if I didn't bring him right back. Barnetta is the best combination of safe floor and promising upside of any sub-$7,000 midfielder. Now that Alejandro Bedoya is picking up defensive responsibilities, Barnetta has reprised his role as the Union's no. 10. With six crosses, two shots and two fouls drawn per home match since the beginning of June, Barnetta has been providing strong value as an option just below the upper levels of midfield pricing. On the surface, Toronto FC might look to be an intimidating defense, but they've been playing a majority of their recent fixtures at home and/or against poor opposition. We don't have a Toronto-Philadelphia match to reference yet this season, but my inclination is to trust one of the East's most promising attacks at home, and Barnetta is the hub that connects all of it together.

Nicolas Mezquida, VAN at SKC: With Pedro Morales struggling to find his form this season, Mezquida has been a crucial piece of the Whitecaps' attack. Twice in the past five weeks, he's fired at least six shots towards goal in a single game, a rare feat for a daily fantasy option this cheap. Things simply operate more smoothly when the lively young player is at the center of their speedy wingers, and if Giles Barnes can start putting it together up top, Mezquida will present some of the best and most consistent value among the cheap midfield options. Sporting Kansas City know how to lock things down at home, but they're far from the dominant defensive team we once knew, and the investment isn't crippling if Mezquida is held quiet.

FORWARD

Kei Kamara, NER v. CLB: Call me crazy, but I think there's a significant argument to be made that Kamara provides more value than Sebastian Giovinco this week. He costs $5,100 less and is playing his former team, Columbus Crew SC. Anyone paying attention to the league the past two seasons knows that Kamara is a player who wears his emotions on his sleeve and thrives when motivated. His best game of the year was New England's last match against Columbus during a 3-1 victory and one would reasonably expect another home fixture to treat New England kindly. Despite plenty of fantasy owners feeling disappointed with Kamara this season, he has nine goals in 22 matches and continues to fire off a respectable number of shots. With Drogba and Giovinco drawing attention, I think Kei will be under-owned even in this notable matchup.

Dom Dwyer, SKC v. VAN: Another underrated player this season is Dwyer, who has 12 goals in 23 starts. That's a clip that usually warrants a much higher price. For GPP-focused fantasy players, Dwyer makes for the ultimate boom-or-bust selection given his penchant for scoring multiple goals in a single match. Vancouver's stellar defense from 2015 has turned into a mistake-prone group that have allowed more goals than any Western Conference side. With a two-goal game close in the rearview mirror, Graham Zusi coming back, and Kansas City's midfield getting back to full strength, Dwyer is poised for another noteworthy performance. He could bring elite forward scoring at a fraction of the cost.

Getterson, FCD at RSL: Another week, another void of cheap forward options. Getterson may be one of our only hopes, after receiving a start on the wing for FC Dallas last match. He's still acclimating to the team, but his potential is palpable. A road trip to Rio Tinto Stadium isn't a bad opportunity for the Brazilian, given the vast amounts of space that RSL have a tendency to leave between their defensive and midfield lines. Dallas won't be shy to attack on the road, as they push for the Supporters Shield, and with Mauro Diaz pulling the strings Getterson should find multiple opportunities. Since Dallas play in the late match, you may want to budget for Masato Kudo and then have the option to move down to Jacob Peterson or Getterson. If Oscar Pareja opts for other wingers, such as a talented Michael Barrios, I'd also give them strong consideration.