MLS Fantasy Rankings: Week 9

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Published on April 24, 2019

The rankings below are based on Major League Soccer's official fantasy game and cover all games in Week 9. While they can be used for DFS purposes, they are done with a focus on the league's season-long game.

If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below, or hit up JD on Twitter @dfsMLS.

Forwards
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	LA at MIN, v. RSL	13.2	Both Minnesota and RSL are in the bottom third of goals allowed and expected goals allowed per game. Minnesota will likely be without Opara, Calvo, and Gregus. Zlatan's xG per match is significantly higher than Carlos Vela's (thanks in part to four penalty kicks).
2	Carlos Darwin Quintero	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	12.4	For me, Quintero is the only challenger to Zlatan for top forward this week. He also takes penalties, both of his matches are at home, and Minnesota have found themselves in shootouts lately.
3	Angelo Rodriguez	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	8.2	It's always wise to diversify your fantasy player portfolio, but Angelo's recent performances are really making me consider two Minnesota forwards.
4	Heber Araujo dos Santos	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	7.8	Heber's presence in the NYCFC attack has been a game changer already. He'll need help from his teammates - as I'm not sure he's a player who can singlehandedly shred defenses - but few MLS players are. With Mitrita ailing, Tajouri-Shradi questionable, and Dome Torrent constantly tinkering with the lineup, Heber is not the surest bet this week but he's an incredible value with a high ceiling.
5	Wayne Rooney	DCU at CLB, at MIN	10.7	These two road games don't come at a good time for a struggling DC United side that look a little tired. Rooney actually finds himself as a somewhat of an under-the-radar play this week and I think it could work out. The cap hit might be a bit too stiff for me to squeeze him in, though.
6	Jordan Morris	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	7.9	With Ruidiaz and Will Bruin both on the mend, it looks like Morris may be the central forward against a San Jose team that is improved but still defensively suspect. Morris hasn't been delivering the points but he's intriguing at the least here with two home fixtures.
7	Nemanja Nikolic	CHI at NYC, at MTL	8.7
8	Gyasi Zardes	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	8.8	I might be a little lower on him than most this week, but neither of Zardes' matches strike me as great opportunities and he is a very one-dimensional fantasy player. Combinations with more upside AND more safety can be found elsewhere this week.
9	Danny Hoesen	SJ at SEA, at DAL	6.9	His recent goals have shown what he and the Earthquakes can do on the counter, which just so happens to be exactly how San Jose will probably have to attack in these road games. I'm staying away given the other options, but the price is cheap and the player is quality.
10	Maximiliano Urruti	MTL at NE, v. CHI	7.4
11	Valentin Castellanos	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	7.2	After resting a match due to a concussion, Taty could reprise his starring role from the Minnesota match. He'll make for an enticing option for a bench spot if he starts on Wednesday.
12	C.J. Sapong	CHI at NYC, at MTL	8.9
13	Cristian Espinoza	SJ at SEA, at DAL	8.9	Two road games and a lack of bonus points from a winger make Espinoza a shaky fantasy bet for me. He's good, but maybe not 'third forward for a double game week' good.
14	Carlos Vela	LAFC at SEA	14.3	You might think that Vela is squarely in play despite just one match, but even his high 11.44 pt average wouldn't automatically surpass two games from a mid-level forward like C.J. Sapong who is averaging 6.43. Take your chances with a player who could play 150+ minutes instead of an expensive Vela.
15	Cristian Penilla	NE v. MTL, at SKC	7.0	Brad Friedel, the mad sad scientist, hasn't consistently handed consecutive starts to Penilla even once this year. Why would we expect him to properly utilize his best player now?
16	Romario Ibarra	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	7.5	Better fixtures than the middling DGW forwards below here. Probably will see 90-120 minutes.
17	Juan Caicedo	NE v. MTL, at SKC	6.3
18	Harry Novillo	MTL at NE, v. CHI	7.7
19	Josef Martinez	ATL v. COL	9.5	Nemeth and Elis stand out as other good single game week options, if necessary. Jesus Fereira is cheap and on quite the hot streak as well.
20	Teal Bunbury	NE v. MTL, at SKC	5.7

Midfielders
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Maximiliano Moralez	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	9.7	We're not talking last year's Maxi and Lodeiro, but both are still high quality players with two home matches. Maxi has three key passes and six shots in two away games since returning from injury, while Lodeiro has the same in his past three starts (two at home).
2	Nicolas Lodeiro	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	11.5	One factor in favor of Lodeiro over Maxi might be penalty kicks, as he's proven a reliable taker and Maxi missed his last week (though I expect him to remain the taker). San Jose have given up a healthy number of pks this season.
3	Carles Gil	NE v. MTL, at SKC	10.6	Montreal seem set up to have a pretty dismal match at New England and if Gil can take advantage, I'll be totally happy with just the 3-4 points we can expect in Kansas City.
4	Jonathan dos Santos	LA at MIN, v. RSL	10.4	With just one goal and an assist, JdS is still averaging nearly 7.5 pts per game. He also has been on the field for every minute of every game this year. Last week he earned a whopping 8 bonus points in one match alone!
5	Cristian Roldan	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	10.0	Lodeiro has burned some people this year, so I get it if you'd rather go for the ultra-consistent Roldan. I'll go for the upside and penalty taker, though.
6	Alexander Ring	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	8.9	I'm probably using two of my NYC spots for players on the defensive side, but Ring makes for an appealing mid-price option.
7	Luciano Acosta	DCU at CLB, at MIN	10.3	He's not influencing the game as much as we'd like, but he is still bringing decent point hauls with considerable upside.
8	Nicolas Gaitan	CHI at NYC, at MTL	9.2	He broke out against the Rapids but can he go on the road and unlock two tougher defenses? Will he get a full compliment of minutes when Chicago have other attacking options? There's some uncertainty here but I like Gaitan this week.
9	Aleksandar Katai	CHI at NYC, at MTL	8.3	Katai has taken 15 shots in his last two matches. Probably not happening with two road games here, but it's safe to say he's feeling good lately.
10	Victor Rodriguez	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	8.9
11	Pedro Santos	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	8.6
12	Osvaldo Alonso	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	8.4	Both age and matchup put Ozzie a little below the other defensive or all-around midfielders above (JdS, Roldan, Ring).
13	Federico Higuain	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	8.1	Pipa's output just isn't rapid enough for me to be enticed anymore unless the matchup is very favorable. Still a quality player, but lacking the things that earn us fantasy points on a consistent basis.
14	Saphir Taider	MTL at NE, v. CHI	10.8	Even though these rankings are out the day of the game, it still remains to be seen whether Taider is healthy enough to start the first match. We'll get to see the lineup before all games kickoff and I'd bump him up to 7-8th if he's in the starting eleven.
15	Gustav Svensson	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	7.9
16	Artur	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	8.1
17	Ethan Finlay	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	5.0	Finlay is an incredible value on a team that will need goals to keep up with the opponents, but there's a chance he may not start both matches. Two home games and ~120 minutes for a $5.0 player is nice though.
18	Alejandro Pozuelo	TOR v. POR	12.0	Pozuelo won't have Jozy but let's not overreact, he's still one of MLS's best. Playing just one game, albeit a good matchup, I'm inclined to look elsewhere and not overthink things.
19	Dax McCarty	CHI at NYC, at MTL	8.5
20	Wil Trapp	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	7.7

Defenders
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Alexander Callens	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	7.3	Callens is just recently back from injury, but I assume the ironman will be suiting up for both of these games.
2	Maxime Chanot	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	7.6	New York's defensive back three with Callens, Chanot, and James Sands behind Ring and Ofori has proven tough to break down. It's fair to expect at least one clean sheet from them this week.
3	Anton Tinnerholm	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	7.1	NYCFC don't have much coverage at right back, which makes Tinnerholm a far safer fantasy start than Matarrita.
4	Kim Kee-Hee	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	7.0	Assuming Chad Marshall is back in the lineup rather than the woeful Roman Torres, Seattle should have a good shot to keep San Jose off the board. They'll also want to prove they're a better team than they showed last week during this week's rematch against LAFC.
5	Kelvin Leerdam	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	7.9
6	Brad Smith	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	7.8	With the congested schedule, Nouhou could nab a start from Smith.
7	Chad Marshall	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	8.0	Rested or injured last match? It's not entirely clear but the steady Marshall would be a fine albeit expensive fantasy play.
8	Romain Metanire	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	7.4	Minnesota have given up two or more goals in 5/7 matches and even with both of this week's games being at home, a clean sheet is unlikely. Both Calvo and Gregus are out for the first leg and Opara may not be back either. Metanire makes up for all of this with some offensive output, but it's not enough to rank him any higher than this.
9	Jonathan Mensah	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	8.3
10	Zakaria Diallo	MTL at NE, v. CHI	7.1	Montreal are due to sit back and bunker in at least one of these games, but probably both. I wouldn't bet against them stealing a clean sheet and I certainly wouldn't bet against Diallo racking up bonus points.
11	Gaston Sauro	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	6.6	Sauro feels like more of a rotation risk than Mensah, but his price is better and attacking output sure has been as well. Columbus have a fairly neutral DGW schedule.
12	Daniel Lovitz	MTL at NE, v. CHI	6.6	Lovitz is the only other Montreal defender I'm confident in starting both games. Raitala could always bump out to the left, but seems to be settling in at centerback for Remi Garde.
13	Steve Birnbaum	DCU at CLB, at MIN	8.8	Pretty expensive for two road matches against solid teams.
14	Ronald Matarrita	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	6.3	I'm fully aware he's played three straigh full 90 minutes. I'd be shocked if he starts both of the next two, but if you think he will then bump him near the top of my rankings.
15	Jorgen Skjelvik	LA at MIN, v. RSL	6.4
16	Waylon Francis	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	6.9
17	Andrew Farrell	NE v. MTL, at SKC	6.5	The initial home fixture against Montreal sans Piatti (probably) and Taider (possibly) is actually pretty appealing and would put several Revs defenders in play as bench options. Farrell is the most likely, in my eyes, to go 180 minutes.
18	Marcelo	CHI at NYC, at MTL	5.6
19	Shea Salinas	SJ at SEA, at DAL	5.4	Good production and playing higher up the field, but this is not an easy pair of games coming up.
20	Michael Boxall	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	5.4

Goalkeepers
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Sean Johnson	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	6.8	Not the best on this list talent wise, but he has the best matchups and both are at home.
2	Stefan Frei	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	7.7	Frei or Vega will need to be the second keeper in any DGW keeperoos. It's pretty clear who is the better bet of those two.
3	Zack Steffen	CLB v. DCU, at HOU	8.5	With DC struggling, Columbus could have a good start to their week, but 8.5 is a hefty price to pay for only an ok set of matchups.
4	Evan Bush	MTL at NE, v. CHI	6.4	If Sean Johnson were off the board, I'd really be thinking about using Bush after factoring price and opportunity cost (getting three other Seattle players outside of Frei).
5	David Bingham	LA at MIN, v. RSL	6.5	At a hampered Minnesota side and RSL at home? That's not bad.
6	Bill Hamid	DCU at CLB, at MIN	8.1
7	Cody Cropper	NE v. MTL, at SKC	4.8
8	Vito Mannone	NE v. MTL, at SKC	6.4	Sorry guys, but geographic location won't fix their defense or Mannone's personal limitations.
9	David Ousted	CHI at NYC, at MTL	5.4	Not a bad pair of road fixtures. I think Ousted and Chicago could surprise, but ended up bumping him just a hair below Mannone and Cropper.
10	Daniel Vega	SJ at SEA, at DAL	5.0

Value Rankings
(forwards and midfielders under $7.5, defenders under $6.0; not ranked above)
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Djordje Mihailovic	CHI at NYC, at MTL	6.9
2	Joe Corona	LA at MIN, v. RSL	7.2
3	Sebastian Lletget	LA at MIN, v. RSL	6.9	He's been really disappointing lately but we also know what he's capable of.
4	James Sands	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	6.9	Playing in the defense, this isn't the most appealing midfield option, but he's a cheap source of points.
5	Jackson Yueill	NE v. MTL, at SKC	5.9	If you are strapped for budget, Yueill should be very much in your bench plans this week.
6	Luis Alberto Caicedo	NE v. MTL, at SKC	5.2
7	Giancarlo Gonzalez	LA at MIN, v. RSL	5.2	Either Gonzalez or Araujo will be a good budget option this week, depending on how the Galaxy line up.
8	Diego Fagundez	NE v. MTL, at SKC	5.7
9	Juan Agudelo	NE v. MTL, at SKC	4.8
10	Rasmus Schuller	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	5.2

Captain Rankings
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	LA at MIN, v. RSL	13.2	Thanks to Lodeiro slumping and Maxi being a little quieter this season, this is a relatively easy call for me. Not near Vela-last-week easy, but not hard.
2	Carlos Darwin Quintero	MIN v. LA, v. DCU	12.4	If you're always harping on home games > road games, please go ahead and take Darwin > Zlatan this week! (Seriously though, he's also a very quality option).
3	Maximiliano Moralez	NYC v. CHI, v. ORL	9.7	I need more goal scoring potential from my captain, but if Maxi retains pks after this week's miss, he's a solid pick.
4	Nicolas Lodeiro	SEA v. SJ, v. LAFC	11.5	Rare chance to captain Lodeiro in a good spot when nobody else will, but is this current version worth the risk?
5	Carles Gil	NE v. MTL, at SKC	10.6	Putting the chickens largely in one basket here and betting on a big first match from Gil.