MLS Fantasy Strategies: Preparing for the Round 8 DGW

MUST-HAVES

David Villa ($11.2m)
Villa leads the league in shots (40) and gets two cracks at finding the back of the net with a pair of home games in Round 8. Hat-trick potential looms anytime Villa takes the field, and he will be a popular captain play this round.

Ignacio Piatti ($10.5m)
Piatti is the highest scoring midfielder in the game and is already owned by 42.5 percent of all fantasy managers. If you don't already have him you're risking losing valuable ground to what will likely be at least half of all teams in the overall standings. A healthy Didier Drogba back in the mix should open up even more opportunities for the Impact danger man.

THE OTHERS

Forwards

Didier Drogba ($11.4m)
He'll cost you more than Villa, but as long as he's on the field he offers just as much upside. The potential is there for another Yankee Stadium goal-fest Wednesday and if it happens you can count on Drobga to be involved. Considering he played the full 90 minutes over the weekend, it's doubtful that he goes the full 180 minutes this DGW.

Dom Dwyer ($10.2m)
Dwyer scored a goal in the Round 6 DGW and has four points in each of his last two games. Sporting KC will play five games over the next three rounds, including another DGW in Round 10.

Fanendo Adi ($10.2m)
Adi is in fine form and also benefits from DGWs in Rounds 8 and 10. The Nigerian striker is up to six goals on the season and looks set to make a run at the 2016 Golden Boot.

Other Forwards to Consider: Octavio Rivero (Vancouver Whitecaps, $8.0m), Kekuta Manneh (Vancouver Whitecaps, $8.3m), Dominic Oduro (Montreal Impact, $7.4m)

Midfielders

Lee Nguyen ($11.1m)
Nguyen is my favorite midfield play of Round 8 and if not for his price tag and Piatti's extremely high ownership, he would've also gotten a mention in the "Must-Haves" section above. With usual set-piece taker Chris Tierney (hamstring) out injured, expect Nguyen to see an uptick in opportunities to contribute through corner kicks and free kicks. He's still in the conversation for the U.S. Men's National Team and is auditioning for a spot on the Copa America roster.

Benny Feilhaber ($10.9m)
Feilhaber has a goal or an assist in three of the four games he has started since returning from injury. He's looked sharp and is always a strong option on a DGW. Expect his minutes to be in line with what we saw in Round 6 (135 out of a potential 180).

Other Midfielders to Consider: Diego Fagundez (New England Revolution, $8.1), Cristian Techera (Vancouver Whitecaps, $8.2m), Graham Zusi (Sporting KC; $10.1m), Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution; $9.1m), Pedro Morales (Vancouver Whitecaps; $10.9m)

Defenders

Jordan Harvey ($7.2m)
There aren't many defenders that jump off the board but Harvey is worthy of a roster spot considering the Whitecaps also have a DGW in Round 10. Harvey had 15 points in Round 7 thanks to a goal, a clean sheet and a bevy of defensive bonus points. That was good enough for a spot on the Dream Team, and he's the most transferred player of Round 8.

London Woodberry ($5.0m)
Woodberry is in line to start at leftback in place of Chris Tierney. The severity of the injury is unknown but I'm guessing Tierney misses both games in Round 8. At $5.0m Woodberry provides some much needed bankroll relief with a favorable home-heavy schedule over the next several rounds.

Other Defenders to Consider: Ronald Matarrita (New York City FC, $7.6m), Nuno Coehlo (Sporting Kansas City, $7.9m), Fraser Aird (Vancouver Whitecaps, $6.5m), Jermaine Taylor (Portland Timbers, $6.3m), Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps, $6.6m)

Goalkeepers

Bobby Shuttleworth ($5.8m)
Shuttleworth is at the top of the goalkeeper heap with 45 points, and he has a pair of home games in Round 8. In fact, the Revs play five of their next six at home, where Shuttleworth has let in just one goal and kept a clean sheet in two of three this season.

Jake Gleeson ($4.5m):
Usual starter Adam Kwarasey is set to miss the next several weeks with a finger injury, shifting Gleeson into the starting XI. With two DGWs over the next three rounds, Gleeson is a viable option at a bargain bin price.

Other Goalkeepers to Consider: David Ousted (Vancouver Whitecaps, $6.1m), Tim Melia (Sporting KC, $5.6m), Josh Saunders (New York City FC, $5.0m)