A FIFA international window sees a condensed Week 17 of MLS Fantasy with just seven games to build your squad around. We do, however, get a microdose of double-game week fun with LAFC playing twice this week! International absences are sure to create some lineup landmines, so keep an eye out for Player Availability Reports to confirm who’s in and who’s out. Let’s dive right in and look at the top plays and values this round.
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Teams on a DGW: LAFC
Goalkeepers
John McCarthy finished with eight points over two games last week despite being lit up by the Houston Dynamo in his last outing. As the only goalkeeper with the potential to earn points in two games, it makes sense to deploy him off the bench to see if LAFC are able to exact revenge on Wednesday.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. John McCarthy | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $7.8 |
2. Joe Willis | NSH | vs. STL | $8.0 |
3. Luis Barraza | NYC | vs. CLB | $7.3 |
4. Tyler Miller | DC | vs. RSL | $7.9 |
5. Patrick Schulte | CLB | at NYC | $6.2 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Earl Edwards Jr. | NE | vs. ORL | $5.0 |
2. Kendall McIntosh | SKC | vs. LAFC | $4.3 |
3. Daniel | SJ | vs. POR | $6.7 |
Defenders
Ryan Hollingshead hit double-digit points over the course of two games in Round 16, and with LAFC looking to right the ship at home against Houston on Wednesday, I’ll be watching for their starting lineup to see which defenders to target. Hollingshead and Diego Palacios each have the ability to stack up big points with the potential to play two games, but with Palacios potentially missing some time on international duty, Hollingshead looks more likely to log big minutes in both matches.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Ryan Hollingshead | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $7.1 |
2. Diego Palacios | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $9.3 |
3. Denil Maldonado | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $7.1 |
4. Jesus Murillo | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $7.1 |
5. Daniel Lovitz | NSH | vs. STL | $9.4 |
6. Donovan Pines | DC | vs. RSL | $10.1 |
7. Rodrigues | SJ | vs. POR | $9.3 |
8. Pedro Santos | CLB | vs. RSL | $7.1 |
9. DeJuan Jones | NE | vs. ORL | $9.7 |
10. Shaq Moore | NSH | vs. STL | $7.1 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Tanner Beason | SJ | vs. POR | $4.0 |
2. Josh Bauer | NSH | vs. STL | $4.1 |
3. Tim Leibold | SKC | vs. LAFC | $5.3 |
Midfielders
Carles Gil led all midfielders with 15 points last round, marking the second time he’s hit that mark over his last three appearances. He’s back to being a fantasy point-producing machine, and with a depleted player pool to pick from, he’s at the top of the priority list this round.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Carles Gil | NE | vs. ORL | $12.0 |
2. Hany Mukhtar | NSH | vs. STL | $14.2 |
3. Mateusz Bogusz | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $6.9 |
4. Cristian Espinoza | SJ | vs. POR | $11.9 |
5. Erik Thommy | SKC | vs. LAFC | $8.8 |
6. Santiago Rodríguez | NYC | vs. CLB | $9.5 |
7. Mateusz Klich | LAFC | vs. RSL | $9.4 |
8. Héctor Herrera | HOU | at LAFC | $10.9 |
9. Evander | POR | at SJ | $9.9 |
10. Ilie Sánchez | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $7.0 |
11. Eduard Löwen | STL | at NSH | $11.2 |
12. Alexandru Matan | CLB | at NYC | $6.9 |
13. Gabriel Pereira | NYC | vs. CLB | $8.3 |
14. Timothy Tillman | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $7.9 |
15. Gadi Kinda | SKC | vs. LAFC | $6.4 |
16. Pablo Ruiz | RSL | at DC | $9.1 |
17. Martín Ojeda | ORL | at NE | $7.4 |
18. Kellyn Acosta | LA | vs. HOU, at SKC | $5.2 |
19. Fafà Picault | NSH | vs. STL | $6.7 |
20. Damir Kreilach | RSL | at DC | $5.4 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Erik Dueñas | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $4.0 |
2. Alfredo Morales | NYC | vs. CLB | $4.7 |
3. Diego Luna | RSL | at DC | $4.0 |
Forwards
Carlos Vela had a Round 16 to forget, notching just three points in a little over 100 minutes in week 16. That lack of production could be enough to scare fantasy managers away, but with LAFC’s attack decimated by international call-ups, Vela will be asked to do the majority of the heavy lifting on the attacking end this round.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Carlos Vela | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $9.0 |
2. Cucho Hernández | CLB | at NYC | $11.3 |
3. Alan Pulido | SKC | vs. LAFC | $7.4 |
4. Christian Benteke | DC | vs. RSL | $9.5 |
5. Dániel Sallói | SKC | vs. LAFC | $8.1 |
6. Bobby Wood | NE | vs. ORL | $7.5 |
7. Jeremy Ebobisse | SKC | vs. POR | $8.7 |
8. Gustavo Bou | NE | vs. ORL | $7.2 |
9. Amine Bassi | HOU | at LAFC | $7.8 |
10. Ercan Kara | ORL | at NE | $8.3 |
1. Stipe Biuk | ATL | vs. HOU, at SKC | $5.1 |
2. Nelson Quiñónes | LAFC | at LAFC | $4.0 |
3. Teal Bunbury | NSH | vs. STL | $5.3 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Carles Gil | NE | vs. ORL | $12.0 |
2. Hany Mukhtar | NSH | vs. STL | $14.2 |
3. Carlos Vela | LAFC | vs. HOU, at SKC | $9.0 |
MLS Squad Pick
Playing MLS Squad Pick is quick and easy. Pick 5 players for your squad. If they all score in the same matchday, you could win a $160 MLSstore.com gift card!
Don’t forget, each round you play gives you one (1) entry into the end-of-season Grand Prize drawing for $10,000!
Expert advice: Check out my squad for Round 19: After going 3/5 last round, I’m sticking to my guns and riding with the hot boots. Cucho Hernández is in the midst of a three-game goal-scoring spree, while Alan Pulido has scored in back-to-back appearances. Hany Mukhtar and Christian Benteke have good home matchups that should see both attackers on the end of multiple chances. My wildcard this week is Gustavo Bou, who rattled off four shots over 65 minutes in his first start since April and should continue to see opportunities in a juicy home clash with Orlando City SC on Saturday.
MLS Parlay Predictor
Playing MLS Parlay Predictor is simple. Pick the results of all 6 games correctly in a single matchday, and you could win a 2023 MLS Season Pass full-season subscription on Apple TV!
Each round you predict gives you one (1) entry into the end-of-season Grand Prize drawing for $10,000!
Expert advice: I went with the home favorite in four of our six predictions last week, and after hitting on four of those six, I’m going all in on the home sides this round. It’s a bold move but one that's not overly crazy given the proven home-field advantage in MLS. The home side won eight of 14 games over the weekend, with just one road team coming away with a win. Let’s ride that trend and see if we can score that MLS Season Pass subscription.
Check out my predictions for Round 19:
