Fantasy: Week 12 positional rankings

Schuyler Redpath

Reid, Mike and Blayne sit down to break down all the unexpected results from last week’s big double-game week and touch on two of the biggest recent announcements in MLS: Gambling and Rooney. After that they break down the best DGW players to load up on, tip which SGW teams are worth investing in and list their current target players.

Week 12 features two teams playing twice, with the Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes the teams to target if you're looking to double down on points. With several individual matchups worth targeting as well, finding the right mix of double and single-game players will be key.

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Goalkeepers

Fantasy: Week 12 positional rankings - https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/images/4-10-NYC-seanjohn.png

Sean Johnson is a solid single game week choice | USA Today Sports Images

Andrew Tarbell and Brian Rowe are the DGW goalkeepers to target for two shots at a clean sheet, with Sean Johnson and Jimmy Maurer both checking in as strong single game week 'keepers.

Rank	Player	Team	Matchup	Price
1	Andrew Tarbell	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$6.0
2	Brian Rowe	VAN	vs. SJ, at DAL	$4.4
3	Sean Johnson	NYC	vs. COL	$6.2
4	Jimmy Maurer	DAL	vs. VAN	$7.7
5	Andre Blake	PHI	vs. RSL	$6.6
6	Alex Bono	TOR	vs. ORL	$7.2
7	Matt Turner	NE	vs. CLB	$8.0
8	Brad Guzan	ATL	vs. RBNY	$7.4
9	Richard Sanchez	CHI	vs. HOU	$6.8
10	Evan Bush	MTL	vs. LA	$8.6

Defenders

Even though Kendall Waston is nearing a yellow card suspension, he's still worth the risk. | USA Today Images

Full disclosure: Kendall Waston is one yellow card away from suspension, so if he goes into the book on Wednesday we're only getting one game out of him. Despite the risk, he comes with a high ceiling given his knack for getting forward. He flashed his attacking upside in Week 11, scoring a goal on five shots and adding an assist en route to a 13-point round. It's a risky venture, but with just six weeks to go it could be one worth taking to make up some ground in the standings.

Rank	Player	Team	Matchup	Price
1	Kendall Waston	VAN	vs. SJ, at DAL	$5.1
2	Graham Zusi	SKC	at MIN	$10.5
3	Harold Cummings	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$4.7
4	Jose Aja	VAN	vs. SJ, at DAL	$6.7
5	Nick Lima	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$4.8
6	Marcel de Jong	VAN	vs. SJ, at DAL	$4.3
7	Shea Salinas	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$4.0
8	Sean Franklin	VAN	vs. SJ, at DAL	$5.3
9	Auro	TOR	vs. ORL	$5.0
10	Alexander Callens	NYC	vs. COL	$6.7
11	Matt Hedges	DAL	vs. VAN	$8.4
12	Ike Opara	SKC	at MIN	$8.1
13	Anton Tinnerholm	NYC	vs. COL	$6.3
14	Gregory van der Wiel	TOR	vs. ORL	$6.1
15	Ben Sweat	NYC	vs. COL	$6.5
16	Leandro Gonzalez Pirez	ATL	vs. RBNY	$6.2
17	Laurent Ciman	LAFC	at POR	$9.8
18	Anton Nedyalkov	DAL	vs. VAN	$8.5
19	Harrison Afful	CLB	at NE	$6.8
20	Kevin Ellis	CHI	vs. HOU	$5.7

Midfielders

Fantasy: Week 12 positional rankings - https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/images/USATSI_10202329.jpg

A double-game week that includes a visit Saturday from struggling D.C. United makes Earthquakes talisman Vako a strong play | USA Today Sports Images

There's no clear cut No.1 this week, but it's the San Jose midfielders that stick out as the ones to target with a winnable game at Vancouver and a good matchup at home versus D.C. A case could be made for either of them to top double figures in Week 12, with set-piece duty bumping Magnus Eriksson and Vako slightly ahead of the pack.

Rank	Player	Team	Matchup	Price
1	Magnus Eriksson	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$9.6
2	Vako	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$8.7
3	Danny Hoesen	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$7.9
4	Florian Jungwirth	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$8.7
5	Felipe	VAN	vs. SJ, at DAL	$7.2
6	Anibal Godoy	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$7.7
7	Alphonso Davies	VAN	vs. SJ, at DAL	$5.9
8	Miguel Almiron	ATL	vs. RBNY	$14.3
9	Ignacio Piatti	MTL	vs. LA	$13.2
10	Maximiliano Moralez	NYC	vs. COL	$11.1
11	Mauro Díaz	DAL	vs. VAN	$10.4
12	Victor Vazquez	TOR	vs. ORL	$9.9
13	Diego Valeri	POR	vs. LAFC	$11.0
14	Romain Alessandrini	LA	at MTL	$8.2
15	Johnny Russell	SKC	at MIN	$10.5
16	Jonathan Osorio	TOR	vs. ORL	$7.9
17	Kaku	RBNY	at ATL	$10.3
18	Federico Higuain	CLB	at NE	$9.7
19	Aleksandar Katai	CHI	vs. HOU	$7.3
20	Alexander Ring	NYC	vs. COL	$10.0
21	Ezequiel Barco	ATL	vs. RBNY	$8.3
22	Ager Aketxe	TOR	vs. ORL	$6.7
23	Yangel Herrera	NYC	vs. COL	$7.6
24	Saphir Taider	MTL	vs. LA	$7.3
25	Daniel Salloi	SKC	at MIN	$9.0
26	Haris Medunjanin	PHI	vs. RSL	$8.6
27	Albert Rusnak	RSL	at PHI	$10.5
28	Roland Lamah	DAL	vs. VAN	$10.3
29	Sacha Kljestan	ORL	at TOR	$11.0
30	Teal Bunbury	NE	vs. CLB	$8.7

Forwards

Fantasy: Week 12 positional rankings - https://league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/images/KeiKamara%20solo-CLB-VAN-3.31.18.jpg

Kei Kamara has shown signs of breaking through for the first time since March and is also on a double game week | USA Today Images

Kei Kamara and Chris Wondolowski are the two DGW forwards that can realistically be given consideration in Week 12, with several single-game forwards boasting good matchups to target as well. Kamara has has taken four shots in each of his last two games and has a goal or an assist in five of the six games he has started this season.

Rank	Player	Team	Matchup	Price
1	Kei Kamara	VAN	vs. SJ, at DAL	$9.1
2	David Villa	NYC	vs. COL	$10.3
3	Carlos Vela	LAFC	at POR	$13.2
4	Josef Martinez	ATL	vs. RBNY	$9.7
5	Chris Wondolowski	SJ	at VAN, vs. DC	$5.7
6	Maximiliano Urruti	DAL	vs. VAN	$8.1
7	Nemanja Nikolic	CHI	vs. HOU	$11.5
8	Darwin Quintero	MIN	vs. SKC	$9.7
9	Bradley Wright-Phillips	RBNY	at ATL	$11.9
10	Diego Rossi	LAFC	at POR	$11.5
11	Cristian Penilla	NE	vs. CLB	$9.7
12	Anthony Blondell	VAN	vs. SJ, VAN at DAL	$4.7
13	Ismael Tajouri-Shradi	NYC	vs. COL	$8.0
14	Alberth Elis	HOU	at CHI	$10.4
15	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	LA	at MTL	$9.2
16	Gyasi Zardes	CLB	at NE	$8.3
17	Jo Inge Berget	NYC	vs. COL	$5.5
18	Jordan Hamilton	TOR	vs. ORL	$5.3
19	Dom Dwyer	ORL	at TOR	$11.0
20	Fanendo Adi	POR	vs. LAFC	$7.7