The summer of soccer is in full swing, with international tournaments commencing and a full weekend of Major League Soccer kicking off on Friday. Round 17 of MLS Fantasy starts with Friday’s clash between New York City and Columbus (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV - Free), so let’s get right back into it with the top plays and values to help your team pile up the points this weekend.
Teams on a BYE: POR
Get more advice on the *MLS Fantasy Insider Round 17 preview* podcast.
Goalkeepers
Kristijan Kahlina and Charlotte FC kept an eye-popping five clean sheets in the month of May. They’ve come back down to earth after conceding five goals across their last two road matches, but they’re back home in Round 17 where they haven’t conceded a goal in nearly 400 consecutive minutes.
Keeperoo klaxon! With Charlotte playing on the early slate Saturday, I plan on firing up the “Keeperoo” to have two swings at collecting clean sheet points. To execute, I’ll have Kahlina on my bench and an inactive Portland GK in my starting XI. If Charlotte keep the shutout - we do nothing and watch the points autosub in. If Kahlina concedes - I’ll plan to pivot to either Zack Steffen (COL) or John McCarthy (LA), who also have favorable home matchups in the late slate.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Kristijan Kahlina | CLT | vs. DC | $7.7 |
2. Ryan Meara | RBNY | vs. NSH | $6.0 |
3. Zack Steffen | COL | vs. ATX | $6.0 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Will Yarbrough | SJ | vs. CIN | $4.1 |
Defenders
Kai Wagner flashed his attacking upside in Round 15’s 2-2 draw with CF Montréal. The wingback whipped in a whopping 21 crosses and created eight chances, generating eight bonus points from those attacking actions alone. The Union host an Inter Miami side that boasts the highest scoring attack in MLS, and even without the services of Lionel Messi we could see a high-octane match ensue. Look for Wagner to continue to produce in a matchup that opens up multiple avenues for fantasy points.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Kai Wagner | PHI | vs. MIA | $10.7 |
2. Adilson Malanda | CLT | vs. DC | $8.2 |
3. Brooks Lennon | ATL | vs. HOU | $8.7 |
4. Maya Yoshida | LA | vs. SKC | $9.7 |
5. Sam Junqua | DAL | vs. STL | $6.9 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. John Tolkin | RBNY | vs. NSH | $5.8 |
2. Dave Romney | NE | vs. VAN | $5.6 |
Midfielders
Riqui Puig has scored or assisted in five of his last six appearances, and he’s topped double-digit fantasy points in three straight. Up next the Galaxy host a road weary Sporting Kansas City side that have given up multiple goals in each of their last three road fixtures.
The Spaniard’s fine run of form combined with the superb matchup versus SKC also sees Puig at the top of my Captain rankings for Round 17.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Riqui Puig | LA | vs. SKC | $14.9 |
2. Luciano Acosta | CIN | at SJ | $15.5 |
3. Carles Gil | NE | vs. VAN | $13.5 |
4. Thiago Almada | ATL | vs. HOU | $12.6 |
5. Ryan Gauld | VAN | at NE | $12.7 |
6. Carlos Gomez | RSL | at MTL | $11.8 |
7. Emil Forsberg | RBNY | vs. NSH | $11.4 |
8. Djordje Mihailovic | COL | vs. ATX | $10.8 |
9. Santiago Rodriguez | NYC | vs. CLB | $11.9 |
10. Daniel Gazdag | PHI | vs. MIA | $11.7 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Derrick Etienne Jr. | TOR | vs. CHI | $4.9 |
2. Dylan Borrero | NE | vs. VAN | $6.0 |
3. Bryce Duke | MTL | vs. RSL | $5.5 |
Forwards
Chicho Arango exploded for a hat trick and 22 points in Round 15 and now he’s up against a CF Montréal side that have conceded the second-most goals in Major League Soccer (35). He’s firing off shots at will, with 8, 7, and 6 shots respectively across each of his last three starts. The Colombian talisman is in scintillating form to the point where he’s a must-play regardless of matchup, at home or on the road.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Cristian Arango | RSL | at MTL | $15.2 |
2. Dejan Joveljic | LA | vs. SKC | $10.4 |
3. Lorenzo Insigne | TOR | vs. CHI | $8.9 |
4. Denis Bouanga | LAFC | at ORL | $14.9 |
5. Cucho Hernandez | CLB | at NYC | $10.8 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Luis Muriel | ORL | vs. LAFC | $6.4 |
2. Elias Manoel | RBNY | vs. NSH | $5.0 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
1. Riqui Puig | LA | vs. SKC | $14.9 |
2. Cristian Arango | RSL | at MTL | $15.2 |
3. Luciano Acosta | CIN | at SJ | $15.5 |
MLS Pick’em Round 17
Pick’em advice:
- Pick 3: Who is going to win? Colorado Rapids vs. Austin FC
Colorado Rapids – The Rapids are in a good spot to right the ship after going winless in their last four contests. The oddsmakers have Colorado as the second biggest favorite on the slate against an Austin side that have just one win in eight road matches this season. All signs point to a "get right game" at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday.
- Pick 4: Will both teams score? LA Galaxy vs. Sporting KC
Yes – Both teams have scored in all but one of the seven matches the LA Galaxy have hosted this season, and there’s reason to believe that trend continues with Sporting Kansas City in town. Both teams have scored in six straight matches involving SKC, and after nailing our pick in SEAvSKC last round, I’m going to continue to ride the both teams score wave in Round 17.
