This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
Welcome back to our weekly DraftKings MLS recommendations. We're going to examine two potential winning lineups for this weekend's slate and dive into the strategic side of lineup construction, while still presenting a bundle of great plays to target. Keep in mind that there are countless ways to build a winning DraftKings lineup, and these are just two approaches that I think could pay off.
Lineup No. 11: If It Ain't Broke...
For much of the season, the easiest strategy to turn to has revolved around squeezing three expensive forwards into your lineup. It's a boom-or-bust approach, one that can quickly find you at the bottom of the table if things go wrong or at the top should your targets net a handful of goals (Example: Wednesday night). Although this approach will be used as much as ever among our competition this weekend, we're following the gold rush and hoping to find more than just a flash in the pan.
Six options stick out to me for our "Big Three": Sebastian Giovinco, Chris Wondolowski, Keane, Kamara, Dom Dwyer and Fabian Espindola. The latter of those options will be playing at Toronto, which hasn't been particularly generous for fantasy production of late. I'm going to trim Espindola from the bunch off the bat, despite an always tantalizing upside. Wondolowski is our next cut from consideration, as he's both the second most expensive option and is playing a strong L.A. Galaxy defense. Wondo might be tasked once again with more defensive responsibilities in his new midfield/poacher hybrid role, and that scares me away a bit. That said, if you are looking for a differential, the San Jose side of the usually-crazy California Clasico could be a good calculated risk.
With four left, I'm going to lock in my top two choices of Giovinco and Dwyer. There's not much left to say with Giovinco's barnstorming fantasy streak, but allow me to note that I hope everybody is appreciating that we get to watch him dominate Major League Soccer on a weekly basis, fantasy aspects aside. We knew the skill was there, but he's consistently shown more grit and determination than most other league stars and it has been an absolute joy to witness. Dwyer may come as a bit of a surprise given the other options, but the home match against Colorado is ripe for the picking. The Rapids also played midweek, while Sporting Kansas City rested, which boosts Dwyer even further.
We're left with Keane or Kamara, and I am torn. The opponents both have stiff but beatable defenses and our two targets are similarly on the road after a midweek match. San Jose did not play midweek and Keane's injury is not far enough in the past that I've forgotten it (though he surely looks to be well over it lately). Add the $800 discount to Kamara and I'm sold. That said, Keane was the consensus No. 2 forward in our MLS Weekly Rankings and using either of these top players is a great move.
The rest of our squad falls together fairly easily. Steve Clark is a bargain between the sticks for just $3,400 as DraftKings continues to give a steep discount on away keepers. Cristian Maidana is the exact type of rock solid value we want to grab, and he has all the tools for a big game against the traveling Montreal Impact. Ambroise Oyongo netted a volley midweek that showed off the attacking skill I recently alluded to, and I'm cementing him in my lineup once more. With $8,400 left for a final midfielder and defender, I'm turning to not-so-secret weapon Sebastian Lletget. Bruce Arena has finally handed him the playing time that I, and many others, have been clamoring for and he has rewarded his new boss with a bevy of goals. He plays in the last match of the night, and it might be smart to save $200 so we can pivot to San Jose winger Sheanon Williams fills up our remaining $3,600 too nicely to leave out. The Philadelphia fullbacks look far more active at home, and have been joining the attack with increasing frequency. Montreal is not a particularly large threat to score, so I like Williams' potential at both ends of the pitch this weekend.
Devil's Advocate: Keane could be nearing must-play territory and missing out on him could result in devastating consequences for our bankroll. Our keeper hasn't kept a clean sheet since April 18 and jetting across the country to Salt Lake seems a strange time to expect one, even against a Real Salt Lake side lacking Alvaro Saborio and Javier Morales. Most of the field will be attempting a similar strategy, and ignoring some great mid-tier options, so we'll likely need to have honed in on two of the top three forwards to have a chance at cashing.
Why We'll Win: Giovinco, Dwyer and Kamara! We've grabbed three volume shooters who are always a good bet to grab a goal. Despite passing on Keane, we've still invested in the Los Angeles attack, and for a bargain price! We haven't invested too heavily in any one match, and should one or two picks go poorly, we've got the firepower to pick them up and still be competitive. Overall, this lineup feels well balanced despite a strategy that can quickly get top-heavy.
Lineup No. 2: Stacking Kansas City
I'm less a proponent of stacking players from the same team in MLS fantasy than most. I feel confident in picking successful players across multiple games and spreading out my investments follows a general risk-averse approach that I've found suits my style. That said, there is a time and place to take a chance with a big stack, and Sporting Kansas City is certainly in that position this week versus a lacking Colorado Rapids.
Dwyer gets copied and pasted from Lineup No. 1 thanks to his good chance at a goal in front of the home crowd. His speed will cause problems for a central defensive group that breaks down fairly frequently these days. Krisztian Nemeth also slots in at forward, as he brings the finesse that accompanies Dwyer's explosiveness. Nemeth's price is surprisingly low for a guy who has grabbed 26 and 38 DraftKings points in two of his previous four matches. These guys are rested and get a ragged Colorado team returning from a 2-0 loss to Orlando City SC. In that match, Orlando City's Carlos Rivas looked as good as ever using his quickness on the wing, and Sporting has more proven talents than the struggling purple-clad youngster.
We're not done with Kansas City, as just two players are hardly a true stack! I'm tabbing Graham Zusi for a big game as well, and preferring him to the much more expensive Benny Feilhaber. Zusi's crossing and assist potential, along with that noted advantage on the wing, are particularly enticing, and the US Men's National Team player will be motivated to perform in the lead up to the Gold Cup.
Unsurprisingly, I also like the Sporting defense, and while Tim Melia is over-priced, he's still the best bet for a clean sheet. At 29 years old, the keeper has grabbed hold of his first big opportunity, and really boosted Kansas City's defensive confidence after Luis Marin did his best to tear it down. Jalil Anibaba, Marcel de Jong and Amadou Dia are all fullback options I like, and without knowing which will start I am going to budget for the well-rounded Anibaba and perhaps adjust once we see the lineups (which you can C.J. Sapong and Maidana to fill our remaining offensive spots. I'm notoriously low on the Union in general, but they are fairly heavy favorites at home to Montreal and are in a small run of good form. Sapong quietly has goals in his last four matches, and if anyone is going to set him up it's the slick-passing Maidana. With everyone on a Kansas City stack, Philly can play the part of our differential pick.
Finally, we need a defender from a third team. I like Waylon Francis at RSL, after a seven-cross, one-assist performance Wednesday. Attacking fullbacks feel a bit lacking on this slate, so without paying for the top ones, options are slim. Francis is a good balance of value and potential. Downgrading Anibaba or Melia to afford Jordan Allen or Chris Tierney is a potential twist we can visit as the games get closer to kickoff.
Devil's Advocate: We're putting all of our eggs in one basket, and what is sure to be a popular basket at that. Also, we are trusting the Philadelphia Union, something even their own fans sometimes struggle to do. Melia is a poor value in goal, and the safety he provides isn't really worth paying up for. In fact, if we skimped on keeper and defense, we could (and perhaps should) get a top forward instead of Sapong.
Why We'll Win: This may not be the perfect recipe for success, but it feels like the upside is there along with a safe floor. SKC is one of the few well-rested teams in action and playing in front of perhaps the best crowd in MLS. Maidana and Sapong are great values given their track record, and there's plenty of flexibility if we get cold feet with the Union (Joao Plata) or see a more enticing option arise (Diego Fagundez). We also have the benefit of the safest defensive team on the weekend.
