Sorare MLS: Deke's Diamonds GW 477

This article is part of our Sorare series.

It was a DNP-fest and mostly letdown for Wednesday's matches. Midweeks are never fun in MLS, as there are always some wild rotations that no one can see coming. Cucho Hernandez, Lionel Messi and other stars all rested, which made it tough to get five starters out of a lineup.

Of course, I'm running it right back with another full slate on the weekend. Again, tread lightly, as you never know who will get rotated with three fixtures in a span of 13 days.

Last (Mid)Week's Results

Elite Options

GK: Brad Stuver (92.3 - CS), Roman Celentano (74.0 - CS), Chris Brady (34.9)

DF: Kai Wagner (67.7), Aaron Herrera (27.7), Miles Robinson (77.4)

MF: Luciano Acosta (77.4 - A), Ryan Gauld (51.9), Hany Mukhtar (50.7), Evander* (89.2 - G/A)

FW: Julian Carranza (67.3 - G), Lionel Messi (DNP), Cristian Arango (52.2)

Value Options

GK: Joe Willis (74.1 - CS), Maxime Crepeau (36.5), Alex Bono (32.2)

DF: Justen Glad (57.2), Kamal Miller (30.2), Joel Waterman (56.0)

MF: Robin Lod (73.9 - A), Sebastian Driussi (75.0 - G), Yuya Kubo (44.4)

FW: Jacob Shaffelburg (38.3), Felipe Mora (66.9 - G), Hugo Cuypers (41.6)

Sorare GW 477 // MLS Week 13

Let's start this gameweek by using the RotoWire Cheatsheets to see the best matchups.

1. Inter Miami 63.29% vs. DC United
2. Houston Dynamo 57.80% vs. FC Dallas
3. Real Salt Lake 57.80% vs. Colorado
4. Minnesota United 57.47% vs. Portland
5. FC Cincinnati 56.18% vs. St. Louis

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said, "The plan is for him to play, but we will take it day by day" when asked about Lionel Messi's status for the weekend. Now, does that mean coming off the bench for some minutes or starting from the get-go? Either way, Inter Miami are the biggest favorite on the slate by a wide margin. Houston, RSL and Minnesota are all favorites in the West, with FC Cincinnati representing the East against St. Louis. With some heavy midweek rotation, there should be some rested legs for some players and some fatigued legs for others, with most playing three matches in 13 days.

Note: Prices are for limited cards as of Thursday, May 16. The scarcities are Limited (/1000), Rare (/100), Super Rare (/10), and Unique (1/1). 

Elite Options

Goalkeepers

•  Brad Stuver (ATX) $24.44 vs. Sporting KC

I will continue to ride Stuver, as he is in scintillating form. The price has gone bonkers (116-percent rise in the past month), but with his current form, it is warranted. Stuver is in another great spot, facing a Sporting KC side with a ton of questions after coach Peter Vermes ripped the team after the loss to Houston last weekend.

Honorable Mention: Dayne St. Clair (MIN) $20.08 vs. Portland; Matt Freese (NYC) $34.77 vs. RBNY

Defenders

• Kai Wagner (PHI) $49.02 at New England

Finding truly "elite" defenders in MLS is tough, as most teams don't spend up on defense. I try to find different options instead of just taking Wagner every week, but he's the clear top option on this slate. Wagner had 32.7 AA in the midweek and should have had multiple decisives. He put in three or four tremendous balls that Julian Carranza and company couldn't finish in the loss. A road matchup in New England doesn't scare me off Wagner having a great match.

Honorable Mention: Malte Amundsen (CLB) $23.46 at Chicago; Julian Aude (LAG) $13.99 at Charlotte

Midfielders

• Aidan Morris (CLB) $49.92 at Chicago

Morris is a great play regardless of the matchup, week in and week out. In six away matches, Morris has scored 60-plus in every match. His defensive work rate in the midfield almost locks him in for 25-plus AA. His upside hasn't been as prevalent on the road, but an outside chance exists against a poor Chicago Fire side.

Honorable Mention: Carles Gil (NE) $37.29 vs. Philadelphia; Luciano Acosta (CIN) $60.14 vs. St. Louis

Forwards

• Cristian Arango (RSL) $46.81 vs. Colorado

Chicho came back to Earth, failing to bag a decisive last match. This was the first time he didn't have a decisive in five matches. His 17.2 AA after having 20.6 AA the previous match impressed me, especially coming from the forward position. If he can continue to have 15-plus AA, Arango will be one of the must-have forwards of the summer (outside of Messi). This weekend, it's a solid home matchup against Colorado and I expect Arango to get back in the scoring column.

Honorable Mention: Cucho Hernandez (CLB) $58.73 at Chicago; Luis Suarez (MIA) $56.35 vs. DC

Value Options

Goalkeepers

• Steve Clark (HOU) $16.19 vs. Dallas

Houston take on FC Dallas in the Texas Derby on Saturday. While FC Dallas are coming off a much-needed victory over rival Austin, they will still be up against it at Shell Energy Stadium. Jesus Ferreira's return is huge. He and Petar Musa played well off each other in the last match. This is a different task, though, heading on the road. Clark and Houston have the best clean sheet implied odds on the slate at above 45 percent. Pair that with his ability to generate AA and you have a safe floor play with upside.

Honorable Mention Zac MacMath (RSL) $18.28 vs. Colorado; Drake Callender (MIA) $18.58 vs. DC

Defenders

• Micael (HOU) $9.66 vs. Dallas

If you're looking for a GK/DF pairing, look no further than Micael to pair with Clark. Micael played 29 minutes off the bench in the midweek as he was rotated with the fixture congestion. He will be fresh in this match and is coming off performances of 40.3 and 25.56 AA. With a solid chance at a 10-point clean sheet bonus, I like the Dynamo defensive combo.

Honorable Mention: Brayan Vera (RSL) $2.36 vs. Colorado; DJ Taylor (MIN) $1.85 vs. Portland

Midfielders

• Federico Bernardeschi (TOR) $7.52 vs. Montreal

Toronto were missing several players when they lost to Nashville in the midweek. Bernardeschi was suspended for a second yellow, not the scuffle at the end of the match, so he doesn't have to worry about further discipline. A fresh, in-form Bernardeschi in a rivalry match against Montreal has all the makings of a big score. I prefer the forward card, but at a cheaper price point for the midfielder version, Bernardeschi is a great option.

Honorable Mention: Joao Paulo (SEA) $6.32 vs. Vancouver; Deybi Flores (TOR) $5.77 vs. Montreal

Forwards

• Luis Muriel (ORL) $6.82 vs. San Jose

Muriel and Duncan McGuire have started back-to-back matches, so there could be rotation for one of them. If Muriel starts, he's a great play. Muriel found his shooting boots against Philadelphia, scoring twice in his 92.4 SO5 output. He didn't provide a decisive last match against Inter Miami, but he still had 18.1 AA, even with a yellow card. As Muriel gets increasingly settled in MLS, I believe he can put together a solid run of form and become a viable forward in the summer months.

Honorable Mention: Diego Rubio (ATX) $7.45 vs. Sporting KC; Yuya Kubo (CIN) $3.88 vs. St. Louis

Deke's Optimal Lineup

Last GW optimal lineup:

Brad Stuver 92.3, Kai Wagner 67.7, Luciano Acosta 77.4, 
Julian Carranza 67.3, Lionel Messi 0

Raw Score: 304.7
 

Score with 5% XP & Acosta 50% Captain: 358.64

GW 475 Optimal Lineup