MLS Daily Plays: Saturday July 25th
Welcome to another week of MLS picks, this week we have five games Saturday and three games Sunday. This article will focus on the Saturday slate, but I’ll give some “extra picks” for Sunday as well.
With summer winding down, we’re starting to see the cream rise to the top in MLS and with the USMNT done with their Gold Cup obligations very soon we’ll be seeing all those players return (probably next week) so we still have another week of teams missing some key components of their offense/defense and having to rely on some reserves. As usual be cognizant of squad rotations especially with some teams still involved in the US Open Cup midweek matches, that can tend to some players being fatigued. Also be cognizant of the weather as that can have an effect on how games are played and what strategy the managers choose to employ. As per the usual, watch for the starting XI to come out an hour before kickoff of each match. So let’s get into the plays.
Goalkeeper
Evan Bush, Montreal $4,500 – With Seattle missing a good number of their top players including Clint Dempsey, Brad Evans, Obefami Martins and Marco Pappa, this makes Evan Bush very appealing for me today. Montreal is expected to be an easy winner today, with the biggest odds in their favor on the weekend. Also, Seattle is in a funk right now after losing five of their last six matches. I like Bush as a safe goalkeeper play for both GPPs and Cash games.
Steve Clark, Columbus Crew $5,300 – If you want to go a little contrarian with your goalkeeper option then Steve Clark might be the way to go. Facing Toronto is always a scary proposition for any goalkeeper as Sebastian Giovinco is one of the top strikers in the league, which makes Clark’s job cut out for him this evening. What Clark has going for him in this matchup is his team is favorite to win and with Giovinco being a prolific shooter which gives Clark plenty of saves which would compensate for any potential goals scored against him.
Other Goalkeepers I Like (Saturday): Brian Rowe (LA Galaxy, $5,800), Dan Kennedy (FC Dallas, $5,600), Sean Johnson (Chicago, $4,000)
Sunday Goalkeepers I Like: David Ousted (Vancouver $4,700), Brian Sylvestre (Philadelphia, $3,500)
Defenders
Consistently the defender position is the toughest to roster in MLS. By far the most “consistent” defender in terms of fantasy value is Chris Tierney, NER $5,800, but at such a high price he’s very difficult to fit in your team. Add to it that New England is not exactly a defensive stalwart of a team having kept only five clean sheets all season. What Tierney does provide is crosses (averaging a little over 8 crosses a game) and support the offense. He’s guaranteed points every match he plays regardless of the final result putting him in a category far above most other defenders in MLS.
The other option is obviously pairing defenders with your goalkeeper in order to reap the rewards of the bonus should that team manage clean sheet. If that’s the case, the top candidates this week are Waylon Francis, Columbus $4,600 or Laurent Ciman, Montreal $4,800. Both are great plays that can produce excellent fantasy value and their price isn’t prohibitive for their expected production. They both have chances at clean sheet and they both support the offense when the team is pushing forward making them great plays.
If you’re looking for value, then there are quite a few plays that make some sense. Chris Klute (Columbus, $2700), Donny Toia (Montreal $3,500) and Ambroise Oyongo (Montreal $4,200) make some excellent plays as well. Going off the board, if Jeovin Jones (Chicago, $4,200) is back, he makes another decent play.
For Sunday’s games, Angelino (NYC, $3,100), Iraola (NYC, $3,500) and Taylor Kemp (DCU, $4,200) make the top plays for the day on that slate.
Midfielders
Mauro Diaz, FC Dallas $8,900 – At the risk of recommending an “obvious” play, Diaz represents one of my favorite midfield targets for the day. With Dallas entering this matchup against Portland looking for a win, I believe that Diaz will play the center attacking midfield position (CAM) and provide support in the attack to the lone striker David Texeira. Dallas should be a favorite in this matchup and playing at home they tend to take more shots and Diaz will be a part of the action.
Steven Gerrard, LA Galaxy, $8,400 – Gerrard had a successful MLS debut last week scoring a goal and assisting on another while helping the Galaxy take a 5-1 victory in the California Derby. Gerrard looks to be playing the role of a playmaking attacking midfielder and shifting to a striker when the opportunities present themselves. Gerrard should continue to find himself continually involved in the Galaxy attack and this week playing against Houston, will look to come out on top early to push the home team back into their zone. I expect the Galaxy to push the pace and continually attack the way they did against San Jose last week and for Gerrard to at least create several chances for his teammates.
Other Midfielders I Like (Saturday): Federico Higuain (Columbus, $9,000), Ignacio Piatti (Montreal, $8,500), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy, $6,000), Lamar Neagle (Seattle, $7,000), Lee Nguyen (NER, $8,400), Harry Shipp (CHI, $7,500)
Sunday Midfielders I Like: Kaka (Orlando $10,000), Pedro Morales (Vancouver, $9,000), Cristian Maidana (Philadelphia, $7,500), Shae Salinas (San Jose, $5,200)
Forwards
Kei Kamara, Columbus, $10,500 – Kamara is one of several top forwards in the game today and he leads MLS in goals scored so far this season. He’s facing a Toronto squad that has allowed 10 goals in their last six away games including 4 goals in their last match against NYC. Kamara is in a matchup against Toronto’s back line that will struggle to contain Kamara giving him the best opportunity to score goals this week amongst all forwards going today.
Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy $11,000 – Spending a bit more on forward would lead you to have the choice between Giovinco or Keane and both of them make excellent options. However, I like Keane a bit more as he’s facing a Houston defense that hasn’t been very good defensively and facing a team like the Galaxy that is rejuvenated with the addition of Gerrard, I look forward to watching Keane rummage through this defense and carve it up for a goal or two.
David Texeira, FC Dallas $5,500 – Dallas should win this game and Texeira should start as a lone striker putting him in the excellent position to score off of crosses or any breakdowns in the defense by Portland as they are apt to do when playing on the road.
Other Forwards I Like (Saturday): David Accam (Chicago $4,500), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto $12,000), Jack McInerney (Montreal, $6,800), Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas, $10,600)
Sunday Forwards I Like: Fabian Espindola (DC United $8,000), David Villa (NYC, $11,200), Quincy Amarikwa (SJ, $5,500)