Have to Have ‘Em
Even in a very depleted Earthquakes team, Nathan ($9.3m) will continue to find a way to earn fantasy points. The Brazilian center back is a must-have right now, coming off the back of a remarkable 10-point performance in which he did not record a clean sheet or goal contribution. Midfielder Ryan Gauld ($9.1m) has been the key that has unlocked the Whitecaps attack and turned them into real playoff contenders. The summer signing has already racked up 31 points in under 300 minutes of playing time, so transfer him in before it’s too late. New England Revolution striker Adam Buksa ($8.6m) will be reentering the team on Saturday after scoring four goals in his first call-up with the Polish national team. Carles Gil, New England’s main chance creator, is likely to start, which would make Buksa an attractive selection for this week.
Budget Bargains
Mamadou Fall ($5.8m), the 18 year old center back that Bob Bradley has trusted in his starting lineup lately, looks to be lethal in the air as he scored two headers this past matchday in a shock win over Sporting KC. It was only his fourth career start, but it was quite a promising one. In the midfield, look out for Orlando City’s Chris Mueller ($5.4m). It is likely he will start up top alongside Daryl Dike or along the wing feeding crosses into Dike and Nani. Orlando faces an Atlanta team that could be without Miles Robinson after the quick international break turnaround, so he could score big this week. Up top, the best budget option at the moment is Columbus Crew’s Miguel Berry ($5.5m). With three goals in the last two matches and service coming from Lucas Zelarayan, the inconsistent Inter Miami back line will have a lot to deal with.
Ones to Avoid
Left back Andrew Gutman ($8.6m) has impressed over the past 5 games. But, the Red Bulls are facing a surging DC United team coming off a bye week, which tells me to leave the former Hermann Trophy winner out of my team. We all know how special a player Nico Lodeiro ($8.0m) is. However, he is struggling getting back to his level after his injury in last year’s playoffs, so give him more time before you transfer him in. Without Maxi Moralez and facing a New England squad getting Matt Turner and Brandon Bye back, New York City FC striker Taty Castellanos ($10.6m) is set up to fail this week even after scoring five goals in four games.
The Captain’s Armband
1. Ryan Gauld ($9.1m): The hottest player on the hottest team in MLS as they face off against a mistake-prone Timbers defense. Gauld is my captain choice for week 20.
2. Nathan ($9.3m): The surest lock for bonus points and very capable of doing damage off of set pieces, Nathan will continue to score big on Saturday.
3. Hany Mukhtar ($12m): Averaging 9 points per game over the last 11 matches, Nashville’s main man shows no signs of slowing down.
4. Jesus Ferreira ($9.2m): The highest scoring forward two weeks in a row. Why not make it three against a San Jose team struggling with injuries and suspension?
5. Daryl Dike ($8.4m): Orlando City is finally getting back to their full strength squad, which makes Dike that much more dangerous after a goal and an assist last time out.
