By Alonso Contreras
Overview
Another double week is in store and it starts Wednesday. There are only six valid midfield choices this week in my eyes, but they are going to be quite pricey.
Goalkeepers
Jonathan Bond ($8.4m) has recorded zero clean sheets over the last five games, but has a 4.6 average in that span. He is projected to score upwards of 10 points this week.
Alex Bono ($7.9m) started the season with 15 starts in a row without a clean sheet. But, since the three Italians arrived, he has three in seven games. Two home games this week make him a solid option.
Eloy Room ($7.3m) has given up 4.8 goals fewer than he should have this season according to FBRef, which makes for fifth in the league.
Defenders
Diego Palacios ($10.6m) and LAFC will look to rebound this week at Houston and vs. Salt Lake. They are likely to shut out one or both of those teams, which would give a boost to the bonus points or assists he’s reliable for.
Dave Romney ($8.4m) has averaged 8.5 per game over the past six gameweeks. Nashville SC are set to play Colorado and Austin at home this week.
Richie Laryea ($7.6m) is also in good form, with an 8.5 average since he returned to Toronto. One clean sheet, three assists, and one penalty earned in that five game span. Toronto has two home games in this round.
Midfielders
Hany Mukhtar ($16m) is as expensive as he has ever been in the game, but he is worth every penny. The German has 14 goals and seven assists in his past 15 games.
Sebastian Driussi ($14.1m) is the MVP frontrunner at the moment, with Mukhtar and Daniel Gazdag among those chasing. His 19 goals on the season are best in MLS and he has scored or assisted in 10 straight games.
Carles Gil ($13.2m) seems to be back to his MVP form and has brought New England back within two points of a playoff spot. His six goals and 12 assists this season have gone under the radar, but he is still a top player in the league and he has two home games this week.
Forwards
Cucho Hernandez ($11.7m) has eight goals in just 676 minutes for Columbus. The young Columbian has a chance to punish the defenses of Miami and Chicago this week, who both give up about two goals per game on the road.
Federico Bernardeschi ($10.3m) and Lorenzo Insigne ($11.5m) have been lighting up MLS defenses as expected. The two Italian wingers that Toronto deploys have performed at such a close level to each other that I have to combine them in one pick here. Flip a coin or just get both, because the decision is impossible.
Gabriel Pereira ($7.1m) is the next exciting South American talent that NYCFC have picked up. The 20-year-old has six goals in 880 minutes this year.
The Captain’s Armband
It is a week full of fantastic chalk midfielders, which will always make it difficult to choose a captain. However, Hany Mukhtar ($16m) is getting the nod (or salute) from me this week. He ranks second in MLS in goals, fifth in assists, and is single-handedly taking Nashville SC to the playoffs.
