MLS Fantasy Week 18: Back to Reality

This week we are being thrown back into the deep end, as although the league deemed it responsible to take a break for Club World Cup and Gold Cup group stages, there are still many matches to be played so this week is another packed double-game week. Of course, many players are still missing for international duty and others will be returning for the weekend after resting midweek. It could be a messy one if you miss on a few of your targets. We'll do our best to navigate it all, anyway.

Just make sure before you save your team you check the Availability Report for anything you (or me) might have missed.

Week 18 quick rankings

Goalkeepers

Evan Bush (5.4m), Aljaz Ivacic (8.8m), Yohei Takaoka (9.2m), Wessel Speel (MIN ? - not in game), Carlos Coronel (8.8m)

Defenders

Yevhen Cheberko (7.6m), Ilay Feingold (9.3m), Ranko Veselinovic (11.3m), Michael Boxall (9.2m), Noah Elie (8.9m)

Midfielders

Anders Dreyer (13.7m), Carles Gil (13.5m), Hany Mukhtar (13.5m), Evander (13.2m), Djordje Mihailovic (12.4m), Philip Zinckernagel (11.4m), Federico Bernardeschi (10.6m) (Q), Emil Forsberg (10.2m), Manu Garcia (8.9m), Lucho Acosta (8.1m)

Forwards

Cristian Arango (12.8m), Diego Rossi (12.6m), Sam Surridge (12.0m), Hugo Cuypers (12.0m), Dejan Joveljic (11.2m), Wilfried Zaha (10.7m)

Week 18 schedule

Two Home: MTL, NER, TFC, CLB, CHI, FCD, SKC
Home/Away: NYRB, SJE, HOU, ORL, MIN, STL, COL, VAN
Two Away: CIN, NSH, PHI, CLT, LAG, SDFC
One Home: DCU, LAFC, SEA
One Away: ATX, NYCFC, PDX, RSL, ATL
Bye: MIA

Note that the Miami vs Atlanta game on Saturday has been moved after Miami's advancement in CWC, though this change is not reflected in-game yet.

Though you always want to target double home players, we have a couple of quite poor teams on double home matches. Montreal and Toronto are bottom two in the East, the Revs have slid back down to 11th in the East (though they have a couple of games in hand on others), and Dallas and SKC are out of the playoffs as it stands in the West.

That leaves Columbus (vs ATL, PHI) and Chicago (vs PHI, CLT) as the prime targets this week that likely should have 2-3 players on your squad. However, Philly visiting both of them could be a spoiler. I also like Orlando (at STL, vs CIN), Minnesota (vs HOU, at NYRB), San Jose (at DAL, vs LAG), and Colorado (vs LAG, at NER) of the split teams. The double away teams all have interesting matchups and good attacking options, so you may be interested in Mukhtar or Evander or Biel or Damiani (Baribo is back in country but not playing midweek) or Dreyer from those away squads.

Thoughts and Players

Defenses

Columbus - The Crew have a measly three clean sheets on the season (same as Montreal and DC and Dallas and Miami and SKC), but of the double home teams I think they are most likely to get at least one. Atlanta has boosted their offense but are prone to struggling on the road and Philadelphia is missing some key pieces. I think the choice here is Yevhen Cheberko (7.6m), who is back to an every-week starter with injuries and absences across the backline and is still averaging over 70 passes a week. Also, with Schulte out injured it will likely be Evan Bush (5.4m) in net.

New England - Hosting Nashville will be tough, but if you were paying attention you saw the insane week Ilay Feingold (9.3m) had last DGW, scoring two goals with an assist for 30+ points. I don't think you should have any issues running it back.

Vancouver - They are missing some key pieces but the defense is largely intact. Hosting San Diego and visiting LAFC is a tough schedule, but this team has largely been up for the toughest tests this year (a few notable exceptions excluded). With Ahmed out your best option is Ranko Veselinovic (11.3m).

Minnesota - Yes, last outing they were sliced up by San Diego, but they have beaten and blanked plenty of tough teams. Their schedule this week is manageable as well. I think the pick for certainty's sake is Michael Boxall (9.2m).

New York Red Bulls - I mostly like them for the front half of their schedule this week up in Toronto. The Canadian side has a couple of key injuries and absences, plus Bernardeschi is questionable. The Red Bulls have just five road points (only Atlanta has fewer in the East, with two) but Toronto also has just five home points. I think you stick with sure-fire starter Noah Elie (8.9m) in this one, though Kyle Duncan has made himself a home at RB.

Midfielders

Anders Dreyer (13.7m) - He's becoming an every-week option for me, even with the double road week. I don't know how San Diego will do in Vancouver, but his road game at Dallas seems enticing.

Carles Gil (13.5m) - Two home matches? I am interested. He has been a little streaky; from weeks 6 to 12 he averaged over 11 points per match but weeks 13 to 17 he is at just 5 points per match. It seems his expected goal numbers have caught up to him: three of his six goals were from PKs and he has just 2.0 npxG on the season. But his progressive passing is elite – 177 progressive passes (Dylan Chambost in 2nd has 155) and he gets key passes to show for it.

Hany Mukhtar (13.5m) - Another double road player, Mukhtar has been one of the most consistent producers in the game. He's had at least 7 points in six of eight road matches this year. That trend seems likely to continue.

Evander (13.2m) - Yet another double game week player, Evander gets to go to Montreal this week. That alone has me intrigued for his potential. He's been quite inconsistent, as 7/16 games he has scored 4 or fewer points. But his ceiling is high enough that he is often worth the risk.

Djordje Mihailovic (12.4m) - Home against LAG for his first fixture, which is enough for me to recommend him highly this week. He'll likely be a high floor player this week with a bucket of key plays.

Philip Zinckernagel (11.4m) - He should be back in the starting lineup and is coming off four straight games with goals. Chicago has struggled at home, oddly enough, scoring seven goals in seven home games compared with 28 goals in 10 road games. But a ratio of 4 road goals to 1 home goal is not a ratio that can hold all season long.

Federico Bernardeschi (10.6m) (Q) - He's questionable for game 1 but if he starts he could have a great week against NYRB and Portland.

Emil Forsberg (10.2m) - He has been a disappointment for large parts of the season, but I expect the Red Bulls attack will get a big boost with Lewis Morgan back to health.

Manu Garcia (8.9m) - A relatively consistent performer for SKC this year, they have good matchups for scoring goals this week. He does not quite have the floor or ceiling of other players (he's reached 7 points twice and 8 points once) but I like him to have 10+ combined points in the two games this week.

Lucho Acosta (8.1m) - He's been a major disappointment overall this year, but did explode for two goals last week at SKC. Dallas's first match against San Jose could be a shootout and I'd like to think Acosta would be heavily involved. A high ceiling, high risk pick this week.

Forwards

Cristian Arango (12.8m) - The main man for SJ, with him healthy he should be involved in both the build up and goalscoring.

Diego Rossi (12.6m) - Two home games, one against Atlanta, is a great reason to pick Rossi. He is almost always involved when Columbus is scoring.

Sam Surridge (12.0m) - Scored in Nashville's last four games, three of them on the road. Ignore this man out at your peril.

Hugo Cuypers (12.0m) - Chicago have just 7 goals at home this year but I still think they are one of the most likely to score, and Cuypers has done most of the scoring. Hard hitting analysis, I know.

Dejan Joveljic (11.2m) - Two home games with SKC likely to score in both. Joveljic is at double-digit goals for the year and is right up there in the golden boot race. I wonder if the Galaxy miss him?

Wilfried Zaha (10.7m) - As Agyemang scores for the USMNT and reports are made of his impending sale, there is all the more pressure for Zaha to take Charlotte on his back and show the investment in him was worthwhile. Two road games, but at SKC and at CHI is hardly an imposing schedule.

Captain considerations

Diego Rossi - Columbus's main man has two big home matches to prove himself.

Hany Mukhtar - He's verging on MVP territory with his play this year. Two away games is risky but he is that good (and has been getting it done on the road anyway).

Carles Gil - I am not sure I am confident enough in him to captain, given some of his underlying numbers, but he's a former MVP with two home games and is one of the top scorers this year.

Anders Dreyer - He's shown enough for me to consider him a top-5 option no matter his matchups.