RADIO
Welcome back to “The Kick-Off”! The top professional soccer leagues in the world are officially over or are ending this weekend and it leaves the MLS in its wake. The MLS articles will debut at the halfway mark of the season, which has been filled with a few surprises.
The top favorite this weekend is Philadelphia Union -110 vs New York City FC +310. I will guide you through this six-match slate starting at 7:30 PM EST.
If you have any questions on today's slate, bankroll management, GPP strategy, Cash game strategy, or anything else, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected], via Twitter @df_solutions, or in our Discord chat rooms.
MLS DFS Goalies
Luis Barraza - DK $4K
Opponent - Philadelphia Union
Most are already scratching their heads with this play. In Barraza’s last five appearances, he has 11 saves, 5 goals against, and one clean sheet. In Philadelphia’s last five home fixtures, they have scored 11 goals and have outscored their opponents 11 to 1. What is one key to that run of form, you may ask? It is Julian Carranza who is suspended for this match after acquiring a straight red card in injury time during the 2-0 win over Nashville at midweek. This immediately hampers the offensive potential of the hosts. After all, Carranza makes up a third of Philadelphia’s goal total this season. Barraza should see enough shots still to cover his floor and a possible ceiling too. This could be a very sneaky play and for ‘TOURNAMENT’ contests, this is the ideal play at goalie.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Blake (DK $5.7K), Sirois (DK $5K)
MLS DFS Forwards
Gustavo Bou - DK $9K
Opponent - D.C. United
D.C. United, and more so, Tyler Miller is about to be in a world of hurt. Miller who was once a big-time starter for Los Angeles Football Club, quickly lost his role due to his ‘keeper sweeper’ mentality. That just means he loves to come out of the box too far and challenge strikers one on one. We have seen this time and time again in the first half of the season and it is crushing his team’s confidence and specifically angering his defense who cleans up his mess more times than not. Going against a club like New England which sits in the top four in Goals For Per 90 – 1.75, is a recipe for disaster. Bou has 2 goals, 2 assists, 17 shots, 8 created chances, 15 crosses, 5 corners, 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 clearances in his last five fixtures.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Giakoumakis (DK $8.5K), Opoku (DK $5.8K)
MLS DFS Midfielders
Carles Gil - DK $10.6K
Opponent - D.C. United
To no surprise, we continue the New England train rolling with the aforementioned Carles Gil. In Gil’s last five performances, he has 2 goals, 3 assists, 12 shots, 18 created chances, 26 crosses, 20 corners, 5 tackles, and 1 clearance. The visiting club’s defensive woes have already been mentioned so there is no need to repeat. However, Gil’s ability to create anything out of thin air is new material. The midfield maestro is the key cog to all of New England and he may be slotted as a striker next to teammate Carles Gil this weekend – similar to what Hany Mukhtar does for Nashville SC. If this does happen, Gil’s potential ceiling will skyrocket. Will you take the red pill – Thiago Almada – or the blue pill – Carles Gil?
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Almada (DK $10.1K), Gazdag (DK $8.2K)
MLS DFS Defenders
Tayvon Gray - DK $2.5K
Opponent - Philadelphia Union
Roster construction is pretty straightforward this weekend and that includes Philadelphia’s own Kai Wagner who is a MUST in ‘CASH’ contests. However, after that, it is truly up in the air and if managers are trying to squeeze money into other positions, it makes sense to ‘punt’ the second defender. This brings us to Tayvon Gray of New York City FC. Throughout his last five fixtures, he has 6 tackles, 5 interceptions, 25 clearances, and 3 blocks. As stated once already, Philadelphia is down their number one striker, which is expected to impact their short-term scoring potential. This could play well, especially if they manage not to score at all.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Wagner (DK $6.5K), Spaulding (DK $3.1K)
Corner Takers
- Atlanta United: Almada/Lennon
- Orlando City SC: Pereyra
- FC Cincinnati: Barreal/Acosta
- Nashville SC: Mukhtar
- CF Montreal: Choiniere/Duke
- Charlotte FC: Vargas/Westwood
- New England Revolutions: Gil
- D.C. United: Klich
- Philadelphia Union: Wagner
- New York City FC: Pellegrini/Pereira
Thanks for reading The Kick-Off. Good luck in all of your contests today!
