Fantasy Soccer Advice

MLS Fantasy Week 19 positional rankings and gaming advice

Acosta fantasy thumb

Round 19 of MLS Fantasy marks the beginning of the final qualifying period for Fantasy Champions League, where the winner will pocket a cool $500 in addition to bragging rights.

With several key players still deployed on international duty, be sure to note whoā€™s in and whoā€™s out.

Letā€™s get right into it and look over the top players and values to help your team get off on the right foot in punching a Fantasy Champions League ticket!

Get more advice on the _MLS Fantasy Insider Round 19 preview_ podcast

Goalkeepers

Stefan Frei has been nearly automatic in keeping clean sheets at home this season. He kept his league-leading 10th shutout of 2023 last week, and the Sounders have conceded just one goal across their last four home games. That bodes well for the veteran goalkeeper facing a Houston Dynamo attack that was kept off the scoresheet last week and has one goal to show over their last three road matches.

Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Stefan Frei 
SEA
vs. HOU
$8.9
2. Jonathan Sirois
MTL

vs. NYC

$8.6
3. Joe Willis
NSH

vs. DC

$7.3
4. Pedro Gallese
ORL
vs. CHI
$8.0
5. Roman BĆ¼rki
STL
vs. COL
$8.7
Value Goalkeepers
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Kendall McIntosh
SKC
vs. VAN
$4.2
2. Drake Callendar
MIA
vs. ATX
$5.9
3. Clint Irwin
MIN
vs. POR
$5.1

Defenders

Ɓlvaro Barreal topped double-digit points in the Round 18 DGW and he continues to lead all defenders in total points by a wide margin. His ability to make things happen in attack gives him added fantasy appeal as a player who can haul in massive points when the stars align.

Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Ɓlvaro Barreal 
CIN 
vs. NE
$11.6
2. Rodrigues 
SJ
vs. LA
$9.8
3. Walker Zimmerman
NSH
vs. DC
$8.4
4. Yeimar GĆ³mez Andrade
SEA
vs. HOU
$11.3
5. Brooks Lennon
ATL
vs. PHI
$10.4
6. Joel Waterman
MTL
vs. NYC
$7.8
7. Daniel Lovitz
NSH
vs. DC
$8.6
8. Malte Amundsen
CLB
vs. RBNY
$7.3
9. Michael Boxall
MIN
vs. POR
$8.5
10. AntƓnio Carlos
ORL
vs. CHI
$7.1


Value Defenders
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Caleb Wiley
ATL
vs. PHI
$4.1
2. Santiago Arias
CIN
vs. NE
$5.2
3. Abdoulaye Cissoko
SEA
vs. HOU
$4.5

Midfielders

Hany Mukhtar was kept off the scoresheet for the second straight match last week, but he continues to lead all players with 159 total fantasy points. A visit from D.C. United could be just what the reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP needs to add to his league-leading 13-goal haul.

Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Hany Mukhtar
NSH
vs. DC
$14.4
2. Lucas ZelarayƔn
CLB
vs. RBNY
$13.1
3. Luciano Acosta
CIN
vs. NE
$13.0
4. Thiago Almada
ATL
vs. PHI
$11.4
5. Cristian Espinoza
SJ
vs. LA
$11.4
6. Lorenzo Insigne
TOR
vs. RSL
$10.9
7. Carles Gil
NE
at CIN
$13.0
8. Emanuel Reynoso
MIN
vs. POR
$8.1
9. HĆ©ctor Herrera
HOU
at  SEA
$10.8
10. Facundo Torres
ORL
vs. CHI
$9.9
11. Erik Thommy
SKC
vs. VAN
$8.9
12. Nicolas Lodeiro
SEA
vs. HOU
$8.7
13. Ryan Gauld
VAN
at SKC
$10.2
14. Pablo Ruiz
RSL
at TOR
$10.1
15. SebastiƔn Driussi
ATX
at MIA
$9.3
16. DƔniel Gazdag
PHI
at ATL
$11.4
17. Riqui Puig
LA
at SJ
$8.9
18. Jamiro Monteiro
SJ
vs. LA
$7.7
19. Albert RusnƔk
SEA
vs. HOU
$8.8
20. JoĆ£o Paulo
SEA
vs. HOU
$9.0
Value midfielders
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Bryce Duke
MTL
vs. NYC
$6.1
2. Diego Fagundez
ATX
at MIA
$5.5
3. Diego Luna
RSL

at TOR

$4.0

Forwards

Cucho HernƔndez has come up empty-handed in his last two appearances despite peppering the goal with 14 shots over that span. Look for the Colombian striker to get back on track at home with a good matchup against a New York Red Bulls side that has struggled on the road this season.

Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Cucho HernƔndez
CLB
vs. RBNY
$11.7
2. Alan Pulido
SKC
vs. VAN
$8.4
3. DĆ©nis Bouanga
LAFC
at DAL
$11.3
4. Giorgos Giakoumakis
ATL
vs. PHI
$8.1
5. Christian Ramirez
CLB
vs. RBNY
$7.9
6. Jeremy Ebobisse
SJ
vs. LA
$8.1
7. Nicholas Gioacchini
STL
vs. COL
$8.2
8. Carlos Vela
LAFC
at DAL
$9.2
9. JuliƔn Carranza
PHI
at ATL
$11.3
10. DĆ”niel SallĆ³i
SKC
vs. VAN
$7.2
Value forwards
1. Samuel Adeniran
STL
vs. COL
$4.0
2. Chinonso Offor
MTL
vs. NYC
$5.3
3. Dominique Badji
CIN
vs. NE
$5.9
Captain
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Hany Mukhtar
NSH
vs. DC
$14.4
2. Lucas ZelarayƔn
CLB
vs. RBNY
$13.1
3. Luciano Acosta
CIN
vs. NE
$13.0

MLS Squad Pick

Playing MLS Squad Pick is quick and easy. Pick 5 players for your squad. If they all score in the same matchday, you could win a $160 MLSstore.com gift card!

Donā€™t forget, each round you play gives you one (1) entry into the end-of-season Grand Prize drawing for $10,000!

Expert advice

Iā€™m counting on current MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi leader Hany Mukhtar to snap out of a two-game dry spell with a good matchup at home against D.C. United. Also due is Cucho HernĆ”ndez, who ā€“ as noted above ā€“ has fired off 14 shots across his last two outings.

Jeremy Ebobisse is also looking to bust out of a three-game dry spell, but San Joseā€™s top goalscoring threat is always a good bet for a full run of 90 minutes. Weā€™ll see if Alan Pulido can start a new streak after failing to score for the first time in five games last time out.

And to round my squad out Iā€™m going with Giorgos Giakoumakis despite his tough test at home against Philadelphia. Heā€™s scored in three straight at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and will be looked to early and often as a big target in the box.

Check out my squad for Round 22:

round 22 squad pick

MLS Parlay Predictor

Playing MLS Parlay Predictor is simple. Pick the results of all 6 games correctly in a single matchday, and you could win a 2023 MLS Season Pass full-season subscription on Apple TV!

Each round you predict gives you one (1) entry into the end-of-season Grand Prize drawing for $10,000!

Expert advice:

  • Real Salt Lake have won just one of their nine all-time matches at Toronto (1W-5L-3D), including losing each of their last two visits to BMO Field.
  • Nashville SC are unbeaten in five all-time meetings with D.C. United (3W-0L-2D).
  • LAFC have won four of their last five meetings with FC Dallas (4W-1L-0D).
  • Since 2015, Colorado have lost four of their last five road games against expansion teams (1W-4L-0D) and been held scoreless in all four losses.
  • The LA Galaxy extended their unbeaten streak to four games (1W-0L-3D) with a third straight draw in their last outing.
  • Philadelphia are unbeaten in their last six matches against Atlanta United in all competitions (3W-0L-3D). However, the Union have won just one of their seven matches at Atlanta (1W-3L-3D).

Check out my predictions for Round 22:

round 22 parlay predictor