Your Matchday 9 fantasy and gaming advice roundup is here! Check out MLS Fantasy positional rankings as well as MLS Squad Pick and MLS Parlay Predictor recommendations below.
MLS Fantasy
Another full weekend slate presents an enticing Round 9 of MLS Fantasy. With an MLS-heavy US men’s national team playing midweek, be sure to monitor starting lineups in case any of those players are given a rest after logging minutes on Wednesday vs. Mexico. Let’s jump right in and look at the top plays and values to target this week.
Get more advice on the _MLS Fantasy Insider Round 9 preview_ podcast
Teams on a BYE: VAN
Goalkeepers
Roman Celentano and FC Cincinnati will be looking to get back on track after St. Louis handed them their first loss of 2023 in last week’s 5-1 beatdown. The visiting Portland Timbers are coming off a big win of their own after thumping Seattle 4-1, but have struggled on the road with just a draw and three losses to show for their efforts. Something has to give, and we predict Celentano comes away with his league-leading sixth clean sheet of the season.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Roman Celentano | CIN | vs. POR | $8.8 |
2. Djordje Petrovic | NE | vs. SKC | $9.6 |
3. Stefan Frei | SEA | vs. MIN | $8.1 |
4. Pedro Gallese | ORL | vs. DC | $7.2 |
5. Steve Clark | HOU | vs. MIA | $7.5 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Andre Blake | PHI | vs. TOR | $6.3 |
2. Quentin Westberg | ATL | vs. CHI | $4.8 |
3. Luis Barraza | NYC | vs. DAL | $5.3 |
Defenders
Álvaro Barreal sent in an eye-popping 15 crosses in last week’s loss at St. Louis, showcasing his ability to get involved on the attacking end. Even if Luciano Acosta returns from injury, Barreal should gobble up his share of set pieces and be high on your fantasy radar as a defender with big attacking potential.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Álvaro Barreal | CIN | vs. POR | $10.4 |
2. Brooks Lennon | ATL | vs. CHI | $9.1 |
3. DeJuan Jones | NE | vs. SKC | $9.2 |
4. Kai Wagner | PHI | vs. TOR | $7.8 |
5. Walker Zimmerman | NSH | vs. LAFC | $10.2 |
6. Yerson Mosquera | CIN | vs. POR | $9.5 |
7. Alex Roldan | SEA | vs. MIN | $8.5 |
8. Brandon Bye | NE | vs. SKC | $8.3 |
9. Jack Elliott | PHI | vs. TOR | $8.0 |
10. Teenage Hadebe | HOU | vs. MIA | $8.3 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Aaron Herrera | MTL | vs. RBNY | $5.0 |
2. Caleb Wiley | ATL | vs. CHI | $6.5 |
3. Rudy Camacho | MTL | vs. RBNY | $5.2 |
Midfielders
Carles Gil finished with six points in Round 8, the bulk of those coming from bonus points for his body of work across the board. Now, he’s back at Gillette Stadium where he’s scored or assisted in every home appearance in 2023. Averaging over 10 fantasy points per game at home, the Spanish maestro will look to keep his form rolling against a Sporting KC side currently dead last in MLS.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Carles Gil | NE | vs. SKC | $10.6 |
2. Thiago Almada | ATL | vs. CHI | $12.0 |
3. Héctor Herrera | HOU | vs. MIA | $10.5 |
4. Dániel Gazdag | PHI | vs. TOR | $10.1 |
5. Cristian Espinoza | SJ | at RSL | $12.0 |
6. Hany Mukhtar | NSH | vs. LAFC | $10.8 |
7. Lucas Zelarayán | CLB | at CLT | $11.7 |
8. Nicolás Lodeiro | SEA | vs. MIN | $9.8 |
9. Riqui Puig | LA | vs. ATX | $8.3 |
10. Luciano Acosta | CIN | vs. POR | $9.5 |
11. Sebastián Driussi | ATX | at LA | $8.6 |
12. Martín Ojeda | ORL | vs. DC | $7.5 |
13. Santiago Rodríguez | NYC | vs. DAL | $7.7 |
14. Evander | POR | at CIN | $7.8 |
15. João Paulo | SEA | vs. MIN | $8.6 |
16. Eduard Löwen | STL | at COL | $9.3 |
17. Pablo Ruiz | RSL | vs. SJ | $8.3 |
18. Gastón Brugman | LA | vs. ATX | $9.1 |
19. Connor Ronan | COL | vs. STL | $8.6 |
20. Mark Delgado | LA | vs. ATX | $8.0 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Tyler Boyd | LA | vs. ATX | $5.7 |
2. Bryce Duke | MTL | vs. RBNY | $5.8 |
3. Maren Haile-Selassie | CHI | at ATL | $5.5 |
Forwards
Jefferson Savarino is rounding into form with a goal in back-to-back appearances. He’s fired off 15 shots across his last three starts, and with a lack of attacking options in Salt Lake, we can expect the Venezuelan dangerman to maintain his role as RSL’s primary threat going forward.
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Jefferson Savarino | RSL | vs. SJ | $8.6 |
2. Luiz Araújo | ATL | vs. CHI | $8.4 |
3. Chicharito | LA | vs. ATX | $8.1 |
4. Julián Carranza | PHI | vs. TOR | $8.0 |
5. Brandon Vazquez | CIN | vs. POR | $7.6 |
6. Diego Rubio | COL | vs. STL | $7.9 |
7. Dénis Bouanga | LAFC | at NSH | $10.4 |
8. Karol Swiderski | CLT | vs. CLB | $8.5 |
9. Carlos Vela | LAFC | at NSH | $9.3 |
10. Héber | SEA | vs. MIN | $7.6 |
Player | Team | Opponent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Giacomo Vrioni | NE | vs. SKC | $6.6 |
2. Duncan McGuire | ORL | vs. DC | $6.0 |
3. Miguel Berry | ATL | vs. CHI | $4.4 |
1. Carles Gil | NE | vs. SKC | $10.6 |
2. Thiago Almada | ATL | vs. CHI | $12.0 |
3. Jefferson Savarino | RSL | vs. SJ | $8.6 |
Playing MLS Squad Pick is quick and easy. Pick six players for your squad. If they all score in the same matchday, you could win a $160 MLSstore.com gift card!
Don’t forget, each round you play gives you one (1) entry into the end-of-season Grand Prize drawing for $10,000!
Expert advice:
Chicharito wasted no time earning a goal contribution in his first start of 2023, assisting Mark Delgado's second-half goal against LAFC and hammering out four shots of his own to keep the Galaxy within striking distance of their crosstown rivals. At home against a struggling Austin FC side, I think he gets off the mark in Round 9. Elsewhere, we’re targeting the cushy home matchups. Julián Carranza, Brandon Vazquez and Luiz Araújo are all capable of turning up with a big goal haul, and we’ll look for Jefferson Savarino to extend his scoring streak to three straight games.
Check out my squad for Round 9:
Playing MLS Parlay Predictor is simple. Pick the results of all six 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:
Intrigue abounds in the Round 9 head-to-heads, with multiple matchups between teams in Audi MLS Cup Playoffs positions. Toronto and Nashville look primed for upset victories as Philadelphia and LAFC keep one eye on their CCL semifinal showdown next Wednesday. Up in New York, FC Dallas and NYCFC will have to make hard choices about how to, respectively, incorporate star players Jesús Ferreira and James Sands. The two played heavy minutes in the USMNT’s friendly against Mexico on Wednesday.
Check out my predictions for Round 9:
