MLS Fantasy Week 3 positional rankings

MLS Fantasy is in full swing, and we’re starting to get enough of a sample size to see which players could emerge as good values this season. Week 3 presents a good opportunity for managers to gain some ground on the leaderboard, with multiple matchups worth keying in on for fantasy purposes. Let’s jump right into the top options and values at each position this week.

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Teams on a BYE: TOR

Goalkeepers

Pedro Gallese pitched a clean sheet in Orlando’s first home game, and he’s conceded just one goal across the first two games of the 2021 season. He’s back in the home confines of Exploria Stadium, and facing a Cincinnati attack that was stifled by New York City FC last week is reason enough for the oddsmakers to tab Orlando City with the best shutout odds of Week 3.

Defenders

Walker Zimmerman followed up a dismal Week 1 effort with a seven-point performance in Week 2. He delivered a strong score despite no goals, assists, or clean sheet points. The ability to rack up defensive bonus points combined with his attacking threat on dead balls keeps his name in the fantasy conversation. Nashville should be eager for a win at home after a pair of thrilling draws to start the season, and up against what's likely to be a depleted Inter Miami attack, Zimmerman is well-positioned to pile up points across multiple avenues.

Midfielders

Nani rewarded his fantasy owners with a nifty backheel goal and 10 points in Week 2, and he pops off as a top option in Week 3. Facing a FC Cincinnati defense that ranks dead-last in both shots conceded (53) and goals conceded (7), all of Orlando City’s attackers are in play. With Nani the presumed penalty kick taker, he gets an added bump with a slightly higher ceiling than his strike partners.

Forwards

Raul Ruidiaz came back down to earth with just three points in Week 2 after delivering two goals and 11 points on opening weekend. His LA Galaxy counterpart Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez can’t stop scoring goals and he leads all players with 30 total points through the first two rounds of MLS Fantasy. Both hit men are top options in a game that could feature goals, just be sure to confirm they’re in the starting lineups before locking them in.