A few words of wisdom before you set your DraftKings lineups this Wednesday: Review the box scores from the international break. Many of the usual suspects played matches with their national teams as recently as yesterday; Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco, Lloyd Sam and Fabián Castillo come to mind.
That said, there are three games kicking off Wednesday night and plenty of DraftKings contests to test your fantasy mettle. Let’s get to the picks.
Goalkeepers
Obvious Pick: You can’t go wrong with the New York Red Bulls. One of the most consistent sides in MLS, they take on a Toronto FC team that could be without Giovinco, Altidore and maybe even Michael Bradley ($7,900), who captained the US national team for 120 minutes against Mexico Saturday night. With that in mind, Luis Robles ($5,300) is a solid choice. If you ignore that nightmare match against Orlando City, Robles has averaged more than 13 points per match over the last three games.
Budget Pick: Of all the presumed starters on Wednesday night, David Ousted’s $4,200 salary stands out as a great bargain. He could be in line for some saves points, but it’s a sizable risk against a Dallas attack that put four goals past the Houston Dynamo just 10 days ago, also at home.
Defenders
Obvious pick: Every squad is dealing with the international break, but the Whitecaps are also battling through a spate of injuries which may make FC Dallas the team most likely to post a shutout. Along those lines, the ever-reliable Zach Loyd ($3,800) is an excellent choice. Bonus: He’s notched a respectable eight points in each of his past two matches.
Sleeper pick: There aren’t a lot of volume crossers in the field, but RBNY’s Connor Lade ($4,400) has sent in at least two crosses in each of the last four matches. With the Red Bulls taking on a depleted TFC squad, he may be in line for a shutout as well.
Midfielders
Obvious pick: With Giovinco likely out, two players move to the front of the line of high-potential midfielders: Javier Morales ($9,900) and Sacha Kljestan ($9,700). Both of these players should be well-rested after the international break and ready to contribute. If I had to give one player the edge, I’d pick Morales based on his upside – he’s posted matches of 27 and 28 points in the last month and is a set-piece monster.
Sleeper pick: Four shots, three shots on goal, four fouls drawn. That was Darlington Nagbe’s ($6,500) line in his last contest against Sporting Kansas City. If the mercurial midfielder can convert some of those bonus points into goals and assists against RSL, he could be in line for a big night.
Forwards
Obvious pick: Bradley Wright-Phillips ($12,200) is the only major, front-line striker in the mix for Wednesday night, but he’s only scored once in his last five matches. I think he’s got a favorable matchup against Toronto FC, but it’s up to you whether or not you want to preserve those dollars to spend in your midfield or back line.
Sleeper pick: Which Fanendo Adi ($9,000) do you think you’re going to get tonight? The one that totaled a meager three points against SKC or the one who tallied 29 against Columbus? It’s a risk, but if Adi succeeds against Real Salt Lake, he could be a huge differential player in the final match of the night.
As always, check out the MLS Disciplinary Summary and the Injury page before setting your lineups. Good luck tonight!
Who are you targeting tonight? Which position are you planning to use in the Flex spot? Let us know in the comments below.
