Round 5 may have started out looking like MLS Fantasy business as usual, but it was anything but that. Unexpected goal scorers, frustrating absences, and A LOT of goals. Reid, Mike, Andrew, and Blayne sit down to go over all of the crazy that was Round 5 and give you a game-by-game breakdown of Round 6 (which is not a DGW!). Oh, and Andrew also drops a big fantasy bombshell.
Playing at home has always been a major advantage in sports, and even more so in a league like MLS that is known for its parity. After five rounds of action, home teams have averaged a whopping 1.91 points won per home game, with five teams currently perfect inside of their venues, and 61 percent of the goals scored have been by home teams.
The big question, though, is how much of an advantage does this mean in terms of fantasy numbers?
Difference for the Positions
As you can see, every position has benefitted from playing on home turf, with the forwards gaining a sizable 1.61-point advantage. A relatively low number of clean sheets have been preserved so far – only 33% for home teams and 22% for visitors – so there hasn’t been as much of an edge for defending positions, but the value is still there.
There are always exceptions to the rule: Christian Ramirez ($8.1, FWD) has scored two goals and provided an assist in Minnesota United FC’s three road games, and the Houston Dynamo’s Erick 'Cubo' Torres ($8.7, FWD) has scored in all of his side's matches so far – home and away. Meanwhile, Columbus Crew SC’s Justin Meram ($9.7, MID) and LA Galaxy’s Romain Alessandrini ($9.4, MID) have yet to score fewer than four points in any match. That being said, with the ability to change your roster every round, you should be stocking up primarily on players with home fixtures.
Average Fantasy Points By Team
| Club | Home | Away | Difference |
| NE | 7.18 | 3.10 | 4.09 |
| CHI | 6.00 | 2.86 | 3.14 |
| NYC | 6.55 | 3.45 | 3.09 |
| SJ | 6.05 | 3.14 | 2.90 |
| NY | 6.36 | 3.62 | 2.74 |
| ORL | 5.50 | 2.80 | 2.70 |
| DC | 4.56 | 2.10 | 2.46 |
| SEA | 5.71 | 3.81 | 1.90 |
| VAN | 4.83 | 3.00 | 1.83 |
| HOU | 5.19 | 3.64 | 1.55 |
| COL | 5.23 | 4.00 | 1.23 |
| RSL | 4.62 | 3.81 | 0.81 |
| MTL | 4.10 | 3.55 | 0.55 |
| MIN | 4.00 | 3.53 | 0.47 |
| PHI | 4.45 | 4.03 | 0.42 |
| POR | 5.73 | 5.38 | 0.35 |
| ATL | 6.36 | 6.55 | -0.18 |
| DAL | 4.11 | 4.76 | -0.65 |
| TOR | 5.40 | 6.06 | -0.66 |
| CLB | 5.22 | 6.05 | -0.83 |
| LA | 3.74 | 4.60 | -0.86 |
| SKC | 5.14 | 6.23 | -1.09 |
The top 10 teams in this list are averaging fewer than four points per player per away game, so in general, I would steer clear of their players on road games until they can prove themselves. For example, the New England Revolution dropped a five-spot on Minnesota United FC in their only home game, but have struggled mightily on the road, picking up only one point in three games.
Another interesting statistic here are that teams on the bottom of this list that have produced more points as visitors than as home teams. Sporting Kansas City, while only earning one win this season, have yet to concede a goal in an away game, and have only allowed one goal total. They have a good chance for a clean sheet at home on Sunday against the Colorado Rapids, who have yet to score a goal on the road.
Who do you think is worthy of playing – even on an away game? Let us know in the comments below!
