Fantasy Soccer Advice

MLS Fantasy & Gaming Round 2: Positional Rankings, Squad Pick & Parlay Predictor advice

Luiz Araujo - Fantasy - Matchday 2

Welcome to the first all-in-one fantasy and gaming advice roundup column. Below youā€™ll find MLS Fantasy positional rankings as well as MLS Squad Pick and MLS Parlay Predictor recommendations.

MLS Fantasy

The opening round of MLS Fantasy had its share of intrigue. We saw some of the usual fantasy contributors like SebastiĆ”n Driussi and DĆ”niel Gazdag turn in strong showings, and we also got a glimpse at the potential of newcomers like Eduard Lƶwen and Sergii Kryvtsov as they posted double-digit point hauls. With the 2023 MLS Fantasy season in full swing, letā€™s take a deeper dive into the top plays and values at each position.

Get more advice on the _MLS Fantasy Insider Round 2 preview_ podcast

Teams on a BYE: MIN

Goalkeepers

John McCarthy and LAFC open their 2023 campaign against a Portland Timbers side that struggled on the attacking end despite a 1-0 win in their season opener. The Timbers managed just seven shots (four on goal) and also saw attacker Yimmi Chara exit the match early with a hamstring injury. LAFC have kept a clean sheet in four of five home openers, which bodes well for the defending MLS Cup winners who bring a bolstered backline to their March 4 season debut (4:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, FOX).

Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. John McCarthy

LAFC

vs. POR
$6.0
2. Djordje Petrovic
NE
vs. HOU
$7.0
3. Brad Stuver
ATX
vs. MTL
$6.7
4. Stefan Frei
SEA
vs. RSL
$6.9
5. Eloy Room
CLB
vs. DC
$6.5
Value Goalkeepers
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Jeff Gal*
CHI
vs. NYC
$5.0
2. Daniel
SJ
vs. VAN
$5.5
3. Jonathan Sirois
MTL
at ATX
$4.0

*Projected Chicago Fire starting GK Chris Brady is listed as ā€œquestionable.ā€

Defenders

Henry Kessler was a Matchday 1 hero, turning up with a late winner and helping the New England Revolution secure a clean sheet in their 1-0 win at Charlotte. The Revs center back was a threat on set pieces with three shots, and he picked up three bonus points for his efforts on the defensive end. Heā€™ll look to build on the strong start in a favorable home opener versus Houston Dynamo FC in Round 2 .

Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Henry Kessler
NE
vs. HOU
$6.5
2. Brooks Lennon
ATL
vs. TOR
$6.7
3. Diego Palacios
LAFC
vs. POR
$6.0
4. Leo Vaisanen
ATX
vs. MTL
$6.5
5. Kai Wagner
PHI
at MIA
$7.5
6. John Tolkin
RBNY
vs. NSH
$6.8
7. Julian Gressel
VAN
at SJ
$7.7
8. Brandon Bye
NE
vs. HOU
$6.5
9. Andrew Gutman
ATL
vs. TOR
$6.3
10. Alex Roldan
SEA
vs. RSL
$6.5
Value Defenders
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Jackson Ragen
SEA
vs. RSL
$5.5
2. Kipp Keller
ATX
vs. MTL
$4.9
3. John Nelson
STL
vs. CLT
$5.1

Midfielders

Carles Gil wasted no time reminding us heā€™s fully capable of racking up fantasy points, even without a goal or an assist. The star midfielder finished with seven points in Round 1 through a combination of bonus points in passes, crosses and big chances created. Look for Gil to be heavily involved again in a favorable home matchup with Houston.

Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Carles Gil
NE
vs. HOU
$9.7
2. Sebastian Driussi
ATX
vs. MRL
$9.3
3. Thiago Almada
ATL
vs. TOR
$9.5
4. Lucas Zelarayan
CLB
vs. DC
$9.2
5. Daniel Gazdag
PHI
at MIA
$9.5
6. Riqui Puig
LA
at DAL
$9.5
7. Hany Mukhtar
NSH
at RBNY
$9.9
8. Xherdan Shaqiri
CHI
vs. NYC
$8.5
9. Nicolas Lodeiro
SEA
vs. RSL
$8.5
10. Cristian Espinoza
SJ
vs. CLB
$8.5
11. Diego Fagundez
ATX
vs. RSL
$8.5
12. Evander
POR
at LAFC
$8.8
13. Luciano Acosta
CIN
at ORL
$8.8
14. Lewis Morgan
RBNY
vs. NSH
$8.0
15. Erik Thommy
SKC
at COL
$8.2
16. Jamiro Monteiro
SJ
vs. VAN
$8.3
17. Facundo Torres
ORL
vs. CIN
$8.9
18. Jose Cifuentes
LAFC
vs. POR
$8.0
19. Eduard Lowen
STL
vs. CLT
$7.0
20. Ryan Gauld
VAN
at SJ
$8.8
Value Midfielders
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Jared Stroud
STL
vs. CLT
$5.0
2. Damian Rivera
NE
vs. HOU
$4.2
3. Noel Buck
NE
vs. HOU
$4.3

Forwards

Luiz AraĆŗjo had a Round 1 to forget, scoring just 1 point despite having multiple chances to make his mark on the scoresheet. He fired off seven shots, second of all MLS players in Matchday 1, behind teammate Thiago Almada (8). After a strong preseason showing, and with newcomer Giorgos Giakoumakis still getting integrated, look for AraĆŗjo to continue being a focal point of Atlanta Unitedā€™s attack against a Toronto FC unit that conceded three times to D.C. United in their season opener.

Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Luiz AraĆŗjo
ATL
vs. TOR
$8.7
2. DĆ©nis Bouanga
LAFC
vs. POR
$8.0
3. Cucho HernƔndez
CLB
vs. DC
$8.7
4. Federico Bernardeschi
TOR
at ATL
$9.9
5. JuliƔn Carranza
PHI
at MIA
$9.0
6. JesĆŗs Ferreira
DAL
vs. LA
$8.4
7. Carlos Vela
LAFC
vs. POR
$9.0
8. Jeremy Ebobisse
SJ
vs. VAN
$8.8
9. Gyasi Zardes
ATX
vs. MTL
$7.7
10. Jordan Morris
SEA
vs. RSL
$8.4
Value Forwards
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Heber
SEA
vs. RSL
$7.5
2. Kwadwo Opoku
LAFC
vs. POR
$7.0
3. Cade Cowell
SJ
vs. VAN
$6.8
Captain
Player
Team
Opponent
Price
1. Carles Gil
NE
vs. HOU
$9.7
2. Sebastian Driussi
ATX
vs. MTL
$9.3
3. Luiz AraĆŗjo
ATL
vs. TOR
$8.7
MLS Squad Pick

Playing MLS Squad Pick is quick and easy. Pick 5 players for your squad. If they all score in the same Round, you win!

Expert advice: Jeremy Ebobisse opened his 2023 scoring account in Round 1, and heā€™s in a good spot to keep the momentum rolling at home against Vancouver (March 4, 10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).

Elsewhere, Iā€™m looking at go-to goalscorers who still need to get off the mark, and have good matchups in Round 2. Luiz AraĆŗjo came up empty-handed despite firing off 7 shots in Round 1. Until strike partner Giorgos Giakoumakis gets rolling, AraĆŗjo should continue to see multiple goal-scoring chances come his way.

Check out my squad for Round 2:

squad pick 3.3.23
MLS Parlay Predictor

Playing MLS Parlay Predictor is simple. Pick the results of all 6 games correctly in a single matchday to win!

Expert advice: LAFC and Columbus Crew are the two biggest home favorites in Round 2. With both clubs looking for their first win of 2023, Iā€™m banking on them to kickstart my parlay with two correct results.

Check out my predictions for Round 2:

Parly prediction 3.3.23