MLS Fantasy Rankings: Week 2

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Updated on March 13, 2019 2:31PM EST

The rankings below are based on Major League Soccer's official fantasy game and cover all games in Week 2. While they can be used for DFS purposes, they are done with a focus on the league's season-long game.

If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below, or hit up JD on Twitter @dfsMLS.

For detailed stats and odds, check out the MLS Fantasy: Week 2 Cheat Sheet, which is available to all RotoWire subscribers. Not a member yet? Try us for 10 days free, no credit card required, by clicking here.

MATCHES (ET)

SATURDAY

1:00 pm: Chicago Fire vs. Orlando City SC
2:00 pm: New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew
3:30 pm: FC Dallas vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
5:00 pm: Houston Dynamo vs. Montreal Impact
6:00 pm: Real Salt Lake vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
8:00 pm: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Minnesota United
10:00 pm: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Colorado Rapids

SUNDAY

3:00 pm: New York City FC vs. D.C. United
3:00 pm: Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union
5:00 pm: Atlanta United vs. FC Cincinnati
7:30 pm: Los Angeles Football Club vs. Portland Timbers

FORWARDS
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Carlos Vela	LAFC v. POR	10.8	In week 1, Vela was near the top of the league in shots (5), crosses (9), fouls drawn (5), successful dribbles (7), and touches in the opponents' box (9). And he did it all against a good SKC side. That level of activity won't often result in JUST 4 points.
2	Alexandru Mitrita	NYC v. DC	10.4	The Pigeons are lacking a veritable central attacking option, and the chemistry between Mitrita and his teammates needs some work, but NYC's big offseason signing looks like a true game changer. With four shots attempted from outside the box, Mitrita should stay aggressive no matter what's going on around him.
3	Raul Ruidiaz	SEA v. COL	10.6	Jordan Morris will be more popular after his two-goal return to action, but Ruidiaz will remain Seattle's premier scoring option.
4	Josef Martinez	ATL v. FCC	10.6	After a dismal CCL match in Monterrey, Atlanta may as well take some frustrations out against Cincy. Rotation is a concern though, so be prepared to pivot to Vela in the last match of the week if Josef rests.
5	Carlos Darwin Quintero	MIN at SJ	11.5	San Jose defenders might have to visit the world's longest outdoor bar at Avaya Stadium to drown their sorrows after Quintero has his way with them.
6	Wayne Rooney	DC at NYC	10.9	A fine play, but you have better ways to splash your cash this week.
7	~~Zlatan Ibrahimovic~~	~~LA at DAL~~	~~11.2~~	~~Given the Galaxy's struggles against a poor Fire defense last week, Dallas have a reasonable chance to stymie Zlatan and friends.~~
8	Adama Diomande	LAFC v. POR	9.6	Christian Ramirez could hold onto the starting job, but Dio made one heck of a claim with his last minute stunner. Ramirez would slot in ~5 spots lower if he starts instead.
9	Dominique Badji	DAL v. LA	7.1	Many viewed Dallas' opener as a disappointment, but I think there was a lot to like. Badji remains an intriguing forward option at a great cost.
10	Nemanja Nikolic	CHI v. ORL	9.0	Sapong started and was gifted a "gimme" last week, but Nikolic had been away for the birth of his child. If you want to bet on the newborn narrative, here's your chance. If you want to bet on Orlando's defense still being pretty bad, here's your chance.
11	Jordan Morris	SEA v. COL	8.5	Seattle won't see many matches against such a disorganized defense as in FC Cincinnatti's debut, but Morris showed some growth after a long injury absence and will be in the fantasy mix frequently.
12	Diego Rossi	LAFC v. POR	9.7	The goal was nice but his output was otherwise similarly quiet to last season. I really want to see more involvement before I drop $9.7 on a player.
13	Maximiliano Urruti	MTL at HOU	9.2	Remi Garde heaped praise on Urruti after the opener. It's looking more and more like Montreal could be a great fit.
14	Cristian Penilla	NE v. CLB	9.2	A bit quiet on the road in week one but should find some more room to operate at home against an adjusting Columbus side.
15	Mauro Manotas	HOU v. MTL	9.7	Will be a mainstay in the top-10 most weeks, but having played CCL on Wednesday with another crucial match next week, I'm not certain he'll start or play enough minutes.
16	Chris Wondolowski	SJ v. MIN	6.8	Minnesota gave up two set piece headed goals last week. Wondo is pretty good at those. He'll also likely take any penalties, which late career Ike Opara always feels close to conceding.
17	Dom Dwyer	ORL at CHI	8.9	Assuming health and fitness, Dwyer will enjoy one of his better road fixtures of the season against a Chicago team needing half of a back line.
18	Alberth Elis	HOU v. MTL	9.1	Was close to an assist last week if Boniek Garcia could stay onside, but he also has CCL concerns. Montreal are as comfortable without the ball as Houston, so the counter may not be as susceptible as the Dynamo's dynamo would like.
19	Gyasi Zardes	CLB at NE	9.2	Maybe the Revs get a clean sheet, but I'm certainly not going to be the one to bet on it. Gyasi's first game under Caleb Porter showed encouraging signs.
20	Fredy Montero	VAN at RSL	8.8	Fredy's involvement was encouraging. I think he can improve upon his last stint with Vancouver, even being two years further from his prime.

MIDFIELDERS
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Nicolas Lodeiro	SEA v. COL	11.5	The price change algorithm is surely going to begin pulling strongly downward for Lodeiro, but he should keep it at bay one more week thanks to the week 1 total. The only reason you fade Lodeiro this week would be because you like other Seattle options nearly as much and want to save some cash for other players.
2	Albert Rusnak	RSL v. VAN	10.5	Rusnak had a hand in almost everything good RSL did in week one. They should roll at home against a Whitecaps side that needs a few more weeks to gel.
3	Maximiliano Moralez	NYC v. DC	10.6	Umm please don't play him as a false 9 ever again, Dome.
4	Pity Martinez	ATL v. FCC	10.1	Pity took a knock during the second half of the CCL match, so we'll be monitoring as the week progresses. If he plays, Cincy probably can't contain him.
5	Vako	SJ v. MIN	8.8	Almeyda should be a boon for Vako's game and fantasy output, but it will take more time to fully grasp the Quakes than most other MLS teams this year.
6	Victor Rodriguez	SEA v. COL	8.5	VRod looked every bit as good as Lodeiro and Jordan Morris in week 1. His strong chance of a price rise is encouraging, too.
7	Luciano Acosta	DC at NYC	11.0	Even without the gifted goal from Brad Guzan last week, Lucho would have had a promising outing.
8	Aleksandar Katai	CHI v. ORL	8.4	Orlando's defense is pretty green and Brian Rowe is one of the league's worst starting keepers.
9	Ignacio Piatti	MTL at HOU	11.3	Houston hung with Tigres for most of the CCL match this week. If they rest their starters, as they should, then Piatti could have a field day.
10	Djordje Mihailovic	CHI v. ORL	7.7	Don't want to catch the falling knife here with the price drop, but the matchup is favorable.
11	Michael Barrios	DAL v. LA	7.9	Galaxy's Jorgen Skjelvik wasn't all that great of a centerback, so yes please let's isolate him at left back against Barrios!
12	Carles Gil	NE v. CLB	9.4	Knowing when to play Gil is going to be tough, but given Friedel's demands on both sides of the ball, his bonus point totals at home should be strong.
13	Lee Nguyen	LAFC v. POR	8.1	Disappointing first match after a preseason pulling the strings. We'll have to continue monitoring how Nguyen fits into this multifaceted LAFC offense.
14	Nani	ORL at CHI	9.4	High quality effort in his brief appearance. If he's fit enough to start the match, Chicago are going to have problems.
15	Marco Fabian	PHI at SKC	9.4	Fabian was a focal point of the Union in week one, but will have a tough first road test against a Sporting side that rested some players in CCL leg one.
16	Magnus Eriksson	SJ v. MIN	7.4	Reaped the benefits of a more central attacking position in the opener. He's on some set pieces as well, which Minnesota did not defend well last week or last year.
17	Sebastian Blanco	POR at LAFC	10.5	Given the price and matchup, I don't expect Blanco to get much use in serious fantasy lineups this week.
18	Ezequiel Barco	ATL v. FCC	7.7	A good week will stop the price bleeding and probably boost him back up a bit. He'll have every opportunity against a reeling FCC.
19	Saphir Taider	MTL at HOU	11.0	Remained involved in set pieces, led Montreal attackers in touches by 15, and tallied four chances created. Too expensive, but would be a good pick if Houston rested starters.
20	Diego Valeri	POR at LAFC	11.0	Enormous week 1 stats thanks to playing up a man in a blizzard against a "meh" Rapids group. Don't expect that this week in LA.

DEFENDERS
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Kim Kee-Hee	SEA v. COL	5.4	Thanks to a 3-player per team max, you may not even be able to fit a Seattle defender in your lineup. If you can, Kee-Hee should spend all match clearing crosses away from Kei Kamara.
2	Brad Smith	SEA v. COL	5.3	Assuming Smith continues to start over Nouhou Tolo, his playmaking upside makes him quite appealing.
3	Graham Zusi	SKC v. PHI	6.8	Based on Peter Vermes' non-rotation in week one, and rotation for leg one of CCL this week, it looks like the Supporters Shield is a high priority. Zusi should get the start in a pretty good matchup against Philly this weekend.
4	Kelvin Leerdam	SEA v. COL	5.5	Got into just the right spot for his opportunistic week one goal, but I still lean Smith given that he's cheaper and likely to contribute assists and crosses a bit more consistently.
5	Leandro Gonzalez Pirez	ATL v. FCC	6.4	Unless you're banking on Bertone striking another heat-seeker into the bottom left corner, Atlanta have a really good chance at a clean sheet.
6	Reggie Cannon	DAL v. LA	5.6	Based on the Galaxy's struggles and Dallas' possession with purpose last week, Cannon should see a healthy amount of opportunity in the attacking third.
7	Miles Robinson	ATL v. FCC	5.1	Few reasons to spend up for LGP when you can just take Robinson.
8	Chad Marshall	SEA v. COL	6.0	He's a set piece threat, but less likely for bonus points in this match than the other Sounders defenders already mentioned. He's also more expensive than the rest of them.
9	Michael Parkhurst	ATL v. FCC	5.6	A pure clean sheet play.
10	Matt Besler	SKC v. PHI	6.9	Depending on Fontas' injury, Besler may continue to be pressed into action for both MLS and CCL matches, without reprieve.
11	Reto Ziegler	DAL v. LA	5.7	Ziegler and Hedges completed more passes than anyone outside of Anibal Godoy in week one. Those two potential bonus points shouldn't be scoffed at!
12	Marcelo	CHI v. ORL	5.3	I don't believe in the Chicago defense (until some of these rumored signings come through), but I also don't truly buy the Orlando attack on the road quite yet.
13	Harrison Afful	CLB at NE	6.7	If you thought Berhalter wanted Afful to push up the pitch, wait until I tell you about this Caleb Porter dude...
14	Matt Hedges	DAL v. LA	6.5	Ziegler, but $0.8 more expensive and without the chance of taking a penalty kick.
15	Walker Zimmerman	LAFC v. POR	7.0	Zimmerman is a set piece target and will always have a clean sheet opportunity on one of the league's best teams.
16	Leonardo Jara	DC at NYC	6.5	Really encouraging debut for DC United. Could quicklty prove to be one of the league's most aggressively offensive fullbacks.
17	Steven Beitashour	LAFC v. POR	6.1	Squeaked into the defender rankings, but the price is a little high for what he'll offer this week.
18	Nick Lima	SJ v. MIN	5.3	Both Lima and Lopez on the opposite side will have strong offensive potential all season.
19	Edgar Castillo	NE v. CLB	5.7	Castillo and Penilla make for a dangerous left flank in New England.
20	Ryan Hollingshead	DAL v. LA	4.8	A great value for a switcheroo bench option.

GOALKEEPERS
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Stefan Frei	SEA v. COL	6.0	No surprises here.
2	Brad Guzan	ATL v. FCC	5.9	Guzan could use a bounce back game after a few rough matches. An expansion dud could be just what the doctor ordered.
3	Tim Melia	SKC v. PHI	6.0	A favorite to lead the league in clean sheets this year, Melia has a decent chance when SKC host the Union.
4	David Ousted	CHI v. ORL	4.9	After three tough seasons following his Goalkeeper of the Year runner-up in 2015, Outsted played well in week one. His price combined with the earliest kickoff of the weekend make him appealing in some switcheroo scenarios.
5	Tyler Miller	LAFC v. POR	5.6	Reasonable matchup, reasonable price.
6	Nick Rimando	RSL v. VAN	5.5	I think Vancouver have more pop than most are giving them credit for.
7	Joe Willis	HOU v. MTL	5.1	This looks like it could be a career year for Willis and Montreal are a team relatively content to sit back and defend on the road.
8	Jesse Gonzalez	DAL v. LA	5.6	With Alessandrini ailing, Dallas just need to focus on stopping one gargantuan legendary Swede.
9	Sean Johnson	NYC v. DC	6.0	Wishful thinking and a lack of other appealing matchups equal Sean Johnson at home sneaking into the top 10.
10	Zack Steffen	CLB at NE	6.2	The Revs can go scoreless any given week and Columbus have a group that is familiar with playing together, which can mean a decent amount early in the year.

VALUE RANKINGS
(forwards and midfielders under $7.5, defenders under $6.0; not ranked above)
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Chris Mueller	ORL at CHI	7.0	I suspect he won't dominate set pieces when Nani gets into action, but he was extremely impressive last week.
2	Santiago Mosquera	DAL v. LA	7.4	Disappointing first performance, but I still think there's some potential here.
3	Gerso Fernandes	SKC v. PHI	6.7	One of the best fantasy bargains at this price, but buyers beware of another price drop.
4	Paxton Pomykal	DAL v. LA	5.7	May be given a shot to make his mark in the Dallas attack and given the early kickoff, he's a good bench option.
5	Krisztian Nemeth	SKC v. PHI	7.2	Probably will be pulled off early due to CCL, but he's a good bet for a goal.
6	Jordan Harvey	LAFC v. POR	5.3	Dio's wingman last week is certainly worth a look at this price.
7	Miguel Ibarra	MIN at SJ	7.5	A relatively quiet but strong week 1. Now provides us with cheap exposure to a San Jose I think we should be targetting every week until proven otherwise.
8	Corey Baird	RSL v. VAN	6.9	He will be a popular third forward and for good reason.
9	George Bello	ATL v. FCC	4.5	Atlanta desperately need some wingbacks to get healthy. Brek Shea and a wrong-sided Mikey Ambrose are honestly USL level at this point.

CAPTAIN RANKINGS
Rank	Player	Matchup	Price	Notes
1	Nicolas Lodeiro	SEA v. COL	11.5	If it ain't broke...
2	Carlos Vela	LAFC v. POR	10.8	Portland are just good enough to give me pause from ranking Vela #1.
3	Alexandru Mitrita	NYC v. DC	10.4	I don't blame you if you need him to prove it for a week or two first, but I'm sold on Mitrita.
4	Raul Ruidiaz	SEA v. COL	10.6	Slightly less of a focal point than #5 Josef Martinez, but doesn't have CCL or a new coach doing weird stuff.
5	Josef Martinez	ATL v. FCC	10.6	More upside than Ruidiaz and with a better matchup, but I can't get over how disjointed Atlanta look sometimes. Even if Atlanta boss MLS from mid-April onward, we may never get 2018 Josef back under "Frank de Boer-ing".