This article is part of our MLS Fantasy Rankings series.
The rankings below are based on Major League Soccer's official fantasy game and cover all games in Week 30. 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.
Forwards | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Carlos Vela | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 15.7 | Vela playing center forward? Risk of LAFC resting Vela since they have already clinched Supporters Shield? Both are risks, but it's also always a giant risk to not use Vela in fantasy. |
2 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 13.3 | If Zlatan doesn't start Wednesday, we have plenty of later matches to adjust. Once the Galaxy are comfortably in the playoffs it's fair to question how motivated he will be in the final matches of the season. |
3 | Brian Fernandez | POR v. NE, at SKC | 9.1 | Have I led you astray about a half dozen times with Fernandez this Fall season? My team has felt the pain too, keeping me at about #30 OVR compared to probably pushing the Top 10. I'm not keeping the faith just to be stubborn - Fernandez has been close and is the calibre of player that should come up large in these upcoming matches. After experiencing some dizziness last match, it's worth monitoring whether he is fit to play both this week or not. |
4 | Carlos Darwin Quintero | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 9.0 | Quintero has been picking up his play and two home games make him an appealing option for those who have been burned by Fernandez too many times. |
5 | Diego Rossi | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 8.9 | |
6 | Brian Rodriguez | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 7.3 | Rodriguez from your fantasy bench is a good way to save some cash while still allowing for plenty of upside and limiting your risk. |
7 | Valentin Castellanos | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 6.9 | |
8 | Gustavo Bou | NE at POR, v. NYC | 10.3 | Bou played half of the last match but is still managing an injury and Bruce Arena has promised some rotation of these last three matches. |
9 | Alexandru Mitrita | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 9.1 | This would make for another great bench gamble, but if you are right in the thick of a tight race in the standings, I think it would be a gamble to put him right into your lineup. |
10 | Kacper Przybylko | PHI at SJ, at CLB | 9.9 | |
11 | Mason Toye | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 5.4 | Vela + Zlatan owners should strongly consider Toye or Ebobisse as salary relief options. |
12 | Jeremy Ebobisse | POR v. NE, at SKC | 5.6 | It doesn't really work like this, but Ebobisse owes Portland a goal after last match. If Fernandez has some health concerns and sits a match, Ebobisse jumps up the rankings a handful of spots. |
13 | Mauro Manotas | HOU at LAFC, at RSL | 10.1 | |
14 | Heber Araujo dos Santos | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 10.3 | Heber appears set to return on Wednesday, but I can't be certain he will play both matches (especially if they win Wednesday) so he's ranked down here. |
15 | Sam Johnson | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 5.8 | Another sneaky third forward for your bench. RSL will want to get him going as they head into the playoffs. |
16 | Alberth Elis | HOU at LAFC, at RSL | 8.1 | |
17 | Christian Ramirez | HOU at LAFC, at RSL | 7.5 | |
18 | Hector Villalba | ATL at NYC, at MTL | 6.4 | Should/could be in for Josef up top in the first match and even 30 minutes in the second would put him in play as a semi-appealing differential. |
19 | Zdenek Ondrasek | DAL at COL | 7.0 | The only single game week forward I've ranked, but it doesn't mean I would strongly consider using him. |
20 | Corey Baird | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 4.9 |
Midfielders | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Diego Valeri | POR v. NE, at SKC | 13.0 | In what could be his final matches with the Timbers, I'm willing to bet Valeri will not allow his team to miss the playoffs. |
2 | Maximiliano Moralez | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 11.8 | If his injury still lingers and NYC win on Wednesday, there's a chance he rests on Sunday. |
3 | Magnus Eriksson | SJ v. PHI, v. SEA | 10.8 | While he won't be listed below, I think Eriksson is a smart differential pick for captain. The absence of dynamic Cristian Espinoza is a small concern for the entire SJ offense on Wednesday but not enough to outweigh a desperate team with a great coach and two home games. |
4 | Cristian Pavon | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 11.0 | Pavon and the Galaxy are peaking at the right time. |
5 | Albert Rusnak | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 11.0 | Rusnak could make a case to be as high as #3 this week. His inconsistency and slightly lower upside to Eriksson and Pavon keep him at #5 though. |
6 | Pity Martinez | ATL at NYC, at MTL | 9.9 | Pity has a chance to make a statement in a key Wednesday match without Josef Martinez. He has been playing really well and could be a good non-template pick for your fantasy teams. |
7 | Carles Gil | NE at POR, v. NYC | 13.1 | Price and being one yellow away from suspension could keep him off of many teams this week. |
8 | Eduard Atuesta | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 10.8 | When LAFC were rolling, Atuesta was an elite double game week selection. The primary reason for his slip here is risk of rotation, but also the teams form has factored in slightly. |
9 | Jan Gregus | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 9.9 | Gregus is always the guy we wish we had room/budget for. Due to his limited attacking potential he will likely fall into the same category for many this week. |
10 | Vako | SJ v. PHI, v. SEA | 9.4 | |
11 | Felipe Gutierrez | SKC at MIN, v. POR | 10.9 | Guti is so good that even on a downtrodden team with risk of rotation, I think he could be a wise selection. |
12 | Sebastian Blanco | POR v. NE, at SKC | 9.9 | Should play closer to 120 minutes than 180 due to fitness concerns as he works his way back from injury. He's so good and Portland are in such a crucial situation that he still makes a good case to be in your lineups. |
13 | Jonathan dos Santos | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 9.0 | Like Atuesta and Gregus, he should be higher but there are a lot of good choices this week. |
14 | Jefferson Savarino | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 10.7 | Very boom/bust player that many chasers could look to this week. |
15 | Jamiro Monteiro | PHI at SJ, at CLB | 8.9 | |
16 | Latif Blessing | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 9.1 | |
17 | Damir Kreilach | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 8.5 | A smart pick for RSL exposure in your 5th midfield spot. |
18 | Johnny Russell | SKC at MIN, v. POR | 9.1 | |
19 | Mark-Anthony Kaye | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 9.2 | |
20 | Kevin Molino | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 8.1 |
Defenders | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Romain Metanire | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 9.2 | In 12 home games, Metanire has compiled seven clean sheets, four assists and a goal. I'll take those rates any day. |
2 | Jorge Moreira | POR v. NE, at SKC | 9.7 | With 13 key passes and 8 crosses in the past four matches, Moreira should be good for some bonus points and attacking potential during two crucial matches. A clean sheet is certainly in play, too. |
3 | Ronald Matarrita | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 5.8 | Matarrita's lower floor / higher ceiling than the corresponding centerbacks is a decision you'll have to reconcile, but with four bonus points of his own last match he certainly can get it done multiple ways. |
4 | Ike Opara | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 8.6 | Subbed out at halftime last match with a "stomach bug". He should be good to go, but maybe also worth noting that it's been passing through the rest of the locker room. |
5 | Florian Jungwirth | SJ v. PHI, v. SEA | 7.7 | Flo is good for 6 bonus points over the two matches and a clean sheet would put him over the top. San Jose are neck and neck with Portland for the final spot and the veteran defender will make sure to be at his best. |
6 | Alexander Callens | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 7.1 | |
7 | Justen Glad | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 9.5 | No goals, no assists, and potentiall has to play Zlatan? You can spend allocate your funds better than on Glad's hefty price tag, but he should still have a good week. |
8 | Maxime Chanot | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 6.8 | |
9 | Walker Zimmerman | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 5.7 | Zimmerman has been pretty rough lately, but the price is good and I think LAFC could grab a clean sheet this week. |
10 | Eddie Segura | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 7.0 | |
11 | Aaron Herrera | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 7.8 | |
12 | Tommy Thompson | SJ v. PHI, v. SEA | 7.2 | Could have an increased attacking role if SJ go down in either match. They'll feel like they need all three points in each. |
13 | Daniel Steres | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 5.0 | |
14 | Rolf Feltscher | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 5.1 | Rested after his yellow card suspension and finally made good on that assist potential in the prior match! |
15 | Larrys Mabiala | POR v. NE, at SKC | 8.4 | |
16 | Michael Boxall | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 8.7 | Wilfried Moimbe is a good shout too, but you'd have to be more confident of his guaranteed minutes than I do. |
17 | Jordan Harvey | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 6.0 | |
18 | Donny Toia | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 7.9 | |
19 | Diego Polenta | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 6.6 | |
20 | Leandro Gonzalez Pirez | ATL at NYC, at MTL | 8.9 |
Goalkeepers | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Sean Johnson | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 7.5 | Atlanta will be without Josef Martinez and New England have cooled off considerably. For their part, NYC are likely without Tinnerholm and Parks. The only worry here is that NYC clinch the #1 seed in the East prior to Sunday and for some reason choose to rotate Johnson. |
2 | Nick Rimando | RSL v. LA, v. HOU | 8.8 | If Zlatan doesn't suit up at altitude then Rimando would be #1. |
3 | Vito Mannone | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 8.8 | Minnesota and Mannone have shown plenty of quality at home and I certainly could make a case for him at #1. However, LAFC will pose a tall task and SKC have been scoring at a healthy clip on the road despite their poor results. |
4 | Tyler Miller | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 7.0 | Home to Houston is about as easy as a fixture can get and LAFC will be keen to put Minnesota back in their place after the Loons went to LAFC and won 2-0 a few games back. Sisniega looms as a chance to jeopardize Miller's dual starts. |
5 | Daniel Vega | SJ v. PHI, v. SEA | 6.1 | Two good opponents, though Philly could choose to rest some players. The Quakes have only allowed three goals in their last six home matches, making Vega a very good play (these are close and crowded rankings!). |
6 | Steve Clark | POR v. NE, at SKC | 8.4 | I really don't think it'd be shocking for Portland to grab two clean sheets this week. |
7 | David Bingham | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 6.8 | Like Clark, Bingham is still very much in play despite the lower ranking. |
8 | Andre Blake | PHI at SJ, at CLB | 5.9 | The final three here are a sizeable jump below the top 7 in my opinion. |
9 | Brad Guzan | ATL at NYC, at MTL | 7.8 | |
10 | Matt Turner | NE at POR, v. NYC | 7.1 |
Value Rankings | ||||
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(forwards and midfielders under $7.5, defenders under $6.0; not ranked above) | ||||
Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Sebastian Lletget | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 7.3 | |
2 | Steven Beitashour | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 5.6 | Beitashour was justifiably subbed out at halftime last match after looking exploitable. That makes me question his potential for 180 minutes this week. |
3 | Carlos Uriel Antuna | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 6.3 | |
4 | Eric Miller | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 4.0 | |
5 | Gerso Fernandes | SKC at MIN, v. POR | 7.0 | Anton Tinnerholm's concussion may create an opportunity for Miller to start twice. |
6 | Billel Tuiloma | POR v. NE, at SKC | 5.2 | |
7 | Nick Lima | SJ v. PHI, v. SEA | 4.7 | If Tuiloma supplants Dielna for Wednesday's match, I'd be pretty confident in him starting both games. |
8 | Emerson Hyndman | ATL at NYC, at MTL | 5.2 | |
9 | Erik Hurtado | SKC at MIN, v. POR | 5.2 | |
10 | Teal Bunbury | NE at POR, v. NYC | 5.6 |
Captain Rankings | ||||
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Rank | Player | Matchup | Price | Notes |
1 | Diego Valeri | POR v. NE, at SKC | 13.0 | My Timbers bias is showing. But I'm not bamboozling you here; Valeri has a better chance to start both game in my opinion and he also has more to play for. |
2 | Carlos Vela | LAFC v. HOU, at MIN | 15.7 | That some people are considering not rostering Vela at all this week semi-justifies his rare appearance below #1 in the captain's rankings. |
3 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | LA at RSL, v. VAN | 13.3 | If he truly wants to chase the Golden Boot, he will need a big two games. It's tough to gauge but I think he'll be the most captained player among the sharp fantasy owners this week (assuming he starts Wednesday). |
4 | Maximiliano Moralez | NYC v. ATL, at NE | 11.8 | Heber's return should boost NYCFC even further. Maxi sits a tier below the favorite captains due to limited goalscoring upside and a chance at sitting on Sunday. |
5 | Carlos Darwin Quintero | MIN v. SKC, v. LAFC | 9.0 | Safer than Fernandez and playing for a new contract and home field advantage. Some of the midfielders are close, but if you're going for it all in your league Darwin may be the better gamble. |