DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Saturday MLS (Late) Picks

Barreling towards Week 2, we once again have three separate MLS slates and a lot to unpack from the opening weekend. Here, we'll focus on the Saturday night set of four matches.

While this article focuses on DraftKings contests, it should translate well to the official MLS version that now comes with unlimited weekly transfers. For a deeper dive into both formats, check out our weekly RotoWire Fantasy Soccer Podcast - MLS edition. You would also be remiss to not take a peek at Andrew Laird's MLS Cheat Sheet.

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7:00 p.m. EST

Seattle's defense was given some trouble by Houston's quick front three, but they bounced back to have a commanding second half that came up just short. Montreal have speed up top as well. Another matchup to watch is Seattle's exemplary midfield versus Montreal's old midfielders who don't quite look up to speed yet this season. Montreal are the home team, but a lot of signals are pointing to Seattle being the team putting the pressure on in this one, while the Impact sit back and try to strike on the counter.

Favorite Plays:

Ignacio Piatti, MTL v. SEA ($9,400): Piatti always ends up being one of the most interesting puzzle pieces when I approach a daily fantasy contest. His ceiling is as high as almost anyone, as he's capable of brilliant assists, or jaw dropping runs to goal where he dribbles a handful of defenders. He also drops a few matches on us like last week, where he's relatively quiet and tends to not take set pieces. He's a huge risk, but against a Seattle team with a defensive midfielder thrust into the right-back role, I think he puts on a good show for the home opener.

Gustav Svensson, SEA at MTL ($3,500): Speaking of that midfielder turned right-back, Svensson will have a tough task with Piatti, but we just saw Nick Lima put up a good fantasy day in spite of that matchup. For his part, Svensson crossed the ball six times and took two shots despite having to defend Romell Quioto, a talented player in his own right. There are plenty of interesting defenders to pick from in this batch of games, but none are more affordable than Svensson, who acquitted himself well in Week 1.

Other notables:

Nicolas Lodeiro ($10,000), by most accounts, had a so-so match in Houston, but he still put 13 crosses into the box. Marco Donadel ($5,300) should remain on corners for Montreal and tends to step up in significant matches, which a home opener against the MLS Cup Champions might be considered. Ambroise Oyongo ($5,000) and Dominic Oduro ($5,800) are crazy fast and this match will be on the gnarly but quick playing Stade Saputo turf, where Montreal have the benefit of practicing in the lead up to the handful of matches they play there.

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8:30 p.m.

The midfield battle here will be interesting, with Houston getting their first look at new defensive midfield rock Juan Cabezas. The Crew midfield controlled much of their match and were unlucky to get a better result.

Favorite Plays:

Romell Quioto, HOU v. CLB ($6,000): Quioto followed up a raucous preseason with another screaming good game in Week 1. His goal was voted best of the week and he split corner kick duties with Alex. Quioto's forward eligibility helps make him an attractive play until he proves that he has the floor to trust in a midfield spot. Columbus defender Harrison Afful will prove a tougher task than Gustav Svensson for Quioto, but I'm willing to ride the hot hand in Houston.

Zack Steffen, CLB at HOU ($4,300): Plenty of people will play opposition keeper Tyler Deric in this one, but for $900 less, I'm willing to roll with Steffen. He's not an elite MLS keeper, but the talented youngster held his own last week and should see enough shots to earn a nice total Saturday night. Houston's goals were both from outside the box, and they didn't threaten all that much inside of it. Columbus were very close to keeping a clean sheet against Chicago until one bad moment against the electric David Accam. If they can hold Quioto and the even faster Alberth Elis in check, I could see Columbus stealing the match on the road with a clean sheet.

Other notables:

Justin Meram ($7,200) has the tools to toast A.J. DeLaGarza on the left wing, but he comes at a steep price. Erick "Cubo" Torres ($5,000) is the most affordable no. 9 on the slate. Jukka Raitala ($3,900) will have his hands full with Alberth Elis, but he showed a nose for getting involved in the attack last weekend from the left back spot.

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9:00 p.m.

Favorite Plays:

Kellyn Acosta, DAL at SKC ($4,500): Acosta has three goals in three matches for Dallas this season, including a clutch winner last week in Los Angeles. We all knew he was a great young player, but this is a whole different gear and he's making a big push for U.S. national team minutes. Thanks to the injury to Mauro Diaz, Acosta gets to step up and control the Dallas midfield, with threatening wingers on either side and two hard working forwards occupying the centerbacks in front of him. While we shouldn't expect the goal scoring to continue, Acosta's defender eligibility is a little too good to pass up, even in a tough matchup at Kansas City.

Jimmy Medranda, SKC v. DAL ($4,900): While we're spotlighting out of position players, let's consider Medranda's new spot on the Kansas City right wing. He continues to be one of the most hardworking and energetic players on the field each and every time he plays, and he has earned the trust of his coach in virtually any scenario. He'll have to help Graham Zusi handle Roland Lamah on the Dallas left wing, but the task should only help him accumulate peripheral points while we can hope for a bonus assist to a dangerous Dom Dwyer. Like Acosta, don't mistake Medranda for a scoring powerhouse, but do consider the savings you get when selecting this high floor midfield piece.

Other notables:

Michael Barrios ($5,400) and Gerso Fernandes ($5,700) are each big threats for their respective sides on the wing. They won't get as close to goal as some other forward options, but they'll fit well in your second spot. Tim Melia ($4,900) had himself quite the match and could see a healthy dose of shots on goal from the visiting side. Benny Feilhaber ($8,200) looked phenomenal as well, but the matchup here is tough for him.

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10:30 p.m.

Favorite Plays:

Chris Wondolowski, SJE v. VAN ($7,400): The evergreen Wondo threw five shots on target in the opener and doesn't look to have lost a step. In fact, Marcos Urena's hustle putting pressure on opposing defenses should free up Wondo even more. San Jose only got one goal despite playing a man up for about half an hour, but they look more dangerous than they have in the past, and Wondolowski has the best goal odds on this slate.

Brek Shea, VAN at SJE ($4,200): Recommending Shea is a bit painful, but if he starts on the wing, or even at striker as he did in the Champions League match, then we must consider him. He looks motivated after being shipped out of Orlando, and probably realizes this is his last chance to be an impact player professionally. While Shea's position is not secured, we can easily pivot to Alphonso Davies, who is also an exciting attacker, for $200 less. While I doubt both start, you could even roll the dice with both, and be content pivoting to a San Jose defender or the aerially superior Kendall Waston for Vancouver.

Other notables:

Jahmir Hyka ($5,700) let some of us down when he didn't start the last match, but with Simon Dawkins possibly missing out, he could be thrust into the starting lineup; he should perform well when that happens. David Ousted ($4,200) remains one of the better keepers in the league, and Vancouver picked up a clean sheet last week. Even in San Jose, the Earthquakes haven't been mistaken for an offensive powerhouse for quite some time, and I'd feel comfortable rolling with Ousted between the sticks.