MLS Fantasy Boss A Fantasy MLS Community
Best Teams for Fantasy Value
To kick off our 2024 MLS Fantasy coverage, I polled 15 of the top players from the MLS Fantasy Boss Discord community to find out which teams are standing out as top sources for players at the start of the season and which could have hidden gems. These early players will be essential for building your team value and setting yourself up for long term success!
*Note: I’ve been asked to add that this survey was taken PRIOR to preseason games.
Top 5 teams to target in the Eastern Conference for fantasy players
- Columbus Crew – 100%
- FC Cincinnati – 93%
- Inter Miami CF – 87%
- Philadelphia Union – 73%
- Atlanta United – 73%
With both the 2023 MLS Cup Champion and Supporter’s Shield winner both residing in the Eastern Conference, it’s no surprise to see Columbus and FC Cincinnati topping this list. It’s nice to see results actually bumping Inter Miami down to third place, but it would be foolish to ignore Messi with a full MLS season. Philadelphia and Atlanta round off the top five thanks to strong results and proven fantasy players. An honorable mention goes out to the New England Revolution, who earned 40% of the votes which I think fairly represents a more match-up dependent set of player options.
Top 5 teams to target in the Western Conference for fantasy players
- Los Angeles FC – 80%
- Seattle Sounders FC – 80%
- Houston Dynamo FC – 60%
- LA Galaxy – 60%
- Vancouver Whitecaps – 60%
As you can see, the results for the Western Conference were much more of a mixed bag. A lot of this is due to a higher saturation of quality teams, sorry Eastern Conference. Seattle and LAFC are likely the only teams with the player who could reasonably hit your three player max to your fantasy team, however Houston and Vancouver will have midfielders who are almost always worth considering. The surprise for me is LA Galax. Second to last and the Waest in 2023 and a lot of moves during the break. There are hopes, but I want results first. Honorable mention goes to St. Louis SC with 33% and the biggest snub in my opinion.
Top 3 teams in the Eastern Conference who could have surprise fantasy gems
- New York Red Bulls
- New York City FC
- CF Montreal
All three of these teams struggled in 2023 and had few players who ever consistently entered fantasy conversations outside of differentials. However, new coaches, returning players, cutting of underperformers, and an influx of international youth are all elements that could change their importance in 2024. They all have a solid foundation, but that does not always equal consistent fantasy points.
Top 3 teams in the Western Conference who could have surprise fantasy gems
- Colorado Rapids
- Real Salt Lake
- LA Galaxy
Similar to the Eastern Conference teams, all of these teams struggled in 2023 with Real Salt Lake being the only team to make the playoffs, however inconsistent performance kept many of their players from being consistently fantasy viable. Of the teams, I’m most excited by Colorado. There has been A LOT of change within the Rapids organization and the potential for under the radar fantasy value is high. I honestly love that LA Galaxy is on both lists because I think this captures well how unsure many managers are about the Galaxy’s potential as we gear up for the season.
Great kickoff article