DiffeRANCHals: 2026 Week 8

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Welcome back to diffeRANCHals season 5! I can’t believe we already are at 5 consecutive seasons of doing an article about differentials. I wouldn’t have been able to continue for this long without the support of all of the readers along with the contributors who have stepped up to help out. This season is going to be a little bit different compared to previous season due to the divide among locations of where people are playing the fantasy MLS games. For this reason, Meg and I will be focusing on differentials with Kickbase while Matt is focusing on FUTD and xChandyo will be joining the team to write about Sofascore. We’re so excited for this season and hopefully all of you are too. Let’s get into it!

Meg: Japhat Sery Larsen, $14.1m (Defender – Philadelphia)

I know, you are all thinking…come on Meg they have only looked decent literally last game…but here me out. They are at home and they are hosting DC United who also has not looked great. I think Sery Larsen is a safe defender for starting off strong and leading high chances of a CS.

Meg: Stijn Spierings, $12.2m (Midfielder – RSL)

RSL as an entire team has just looked so cohesive all season. It is like all of the moving pieces have finally found their right places. Spierings can essentially play anywhere on the pitch, however he is a natural 10. He sets up big plays often and maybe, one of those turns into a goal for himself. Regardless, this guy generate solid points in the midfield.

Meg: Julian Hall, $5.1m (Forward – NY Redbulls)

Hall is a young player that brings a ton of determination and heart to his games. He talks about how he enjoys playing with players that watched and helped shape him into the type of player that he is today in a few of his interviews. He isn’t afraid of the challenge, he aims to just be himself and play the game he loves. This week they travel to Montreal, and well we all know they have been on the struggle bus for a while. I think that makes Hall a great differential forward this week. With the way the redbulls are playing, Hall is definitely worth considering. 

Matt’s FUTD Differentials

Week Results: 0, 6, 6

Matt: Sery Larsen, $4m (Defender – Philadelphia)

Philly finally picked up their first league win of 2026. While their team is still meh, playing against DCU is what is tempting here. I have Sery Larsen here is a cheap option, but I’d try to find a way into this Philly backline this week in general.

Matt: Jeevan Badwal, $2.9 (Midfielder – Vancouver)

SKC is awful. Vancouver is good. If you can hop on a Whitecaps attacking piece for this game, do so immediately. Badwal is incredibly cheap and seems to have a fairly good floor. 

Matt: Tiago $4.4m (Forward – Orlando)

While Orlando still are struggling, I like this matchup at home against Houston a lot. There is a good chance he is still available on waivers and if he’s there, he’s a solid hold option and should be a consideration to start depending on your forward line. 

 

Chandyo’s SofaScore Differentials

Camacho did well last week with a 6. Langoni was a bust with just 2 points. Preston Judd did a little better, only getting a 4 on the SofaScore Platform. 

Week Results: 6, 2, 4

Season Results: 3 Great, 4 Good, 3 Average, 7 Bust

Detail the ranking system, here is the metric: bust = 3 or fewer points (or did not play), average = 4-5 points, good = 6-8 points, great = 9+ points. 

Chandyo:  DEF – Noel Caliskan (5.6M) – RSL – Very low ownership (0.8%), coming off a bye, and part of an RSL side that’s looked solid this season—this checks a lot of boxes. Caliskan also plays higher up the pitch, often in a more midfield-like role, which boosts his scoring opportunities (like last match when he grabbed a brace).

Chandyo:MID – Dylan Chambost (7.0M) – CLB – Losing Abou Ali will definitely hurt Columbus, no doubt about it. That said, someone has to step up, and Chambost is in a great spot to do just that. He’s on corners and has posted back-to-back 7-point performances. The downside is the trip to NE, but imo he still has a strong chance to deliver solid returns.

Chandyo: FWD – Tiago (4.5M) – ORL – I got to watch the ORL/CLB game and was impressed with how solid Tiago looked. He didn’t score, but he did pick up an assist. At home against Houston, I think he has a real chance to find the back of the net. The main concern is whether he starts, but I personally think he does after last week’s preformance.