Matchups are one of the most important factors to consider when crafting your fantasy lineup each week. In MLS, where home field provides a greater advantage than most leagues, players frequently deal with cross-country travel and multiple competitions, which can impact performance. It’s important to consider these factors, as well as performance metrics such as home/away form and player injuries to pinpoint favorable matchups. Each week I’ll focus on a few matchups you should target to help your team collect those precious fantasy points. Here are some to keep an eye on in round ten:

FC Cincinnati vs Sporting Kansas City (Sat, 2:30 pm ET)

Cincinnati return home after a big 2-1 road win over the Chicago Fire, and they’ll be full of confidence heading into this one. Their attack is led by Evander, who has five goals and 31 KP in his last three matches, and they should have a field day against a Sporting Kansas City side that’s conceded seven goals in their last two matches. I’m expecting Cincy to come out flying and bag a couple goals early. SKC’s attack has been heating up as well, averaging 3g/match in their last three matches. With this being one of the earliest game on the slate, it’s a great opportunity to stash some players on your bench and chase some early points. 

PLAYER TARGETS:

• Evander (MID, CIN)
• Kevin Denkey (FWD, CIN)
• Lucas Orellano (DEF, CIN)
• Daniel Salloi (MID, SKC)
• Dejan Jovelijc (FWD, SKC)

Philadelphia Union vs DC United (Sat, 4:30pm ET)

Despite holding the Red Bulls to just one goal in last week’s 2-1 road win, DC’s defense is still a mess–giving up an MLS-leading 13 GA on the road. Against a team like the Union, things could get out of hand. Philly picked up their first post-Gazdag win in style, securing a 3-0 win over Atlanta even while playing a man down for over 30 minutes. They currently rank third in the league for xG and have more than enough firepower to dismantle a shaky back line. To make matters worse for DC, they’ll likely be without talisman Christian Benteke for this match, which also makes Philly’s defense an appealing option. This game falls on the second earliest slate of the weekend, so it’s a great opportunity to toss a couple players on your bench and watch the early points roll in. 

• Quinn Sullivan (MID, PHI)
• Kai Wagner (DEF, PHI)
• Tai Baribo (FWD, PHI)
• Andre Blake (GK, PHI)

Columbus Crew vs San Jose Earthquakes (Sat, 7:30pm ET)

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. San Jose’s matchups have been a fantasy goldmine so far this season, and I see that trend continuing here—though this one may be more one sided than their recent matches. SJ have only played three away matches this season, but have given up seven goals in those matchups. Columbus are top-10 in MLS in xG at home, and dominated Miami last week despite a 1-0 loss. New man Daniel Gazdag missed a few big chances, but this weekend’s matchup offers a perfect opportunity for him and his teammates to find the back of the net. Simply put, Columbus are one of the top teams in MLS, and I believe they’ll show that this weekend. 

PLAYER TARGETS:

• Daniel Gazdag (MID, CLB)
• Diego Rossi (FWD, CLB)
• Cristian Espinoza (MID, SJ)
• Cristian Arango (FWD, SJ)

Nashville SC vs Chicago Fire (Sat, 8:30pm ET)

Nashville clearly love playing at home in GEODIS Park. This season at home, they have quietly been one of the top xG teams in the league, and their defense is giving up less than 1 xG/match. Chicago, on the other hand, have been better on the road. Their defense has been middle of the pack, but they lead MLS in both away goals (only team in double digits, with 11) and xG away from home. Hugo Cuypers and Co. will be looking to take more points on the road, and I have a feeling this match could be a sneaky good source of fantasy points.

PLAYER TARGETS:

• Hany Mukhtar (MID, NSH)
• Sam Surridge (FWD, NSH)
• Hugo Cuypers (FWD, CHI)
• Brian Gutierrez (MID, CHI)

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Contributor: Eli Redpath, @vurkes on Discord