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. Let’s dive into the week 17 slate:

Portland Timbers vs San Jose Earthquakes (Fri, 9:30pm CT)

The first Friday night match of the MLS season is here, and it’s shaping up to be a fun one; two high-powered attacks going up against two shaky defenses. Following the international break, both teams should be near full strength, setting the stage for an end-to-end, high-energy matchup. Last time San Jose visited Portland, the Timbers came out on top in a 4-2 shootout—and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar outcome here. I’ll definitely be looking to get pieces from both sides into my squad this week.

PLAYER TARGETS:

• David Da Costa (MID, POR)
• Felipe Mora (FWD, POR)
• Santi Moreno (MID, POR)
• Cristian Arango (FWD, SJ) *questionable
• Cristian Espinoza (MID, SJ)
• Hernan Lopez (MID, SJ)

St. Louis City vs LA Galaxy (Sat, 3:30pm CT)

This is a massive matchup between the two teams currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference, both desperate to turn their seasons around and spark an unlikely playoff push. St. Louis have looked better since firing Olof Mellberg, especially in the final third. They scored just one goal on 2.5 xG in last week’s loss to the Timbers—and I don’t think they’ll continue to miss chances like they did in that one, especially not at home against the Galaxy. As for LA, they finally picked up their first three points of the season in their last match at home against RSL. They’ll be looking to carry that momentum into this one and avenge the 3-0 loss in the reverse fixture. I see lots of goals in this one, as both sides have been throwing lots of numbers forward leaving them a bit vulnerable at the back. Both sides also have solid fantasy options that could bring in some big points if this game turns into a shootout.

PLAYER TARGETS:

• Marcel Hartel (MID, STL)
• Klauss (FWD, STL)
• Gabriel Pec (FWD, LAG)
• Joseph Paintsil (MID, LAG)

Colorado Rapids vs Orlando City SC (Sat, 8:30pm CT)

The final game we’re looking at this week looks to be another end-to-end matchup. Colorado gave up two goals to Austin last week—a team that hadn’t scored multiple goals in any road match this season. With backup goalkeeper Nicholas Hansen still expected to start, it’s hard to see the Rapids keeping a motivated Orlando off the board. Orlando come in with three losses in their last five and will be eyeing this matchup as a chance to bounce back against a shaky Colorado backline. That said, the Rapids have enough firepower going forward to make this interesting, especially at altitude. I like the attacking pieces on both sides here, and this one has sneaky shootout vibes for me.

PLAYER TARGETS:

• Djordje Mihailovic (MID, COL)
• Rafael Navarro (FWD, COL)
• Martin Ojeda (MID, ORL)
• Luis Muriel (FWD, ORL)

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Contributor: Eli Redpath, @vurkes on Discord