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 four:

Toronto FC vs Chicago Fire (Sat, 2:30pm ET)

Toronto plays host to the Chicago Fire in one of the two early-slate matches this weekend. The visitors have quietly produced the third highest xG in MLS through the first three weeks but have also conceded the most. On the other side, Toronto remain winless and have conceded eight goals in three games, exposing their defensive vulnerability. Both sides are bottom of MLS in goals conceded. As one of the first games on the round four schedule, this game offers a great opportunity to stash a couple of players on your bench and hope for a shootout.

PLAYER TARGETS:

• Federico Bernardeschi (MID, TOR)
• Jonathan Osorio (MID, TOR)
• Hugo Cuypers (FWD, CHI)
• Brian Gutierrez (MID, CHI)

FC Dallas vs Vancouver Whitecaps (Sat, 8:30pm ET)

I know we’re all feeling burnt by Dallas after going all-in on Lucho Acosta and Petar Musa last week, but with a matchup against a fatigued and Gauld-less Vancouver team, I’m willing to give them another shot. Dallas ranks seventh in xG through three matches, and while Vancouver’s defensive numbers look solid on paper, they’ll likely be tired, rotated, or both after going all out against Monterrey on Wednesday night. We’ve been feasting on gassed Champions Cup sides all season, why not try it one more time?

PLAYER TARGETS:

• Lucho Acosta (MID, DAL)
• Petar Musa (FWD, DAL
• Pedro Vite (MID, VAN)
• Brian White (FWD, VAN)

San Jose Earthquakes vs Colorado Rapids (Sat, 10:30pm ET)

Both of these teams rank in the bottom five for npxG conceded this season, setting the stage for an end to end, attacking matchup. With plenty of firepower on both sides, San Jose and Colorado are certainly capable of finding the back of the net. Their last meeting ended in a 3-2 Earthquakes win, and with this matchup carrying the third-highest odds to go over 2.5 goals, I wouldn’t be surprised to see another high-scoring affair. With a 10:30pm ET kickoff time, this game also provides solid fallback options if your bench plays don’t work out. 

PLAYER TARGETS:

• Cristian Arango (FWD, SJ)
• Cristian Espinoza (MID, SJ)
• Djordje Mihailovic (MID, COL)
• Rafael Navarro (FWD, COL)

Portland Timbers vs LA Galaxy (Sun, 4:45pm ET)

This is my favorite matchup of the week, and I’m expecting an absolute goalfest. Both the Timbers and Galaxy rank bottom three for xG conceded, so both defenses are extremely vulnerable. While their own xG numbers aren’t the most impressive, both teams have players more than capable of contributing in what should be a chaotic, high-scoring affair. Their last three meetings have totaled 17 goals, reinforcing the narrative that this will be another shootout. You don’t have to be a fantasy mastermind to realize that any game with six or more goals is a goldmine for points, and with all factors considered, I see no reason why this matchup won’t deliver the same. 

PLAYER TARGETS:

• David Da Costa (MID, POR)
• Antony (MID, POR)
• Gabriel Pec (FWD, LAG)
• Marco Reus (MID, LAG)

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Contributor: Eli Redpath, @vurkes on Discord