UPDATE: Since the time these rankings were published, MLS has suspended Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba for missing the MLS All Star Game, which took place earlier this week. As such, neither Messi nor Alba will play in Inter Miami’s match against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. These rankings have been adjusted to reflect this change.
The MLS Secondary Transfer Window is here, and while it’s an exciting time to be a fan, it can really complicate things for fantasy managers. Players rumored to be transferred out could get benched, and players coming into the league will certainly affect team chemistry in some unpredictable ways. For fantasy managers, it all boils down to being flexible on matchdays. Watch those lineups and be ready to pivot, if needed. The good news for Round 22 is, we probably won’t see many debuts (Nico Fernandez is the only possibility that I’m aware of, but he’s not in the fantasy game as of this writing), but we might see some unexpected benchings with lesser-known players filling in. This will almost certainly become more of an issue as we move further through the transfer window, but for now, I don’t expect we’ll have too much chaos to contend with.
Defensive Matchups
Round 22 features yet another slate of games with absolutely terrible defensive matchups. Some seem obviously good at first glance, until you realize some key defenders won’t be available. It’s important to always check the league’s official Player Status Report and Disciplinary Summary before you lock in those picks. The MLS Fantasy Boss Discord is also a great resource for discussions, information and analysis about players. If for some inexplicable reason you’re not already a member, strongly recommend you check it out. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’ll help you improve your fantasy skills. As for those terrible defensive matchups I was talking about, your best bet is to pick attacking fullbacks and wingbacks (again).
Attacking Matchups
The attacking side of things is a very different story. We have so many midfielders and forwards with favorable matchups, I found it rather difficult to rank them all with much conviction that one will obviously outscore those ranked below him. I’ll bet you could pick any combination of ranked attackers this week, and end up doing just as well as someone who picked a totally different set of ranked attackers.
Variance
This round’s tossup aspect for attackers can be significant because it increases variance in selections among fantasy managers, which tends to make the game more fun and interesting. Conversely, the downside is if every attacker does well, you’re less likely to improve your rank. The same applies to our sub-par defender options this week, albeit to a lesser extent because all but a couple seem similarly bad, and starting from a position of failure allows for more improvement than starting from a position of success, if that makes sense. Bottom line, if we do see some big rank jumps this week, defender and goalkeeper picks, and to a lesser extent formation and bench management, will probably be the cause. Not to mention luck. There’s always a healthy dose of luck involved whenever someone leapfrogs a bunch of people in the overall standings, so good luck!
Note:(?) means the player might not start due to injury, lack of fitness, availability status or loss of starting spot. (OOP) means the player is expected to play out of position. (+) means the player is ranked only if they become available for selection before their match locks.
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