For the purposes of this article, all prices and points are via our partners Mondogoal.
Apologies. Let me just say that right off the bat. For the midweek offerings this week, we didn't have contest or lineup info released in time to do a proper write-up before the games actually took place. That's not my bad -- that's just the nature of the MLS in general. With so many games taking place on so many days, it's hard for all parties to keep up with any kind of accurate reporting.
But our MLS daily fantasy advice is back. We have all you'll need to know for Saturday's pair of games. We really are now in the home stretch of the MLS regular season. So let's jump right into it.
Games for Saturday, October 17
New England v Montreal
Real Salt Lake v Dallas
There you have it folks. Good luck on Saturday. I hope to see you in the leagues!
Clean Sheet Potential
This is all going to come down to who needs the playoff push the most. Out of the four teams playing, RSL is the most sufficiently motivated to keep a clean sheet. While New England and Montreal have yet to clinch a playoff berth, they are both at least already in playoff positions. Dallas have the top seed in the West, and they clinched their berth a long while ago. RSL are out of the playoff spots, and they'll need to pull off a miracle to qualify. But don't expect them to roll over -- until they're mathematically eliminated, they'll continue to fight for every point.#1) GOALKEEPER AND DEFENDER TIPS
Nick Rimando ($8.4) is our number one pick this week. He held the Timbers to a single goal in his last match -- and that was with his team down to 10 men. Rimando is always a premier keeper, and this week he'll need to save his team once again on his class alone. Things will be a bit more difficult with the subtraction of Jamison Olave from his squad, but expect Rimando to pull the defense together regardless. If you needed another option, Jesse Gonzalez ($6.8) is on a two game streak without conceding a goal. The only problem that I see with picking the Dallas keeper, other than the fact that he's on the road, is that Dallas don't have to win this game. At a certain point, the firepower in front of Gonzalez is going to start getting rested in preparation for the playoffs, and that offense that keeps the Dallas defense safe could melt away for a spell. For defenders, I'm staying away from New England and Montreal. Montreal just isn't that strong defensively, but both teams are going to have a bit of offense to negate any major defensive output. I'm making my top pick Tony Beltran ($7.1) from RSL. WIth Olave out with a red card suspension, I think Beltran offers the best value and should get you around at least 6 points even if the clean sheet doesn't happen. If you wanted to start a Dallas defender, you're going to pay premium for their services. The three most expensive defenders available for selection this round are all Dallas defenders. Loyd and Hedges are $9.0 each, and Acosta is going to cost you $8.4. It may be worth the premium though. Loyd has averaged 9.2 points per game over his last three matches. Just be aware that RSL will be throwing the kitchen sink at this game -- of all the teams playing, RSL needs the win the most.#2) MIDFIELDER TIPS
Due to the nature of the playoff scenarios, I think that picking the most expensive midfielder in Javier Morales ($16.3) is probably worth the investment. Morales was shutout in the last match due to RSL taking a red card, but he's still the engine that drives this team. If RSL have any chance to win this match, it's going to be on Morales's shoulders -- and he's knows it. I expect big things from him this weekend. My second pick is Ignacio Piatti ($12.1). Montreal haven't clinched their berth yet, but a win would seal the deal for them. Whether or not they get the three points on the road this week is not really the key issue, the main thing to focus on is that like RSL, Montreal will be pushing forward with all they have. Plus, Piatti will have extra motivation to get in sync with Drogba after Piatti missed a bit of time due to personal reasons a couple of weeks ago.#3) FORWARD TIPS
All of your forwards are affordable this round. Didier Drogba ($9.7) is your most expensive selection, and he's a steal for his price. Drogba has taken incredibly well to the pace and physicality of the MLS game -- and he'll be keen to make the playoffs and seal his legendary status in Montreal. It also doesn't hurt that his last two performances were for 11.05 and 15.34 points. For what you're paying for him, you have to love those numbers. The RSL front line isn't really reliable right now, but based on the situation they're in I'm going to go with Joao Plata ($9.4) as my second pick. Plata had a blank in his last game, but the match prior saw him score a goal and get double digit points. I think that Plata has enough character to not give up on his season already -- he should pair up well with Morales this week to make that great last-ditch effort at a playoff run.There you have it folks. Good luck on Saturday. I hope to see you in the leagues!
