MLS is going old school this week as every team involved has only one fixture, with not a double gameweek in sight. The exceptions are Portland and Colorado, who don’t have a game due to the Covid-19 situation at the Rapids.

For fantasy managers it should be easier to decide on scrubs and keeperoos than in previous weeks, and there’s no concerns about rotation.

Goalkeeper

Think About

Matt Turner (New England Revolution) has a home fixture against Nashville, who have failed to score in four of their last five road games. Alternatively, Dayne St.Clair (Minnesota United) takes on an FC Cincinnati side who have drawn a blank in three of their last five away games.

In the later matches, Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders) has a decent clean sheet opportunity at home to Vancouver who have consistently struggled away, including a 6-0 hammering at LAFC last week. If you want to save funds for elsewhere in your squad then Andrew Putna could be a bargain at just $5.7m. The Real Salt Lake stopper has 18 points from his last two games and takes on LAFC, who were beaten 3-0 in their last trip to Utah.

Defenders

Strongly Consider

If Turner is too expensive for your New England defensive cover then Brandon Bye and Andrew Farrell are more reasonably priced. Likewise, Minnesota United and Seattle defenders are solid options for this week.

Think About

With a home fixture against Philadelphia Union approaching, Toronto FC perhaps isn’t the obvious place to look for a defender. But selecting Richie Laryea would be more about attack than defence. Returns of 8 and 14 during gameweek 8 included a goal and two assists against Columbus.

Midfield

Must Have

When it comes to Seattle attacking options, the hardest decision is who to leave out. Nicolas Lodeiro ($14.7m) is the normal ‘go-to’ as he provides consistent big returns and takes penalties. But Joao Paulo ($11.7m) is a cheaper option, averaging 8 points per game over the past five games, compared to 8.8 for Lodeiro.

Strongly Consider

Kevin Molino (Minnesota United) has managed more than 70 minutes four times this season – in each of those four games he has reached double figures in fantasy points. A home game against FC Cincinnati could see that run continue.

Think About

Molino’s Minnesota team-mate, Emanuel Reynoso, Darwin Quintero (Houston Dynamo) and the Orlando pair Nani and Chris Mueller are all worth a look this week. And don’t rule Chicago Fire midfielders – the trio of Alvaro Medran, Gaston Giminez and Fabian Herbers are in form and worth considering.

Forwards

Seriously Consider

Again, Seattle players are high on the list. Jordan Morris and Raul Ruidiaz are always a threat and have a favourable match.

Then, of course, there’s Gonzalo Higuain. His debut against Philadelphia didn’t go to plan with the penalty miss, but don’t let that put you off. A fit and firing Higuain could bring big returns and is good value at $9.5m.

Think About

There are also some decent budget striking options. Kei Kamara (Minnesota United), Bradley Wright-Phillips (LAFC) and Tom Barlow (New York Red Bulls) could all prove useful bench options if you’ve spent most of your budget on other areas of the team.