By the end of Gameweek 20, we’ll be more than two-thirds of the way through the 2022 MLS Fantasy Soccer season. This week sees a slightly reduced fixture list as Colorado Rapids and New York Red Bulls have a free week. The rest play once.

Goalkeeper

Essential: None

Recommended: Maxime Crepeau (LAFC) Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire) Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)

Crepeau looks like a decent early bench play against the Sounders who have failed to score in each of their last two road games.

Chicago have two straight clean sheets from home games and a home xGA of 8.7 from 11 games.

Blake and the Union have three shut-outs in five matches. This week they’re up against Houston.

Possible: Joe Willis (Nashville SC) Djordje Petrovic (New England Revolution) Maarten Paes (FC Dallas)

Defenders

Essential: None

Recommended: Rafael Czichos (Chicago Fire) Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union)

Czichos now costs $10m but with good reason. He has three goals in four games and fantasy scores of 8, 8, 16 and 12 in that time.

52 points from his last five games as well as 9 clean sheets and a ridiculous 10 assists for the season – Wagner is an easy choice.

Possible: Diego Palacios (LAFC) Alexander Callens (NYCFC) Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) Brandon Bye (New England Revolution)

Midfield

Essential: None

Recommended: Emanuel Reynoso (Minnesota United) Lucas Zelarayan (Columbus Crew)

If he’s fit after his ankle injury then Reynoso is a go-to player once more. He has six goals and two assists from five games.

Zelarayan didn’t have a great time against New England, scoring only six points. However, that was his lowest total since his first game from injury (at Toronto Gameweek 16) and he has an average of 7.76.

Possible: Jose Cifuentes (LAFC) Lucho Acosta (FC Cincinatti) Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC) Daniel Gazdag (Philadelpia Union) Carles Gil (New England Revolution) Sebastian Driussi (Austin FC) Paul Arriola (FC Dallas)

Forwards

Essential: None

Recommended: Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas) Taxiarchis Fountas (DC United)

Ferreira has three goals and an assist in six games. He also scored twice the last time he came up against this week’s opponents, LA Galaxy.

Taxi ended up with a disappointing four points against CF Montreal last week. However, he has still scored five times in five matches and leads the league in shots on target per 90 minutes (2.30).

Possible: Cristian Arango (LAFC) Gareth Bale (LAFC) Jhon Duran (Chicago Fire) Cucho Hernandez (Columbus Crew) Heber (NYCFC) Miguel Berry (DC United)

Captain

1. Reynoso

2. Zelarayan

3. Gil