So I got a few comments from the last couple of weeks that basically said people liked the condensed format, but wanted it earlier. I’ll give it a shot this week and we’ll see how it works. I know we’re at hump day, but some things cant’ be rushed. We did publish the form charts for this week a couple of days ago. So check those out if you have not already.

If you looked at our form charts, you saw that almost every team is close in current form. Last week this gave a lot of advantage to the differential players and several managers were rewarded for taking some risks. The same can be said for this week. So get ready for some differential discussion.

If you want to see more, keep reading after the break. But please join the discussion at r/FantasyMLS, that’s where a lot of planning is made and last second decisions finalized. If you have questions, please stop by!

Goalkeepers:

Keepers is the one position we don’t think it would be a good idea to go for a differential. You want your keeper to get clean sheets, and if you big name or differential get a clean sheet, then you’re really going to be left with a similar score. So who do we like this week? Toronto has one of the records for away goals this season and this is great news for New England who have a knack for keeping the ball out of the net at home. This makes Bobby Shuttleworth (8.4% @ $5.4m) an easy top choice. He’s joined by Tally Hall (14.5% @ $5.9m) who will be up against a very poor Columbus team and Houston has been getting their home form back recently. We also like Portland’s chance to get a clean sheet. Donovan Ricketts (9.7% @ $5.5m) is a great keeper and Vancouver is much better at scoring at home.

Defenders:

Let’s get this part out of the way: Aurélien Collin (33.9% @ $6.9m), Jose Goncalves (19.8% @ $6.9m), Jamison Olave (19.0% @ $6.2m). All big names, all big money, and all no brainers. If you have them, you can feel good about playing them; just know that everyone else will too. We’ll also add Rodney Wallace (11.6% @ $5.1) to this list. He’s more of an X factor, but many of the top players will be getting him, if they don’t have him already. But his price is excellent. So who’s left?

Early in the year Djimi Traore (4.0% @ $5.2m) was getting some nice returns. Unfortunately Seattle has had a little rough patch but they are still an excellent team at home. Dallas, on the other hand, has been struggling. A clean sheet in this game could mean big points. Sheanon Williams (5.6% @ $5.1m) is a player who we like, and has been solid his last couple of games. With two easier home games coming up, and a history of getting forward, he could grab a goal or assist. Finally, when you look at what teams have good away form, Real Salt Lake grabs your head and yells “look at me!” They have the best away from in the league right now, are getting bolstered by the return of Nick Rimando, and have so low price players. My pick is Nat Borchers (2.8% @ $5.3m). They are playing Colorado this week and the Rapids have been doing very well, so this could be a pick that goes under the radar of many.

Midfielders:

Again: Graham Zusi (42.9% @ $10.3m), Mike Magee (36.9% @ $9.6m), Amobi Okugo (29.3% @ $7.8m), Sebastien Le Toux (16.7m @ $8.4m), and Javier Morales (15.2% @ $9.3m) will make up the foundation of many midfields. We’ll also add Dillon Powers (10.7% @ $6.4m) because he’s been hot recently and sure to be coming in to many teams.

Once again we’re going to tap a Seattle player who has been suffering in a little rough patch. Lamar Neagle (5.5% @ $5.5m) is just a great player. He has the ability to score and pass. After his goal last week, we thought more people would like him, but he’s actually being sold this week. Most likely it’s because of playing Dallas, but as we mentioned before, they are on poor form. If you have some money to burn, you could take a look at Lee Nguyen (4.6% @ $8.4m). He’s been getting some assists lately and is going against a Toronto team that has not had much luck away from home recently. Be warned though, New England are not the best at scoring. Finally, take a look at good ole Dax McCarty (4.8% @ $7.9m). With Cahill out injured his defensive skills will be needed during their tough game against Kansas City. This could turn into bonus points or even a goal if he gets the chance.

Forwards:

And finally forwards. There are just so few to pick from that it might be hard to field 2 differentials unless you already have one. Federico Higuaín (22.5% @ %9.8m), Camilo Sanvezzo (18.4% @ $9.3m), Diego Fagundez (17.4% @ $6.8m), and Thierry Henry (17.3% @ 10.4m) are all the popular picks. Keane is also a top pick, but if you are selling him because of injury you should have no problem affording a quality replacement.

Out first differential forward pick is Bruin Will (6.5% @ $8.6m). He did not get much action during the Gold Cup, so we hope he’ll be hungry to take advantage of an ailing Columbus Crew. Next is Alvaro Saborio (3.6% @ %9.8m). Hat trick confidence, that is all. Finally, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, you may consider Chris Wondolowski (20.4% @ $9.9m). He’s the second most owned player…but that’s OVERALL, not among the top players. So if he can build on that Gold Cup confidence, he could come through for you this week (still costs too much).

Final thoughts

• Differentials could pay off. Might even be worth -4.

• Keep an eye on the All-Star game. Some players might be rotated.

• Still have your WC? Stay focused on your short game.

• Who is this Carlos guy at Chivas anyway?

These are our picks, if you think there should be more names on this list, please leave a comment or come to r/FantasyMLS and comment on the post. You can also leave a message on our Facebook page or you can find us on Twitter @FantasyMLSTips. Keep checking back for more updates through the week for other positions. Good Luck!