Daily Fantasy Soccer 2015: DraftKings Top MLS Player Picks for June 6

The Under-20 World Cup and various international friendlies have stripped down many of MLS teams' rosters for Week 15, but DraftKings action for Saturday's slate is still ripe with options destined for big outings. While players absent on international duty will leave holes across many lineups and throw a wrench into the sometimes predictable nature of who's going to start, it can also allow others to have more of the ball and produce fantasy points. With seven matches on tap, let's break down a few lineup picks for each position.   F: Jack McInerney, Montreal Impact ($6,100) and Luke Moore, Toronto FC ($4,900) It feels weird to say, but the Montreal Impact have scored double-digit goals in three of their last four contests following Wednesday's win over Vancouver. Jack McInerney has netted goals in two of them. Expect him and Montreal to continue pressuring the target against Columbus Crew, who conceded three goals in a midweek loss to Philadelphia Union. Somebody has to aid Sebastian Giovinco in generating Toronto FC's offense with Michael Bradley and Jonathan Osorio, among others, absent. Luke Moore appears to have got the nod up top in the club's projected starting lineup and is coming off a goal-and-assist performance for 20 DK points last ...

Why Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco Is Not MLS’ Best Player

Toronto FC's star forward Sebastian Giovinco was named MLS Player of the Week after a fantastic performance against the San Jose Earthquakes last Saturday. The ex-Juventus man has been excellent since arriving to North America, but it's still premature to refer to him as the league's best player. Giovinco has scored five goals and has recorded six assists in 11 games this season. He's also taken a high amount of shots. The 28-year-old has mustered 54 attempts, which is tied for the league lead, per the official MLS website. Giovinco's reported $7 million salary plus bonuses, according to the Toronto Sun's Kurtis Larson, and European credentials magnify his accomplishments and diminish his failures. Some media members have suggested that Giovinco could be MLS' best player. Sportsnet's Michael Grange is one reporter who is making this claim: An argument can be made that it is the case. Giovinco has been toying with MLS defenses since his debut on March 7 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. He made one of the league's top defensive midfielders, Matias Laba, look average before assisting Jozy Altidore's first goal. He followed up that performance with a dud against the Columbus Crew and a decent showing against Real Salt Lake. The Italian finally started ...

MLS Power Rankings: Sporting Kansas City and Toronto FC Rise After Week 13

Week 13 of the 2015 MLS season featured some highlight-reel goals and a few outstanding individual performances. There were also some incredible matches that dramatically altered the power rankings. Sporting Kansas City dominated FC Dallas at home, and Toronto FC confidently defeated the San Jose Earthquakes. Last week's No. 1 team, the Seattle Sounders, also recorded wins on Sunday and Wednesday.  These three teams impressed this weekend, but how did they compare with the rest of the league? Here are the MLS power rankings for Week 13.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Kamara Edges Giovinco, Nemeth Surges After Week 13

The competition for the top spot in our weekly MLS Player Rankings heated up in Week 13, as a pair of stars staked their claim to be named the top player in the league.  Kei Kamara continued his ridiculous run of scoring with a goal against Orlando City, while Sebastian Giovinco carved up another opposing defense in the Toronto FC attack.  Further down the list of the top 20 players in MLS is a new arrival who is beginning to catch headlines on a weekly basis for one of the top clubs in the league.  Continue reading to see who landed where in the Week 13 edition of the MLS Player Rankings. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Giovinco Runs Wild for Toronto in Week 13

In his first three months on the Major League Soccer circuit, Sebastian Giovinco has left a lasting impression with fans across the league.  Giovinco, who was the top player in Week 13, has entered the discussion of best player in the league alongside the likes of Obafemi Martins and Robbie Keane. If he continues to dazzle in Toronto red, he could end up as the favorite for Most Valuable Player.  Elsewhere across MLS this week, we saw a few dominant performances and some contests affected by red cards.  After the dust settled on play in the final week of May, we ended up selecting two players from Vancouver and D.C. as well as one of Giovinco's teammates for our MLS Team of the Week. Since no position group stood out a ton over the last five days, we opted to mold our team in a traditional 4-4-2 formation. Continue reading on to see who featured in the Week 13 edition of the MLS Team of the Week.Begin Slideshow

MLS Power Rankings After a Dramatic Week 12

Week 12 in MLS produced several dramatic upsets this past weekend which drastically altered the league standings. The Chicago Fire recovered from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 versus the Columbus Crew, the Montreal Impact squeezed out a 2-1 win over FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids edged the Vancouver Whitecaps. A few of the top sides in MLS failed to win, including last week's No. 1, the Seattle Sounders. Did they manage to keep hold of the top spot? Here are the MLS power rankings after Week 12.Begin Slideshow

Unpredictability Reigns in MLS, Giving the League Something Not Found in Europe

(Note: Rankings of the wealthiest soccer clubs are courtesy of Forbes.) There is little doubt that Major League Soccer is growing in popularity. Paul Kennedy of SoccerAmerica.com reported in April that through the first seven weeks of the season, attendance was up 16 percent across the league compared to last season. After nine weeks of the season, Kennedy reported that viewership of ESPN broadcasts of MLS matches is up 18 percent compared to 2014. Viewership of Fox Sports 1 matches is up 58 percent compared to matches on NBC Sports Network last season. Clearly then, MLS is moving in the right direction. This comes as a result of several factors. The expansion of the league into new markets desperate for soccer certainly plays a role in the above numbers. Increased and improved television coverage has made it easier and more enjoyable to watch the MLS from home. The quality of play in the league is constantly on the rise, as made apparent by the Montreal Impact's run to the CONCACAF Champions League Final, among other things.  But, as the 2015 MLS season continues, it is becoming more and more clear that one of the biggest factors in the success, excitement and growth of North ...

MLS Player Rankings: Kamara Moves Back to Top, Feilhaber Makes Big Gain

With 12 weeks of play in Major League Soccer in the books, it is becoming clearer who the top stars of the 2015 season are going to be.  During the 12th week of action across North America this weekend, players such as Kei Kamara, Sebastian Giovinco and Benny Feilhaber continued to star for their respective sides.  Due to their tremendous efforts on the field, the trio occupy three of the top four spots in the MLS Player Rankings. The other one is reserved for an attacker who had a rare off week.  Continue reading on to see which order these stars were aligned in on the list of the top 20 players in MLS.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Philadelphia, Montreal Pairs Impress in Week 12

The bizarre results we witnessed across Major League Soccer last weekend continued in Week 12, as parity reigned supreme across North America.  The Philadelphia Union and Montreal Impact both earned impressive victories against two of the top sides in the league, while the Colorado Rapids pulled out a much-needed home victory against the Vancouver Whitecaps.  One team that is used to being represented at least once in our MLS Team of the Week also stood out in Week 12, as Sporting Kansas City took four points from a tough two-game stretch.  Two players from Philadelphia, Montreal and Sporting KC earned top marks after Week 12 as well as one standout midfielder from Colorado.  Due to a few extra-strong showings up top, we opted to use a 4-3-3 formation this week.  Continue reading to see which players qualified for our latest MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

Fans, Media and MLS Must Start Respecting the League’s History

Major League Soccer has grown significantly since its first season in 1996. However, there's still one niggling problem. MLS' history is often insulted and disregarded by the newer generation of fans, the media and even by the league itself. This must end if MLS wants to be taken seriously. There were some peculiarities in the early days of MLS, such as the 35-yard shootouts it adopted from the North American Soccer League to determine a winner. However, Alexi Lalas, Tab Ramos and a few of the league's former executives told Complex Sports' Doug Sibor that they liked how different MLS was at the time. One of those rules was made fun of in a video produced by MLS (via World Soccer Talk). 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander told a story involving the New York MetroStars' Eddie Gaven and a goal he scored against D.C. United in 2003 after head coach Bob Bradley exposed a loophole. MLS allowed for a fourth "goalkeeper only" substitution at the time, so in overtime, Bradley made Tim Howard an outfield player and made midfielder Mark Lisi the goalkeeper. Gaven came in as a substitute for Lisi, and then Howard went back in goal.  Friedlander goes on to slam Bradley in the video for exploiting this rule and labeled ...