MLS Fantasy top picks for Round 16 - Fantasy Football Community

With the new set of MLS fixtures approaching we take a look at the top picks for Round 16. Twitter is full of some of the best fantasy managers in the world so we bring in expert @dmpwright to reel off some of the best options for the big round ahead.

Looking at the top picks for Round 16 can be extremely useful to MLS Fantasy managers. Focusing on some of the best assets for the new week could help with some of the most important decisions in the game like transfers and captaincy.

Round 16

Following the bumper double gameweek in Round 15, Round 16 is a mini-double gameweek for LAFC and Atlanta United, whose players predictably dominate my picks this week. FC Dallas also resume their weather-affected Round 11 encounter against St Louis City on Wednesday night, although that game is unlikely to be counted in the latest slate of matches.

Top targets – Brooks Lennon, Atlanta United – Defender, $10.7m

The old adage in MLS Fantasy is you don’t take Atlanta defenders for clean sheet points. Their defensive stats this season are nothing special and I’m not expecting them to shut out either LAFC or DC United.

However, in Brooks Lennon they have one of the best attacking fullbacks in the league: the former Liverpool youth team player ranks top for key passes (2.09) and third for xG+xA (0.24) per game among all defenders, and is likely to deliver offensive returns this week. Andrew Gutman is your man should you be in the market for a differential but similarly offensive-minded Atlanta fullback.

Thiago Almada, Atlanta United – Midfielder, $14.3m

Thiago Almada is the first active MLS player to win the World Cup and has had a breakout season in the league – he ranks in the top five for shots (4.07), key passes (3.18) and xG+xA (0.76) per game among all players and has amassed seven goals and eight assists so far this term.

He should be one of the first names in your team this week and is a strong captaincy candidate, alongside Dénis Bouanga.

Dénis Bouanga, LAFC – Forward, $11.7m

Dénis Bouanga is on a tear in MLS in 2023. Despite playing significantly fewer minutes than his contemporaries due to LAFC’s CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) run, Bouanga is still joint top for goals in MLS and ranks first for shots on target per game (1.88), second for total shots per game (4.41) and fifth for xG+xA per game (0.74).

There is a chance that LAFC rotate following their CCL Final defeat on Sunday; however, Bouanga should be a lock in your team if he starts against Atlanta United on Wednesday.

Differential – Emmanuel Reynoso, Minnesota United – Midfielder, $8.1m

The maverick pick. Minnesota United travel to Montréal in Round 16 and have quietly put up some impressive numbers away from home, ranking sixth in MLS for both xGF (1.27) and xGA (1.07) per game.

There are arguably more reliable midfield picks than Reynoso this week, but if Minnesota’s prodigal son – who played his first minutes of the season in Round 15 following his bizarre, self-imposed exile in his home of Argentina – starts and can show the same verve as he did when he came on against Toronto FC (three crosses, two key passes and two shots in 25 minutes), then he could be a good pick up.