Matchday 34 for MLS fantasy is here, and yeah, it feels like last call for the regular season, but don’t stash your virtual cleats yet. Sofascore is rolling right into the playoffs, and Kickbase is probably gonna drop its own playoff fantasy offerings too. So if you’re like me, still riding that fantasy high or just hoping to make a last-minute push, you’ve got more chances coming. But for this week, it’s crunch time, and frankly, the Sounders have been continually letting us down, which just makes it tougher.
Sounders vs. LAFC: A Total Head-Scratcher For Your Lineup
Yeah, a ton is riding on these Matchday 34 games across the league. You’ve got teams scrapping for that playoff cutoff in the West, others jockeying for prime position, and some just out there to play spoiler or give their fans a show. Expect some wild lineups out there, folks, so don’t be shocked if you see a few unexpected faces. My only real advice this week? Don’t overthink it. Seriously, I’ve been guilty of it lately, and it hasn’t worked out, especially with how the Sounders have been continually letting us down.
Speaking of our Sounders, they’re hosting LAFC this weekend at Lumen Field, and get this: LAFC is 100% locked into 6th place in the West. They can’t move up, they can’t move down. That means they are truly going through the motions. What does that even mean for *our* team, and more importantly, for your fantasy picks? Are they gonna cruise, or does a team with nothing to lose become super dangerous? It’s a total wildcard for your lineup decisions.
Don’t Sleep On These Matchups and Must-Have Players
While we’re trying to figure out what the heck is going on at Lumen Field, there are some other games that could swing your fantasy week. Out East, Vancouver is traveling to Montreal in the lone cross-conference battle. Vancouver already locked up the #1 seed in the West, so they’ve got very little to play for, except maybe securing home field in an MLS Cup Final over everyone but Nashville. Montreal, on the other hand, could “earn” the Wooden Spoon with a loss and an SKC win. Even if Vancouver rests key players like Müller, they still have the quality to beast it. Definitely keep an eye on that one.
Then you’ve got Philadelphia playing Toronto. The big question there is Cavan Sullivan: hopefully he’s back to 100% health. He was “good to go” last game but stayed on the bench. Toronto’s game is meaningless, so if Sullivan is back, Philly’s got a huge edge, especially since Philly hasn’t won in their past four games, and Cavan was absent for three of those. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Alright, let’s talk fantasy picks. Even with funky lineups, you gotta go for the best players available. Here are my quick rankings for Matchday 34:
- Goalkeepers: Toklomati, Bond, Thomas, Schwake, Daniel, Blake
- Defenders: Laborda, Halter, Ragen, Woledzi, Markanich, Urhoghide, Wagner
- Midfielders: Evander, Gauld, Chambost, Velde, Gil, Almiron, Rusnak, Biel, Lobzhandize, Guilherme (M/F)
- Forwards: Messi, Griezmann, White, Turgeman, Toklomati, Guilavogui, Klauss, M. Ojeda (M/F), Bouanga
Load up!
This Matchday 34 schedule is a clean split, East home teams at 4 pm Eastern and West home teams at 4 pm Pacific, so no fun staggered schedule, but still a full day of games. So, while it’s the “last call” for regular season fantasy, remember those playoffs are right around the corner. Go make those moves, don’t overthink it, and let’s hope our Sounders can give us something to cheer about before the real fantasy stakes kick in next. Good luck out there, Seattle!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Sounder at Heart.
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