This round’s leader was YOUR BOY, Seoul Train, with 84 points, leading the round and also the D.C. United fan group, 45th in all of Fantasy. I don’t often like to toot my own horn here, and I didn’t expect to be doing so after just three rounds, having spent all of 2024 not paying attention to MLS Fantasy, but I have to admit it feels like knocking off all of the rust, all at once. Nouhou Big Summer Blowout is now our lone overall leader, sporting a 7-point advantage.

Positional Leaders

Goalkeepers
Portland’s James Pantemis ($6.5) improbably saved two penalties (and still lost!) on the way to 14 points, easily leading the position. Trailing him were the pair of Roman Burki (STL, $8.1) and Carlos Coronel (NYR, $7.0), who each scored 9 points on the strength of a clean sheet. DCU’s Kim Joon Hong ($5.6) scored 1 point.

Defenders
Two-time D.C. United alumnus Andy Najar (NSH, $7.3) scored a goal and kept a clean sheet on the way to 15 points, leading the defenders. The Vancouver pair of Tate Johnson ($4.5) and Mathias Laborda ($7.2) were right behind him, each with a clean sheet, a goal, and 14 points. For United, David Schnegg ($5.1) and Kye Rowles ($5.1) scored 3 points each, both Lucas Bartlett ($5.7) and Aaron Herrera ($6.7) scored 2 each, and Matti Peltola ($6.0) scored 1.

Midfielders
Seattle’s Albert Rusnak ($9.8) added a goal to two assists, leading the midfielders and all players with 16 points, despite playing just 54 minutes as a substitute. He was ahead of both his teammate, Paul Rothrock ($6.7), who paired a goal and an assist, and Anders Dreyer (SD, $9.1), who scored a goal, with 12 points each. D.C.’s midfield was led by Hosei Kijima ($6.0) with 7 points, followed by Gabriel Pirani ($7.3) with 4, Jared Stroud ($6.9) with 3, and both Brandon Servania ($5.8) and Boris Enow ($5.6) with 1.

Forwards
Two players led the forwards in scoring, as Cedric Teuchert (STL, $7.3) and Hugo Cuypers (CHI, $9.0) each paired a goal with an assist for 11 points. Kelvin Yeboah (MIN, $8.9) was third with a goal and 9 points. For DCU it was Christian Benteke ($9.8) with 8 points, trailed by both Jacob Murrell ($6.2) and Dominque Badji ($4.3) with 1.

Looking Ahead
As long as the New England Revolution has yet to score a goal, I’m picking their opposing goalkeeper, in this case Matt Freese (NYC, $5.8.) I like Henry Kessler (STL, $7.8) in defense at home against a Seattle team that plays a mid-week Champions League match in Mexico, and Pedro Vite (VAN, $8.4) in midfield at a Dallas team that has allowed the joint-most goals in the West (7.) Lastly, I like Kelvin Yeboah to continue his scoring ways at forward at Kansas City

Bargain Buys: A few points for a few million
GK: Novak Micovic (LAG, $5.3) [I guess??]
DEF: Femi Awodesu (HOU, $4.1) [90 minutes in every match]
MID: Sergio Oregel (CHI, $4.3) [started every match]
FOR: Omari Glasgow (CHI, $4.0) [1 start, 3 appearances]