Pitch PerfectFC was the leader this round, running up 144 points. At the top of the league it’s still Nouhou Big Summer Blowout, whose overall lead shrunk just a little to 114 points.

Positional Leaders

Goalkeepers
Oscar Ustari (MIA, $5.3) kept a clean sheet en route to 10 points, leading the goalkeepers. Trailing him in a tie for second was the trio of Andre Blake (PHI, $7.8), Matt Turner NE, $7.0), and Daniel (SJ, $4.2), each of whom kept a clean sheet on the way to 8 points. D.C.’s Jordan Farr ($?.?) was spared the ignominy of inclusion because he is not in MLS Fantasy at this time.

Defenders
Montreal’s Dante Sealy ($9.7) is nominally a defender, and he led the position with 17 points on the strength of two goals. Right behind him were Artem Smolyakov (LA, $4.7), who scored 16 points on a clean sheet and two assists, and Andrew Gutman (CHI, $7.7), who paired a goal with a clean sheet for 15 points. The DCU “scorers” were Aaron Herrera ($4.0) with -1 point, Derek Dodson ($4.0) with -2, and Conner Antley ($4.0) with -3. Is it proper numerical order to list the guy with the fewest negative points first?

Midfielders
The Galaxy’s Joseph Paintsil ($9.5) led the midfielders with a hat trick and 19 points while Indiana Vassilev (PHI, $7.0) scored twice on the way to 15 points. Kristoffer Velde (POR, $10.7) rounded out the top three with an assist and 14 points. The United midfield featured Gabriel Pirani ($9.0), who somehow scored a respectable 6 points, followed by Joao Peglow ($6.3) with 3, Brandon Servania ($5.0) and Caden Clark ($5.4) with 2 each, and Jared Stroud ($4.0) and Rida Zouhir ($4.0) with 1.

Forwards
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Lionel Messi (MIA, $17.3) led the forwards and all scorers with 24 points on the strength of two goals and an assist. Off in the distance were Mikael Uhre (PHI, $6.2), who tallied a goal and two assists for 15 points, and Son Heung-min (LA, $14.0), who scored two goals and 14 points. The D.C. forwards were Christian Benteke ($10.1) and Jacob Murrell ($4.0) with 2 points each.

Looking Ahead
Miami and Chicago play twice this week and everyone else plays once. Miami is entering their third of four straight two-game weeks to close the season, and Messi has played 360 out of 360 minutes during the run thus far. You have to figure at some point he’s going to get a rest. Maybe? Anyway, I like Dayne St. Clair (MIN, $9.3) in goal this week vs. Kansas City and keep riding Mathias Laborda (VAN, $10.4) in defense vs. San Jose. Hany Mukhtar (NSH, $17.4) looks like a good midfield option @ Montreal, and Chicago’s two games are @ Miami and vs. Toronto so make some room for Hugo Cuypers ($10.7) in your team at forward.