It’s hard to pull a traditional bettor away from their comfort zone. Whether it’s a moneyline bet or a point spread wager, bettors have been cashing in at their favorite online or Vegas sportsbooks for years. So it’s understandable that old-school bettors may give you a dirty look when the words “fantasy sports” are mentioned in the same breath. That is of course until they actually give it a shot. Loyal sportsbook bettors are testing the waters when it comes to fantasy sports wagering — many enjoying it so much they come back for more.
Play any professional sport you want, including Major League Soccer, which is gaining popularity not only in North America, but around the world.
Before you embark on your fantasy sports betting journey, you should pick a reputable website to use. DraftKings.com and FanDuel.com are two of the fantasy sports betting leaders and offer all your MLS wagering needs — whether it’s a one-day league or a season-long commitment.
The signup process is seamless — just create a unique username to go along with a secure password to protect hackers from getting into your account.
From there, you’re on your way to fantasy sports betting.
Fantasy MLS Tips
Like any fantasy competition, there will be a draft for your MLS league.
There are different settings for every league, but rotisserie-based scoring seems to be the most common these days.
That makes every stat category just as valuable as the other. If you’re looking for a pure scorer to draft in the MLS, look no further than New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, who led the MLS in scoring in 2016 with 24 goals. Seven of Wright-Phillips’ tallies were game winners.
If Wright-Phillips falls off the board early, try to pounce on Spaniard David Villa of New York FC. Villa’s 23 goals ranked second overall. While drafting a pure scorer can be beneficial in the goals department, you’ll want to zero in on a complete player like Toronto FC forward Sebastian Giovinco, who had 17 goals to go along with 17 assists in 2016. If shots is a category in your league, Giovinco is a valuable commodity to have as he led the league with 177 last season. Fifty-nine of those shots were on target, which also was among the league leaders.
It’s important to have reliable keepers, which is why taking one early in your draft is not a bad idea. By Rounds two and three, expect to see the top keepers off the board so strike before your opponents do.
Your best bet is selecting Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson, who made 118 saves and led the MLS with six clean sheets. Joe Bendik of Orlando City SC is a good fallback as the goalkeeper made 115 saves with five clean sheets.
Fantasy MLS Tools
The top fantasy sports betting sites will provide you with the right tools to succeed. It’s up to you to use them throughout the season as they can be the determining factor in whether you finish near the top of the standings or become a basement dweller.
Some sites will give you lineup suggestions for each night. However, it’s up to you on which 11 MLS stars you play on any given night. Another key tool that can be beneficial in the long run is keeping track of which players are on hot streaks.
When sifting through the waiver wire, instead of viewing players based on year to date, narrow your search down to the last 14 days to see who is on a hot streak. It’s worth taking a chance on a player that is on a tear, especially if it continues throughout the season. You come out looking like the genius.
Ready to make the jump into MLS fantasy betting? Use these simple tips and you’ll be on the right path to success.