MLS Fantasy Picks, Week 22: All-Star Edition

Wednesday night's MLS All-Star Game against Tottenham Hotspur was another successful showcase of the league's top talent, even if Robbie Keane, Sebastian Giovinco and Frank Lampard were missing. Aside from Nick Rimando absolutely shutting down Harry Kane (the one exception being an unstoppable strike from distance that Omar Gonzalez did nothing to prevent), a pair of Designated Players led the All-Stars to their 2-1 victory.

Kaka opened the scoring with a penalty and followed that up a few minutes later with an assist to David Villa.  Both players have been playing at the highest level throughout the season, and should continue to be among the best fantasy performers for the upcoming week. Let's take a look at who else should be on your radar for Round 22:

Goalkeepers

Tim Melia - Sporting Kansas City has been excellent at home, and Melia is very affordably priced at $5M for their home match against poor travelers Houston Dynamo.

David Ousted - Many fantasy managers have kept Ousted as a mainstay in their fantasy teams this season, and for good reason, but you could be faulted for being wary of the hotly contested rivalry between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders. That said, Seattle have struggled mightily without the attacking strength provided by Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey, so he remains a strong option for this week.

Defenders

Matt Miazga - One of the best young defenders in the league, Miazga has been a standout performer for New York Red Bulls this season. A match on the road against a resurgent Philadelphia Union squad may not be the best opportunity for a clean sheet, but Miazga regularly puts up bonus points, and the Red Bulls have a double match coming up next week.

Chris Korb - With Sean Franklin still missing through injury, Korb has been the cheapest way into the D.C. United defense for the past few weeks. United have been stellar at home and should continue that form against Real Salt Lake.

Jorge Villafana - The Portland Timbers defender is just outside the top 10 top scorers among defenders in the MLS Fantasy game and is available for just $6.2M. A kind schedule over the next 5 game week means you're not likely to find a better long-term bargain for your back line.

Midfielders

Kaka - As mentioned above, the Orlando City playmaker was the MVP in the All-Star Game, and is in top form heading into a home match against Columbus Crew, who have conceded a slew of goals on the road this season. The Lions also have two matches in Week 23, so if you haven't already bought in on the Brazilian, now could be the best time to do so.

Benny Feilhaber - One of the top performing midfielders on one of the in-form teams against one of the league's weakest road teams? Benny's a no-brainer this week, and should be a contender for the armband if you have him in your squad.

Andrea Pirlo - We've seen limited minutes for the Italian since his move to New York City FC, but the former Juventus midfielder looks set to get his first start in sky blue this weekend. His quality can't be denied, and with the in-form side taking on Montreal at home, he should have plenty of opportunities to showcase his talent.

Javier Morales - Even though I am tipping DC to win at home against RSL, Morales' form can't be ignored. Even at 35, he's outpacing and outclassing the majority of players in the league, racking up tons of points along the way. If RSL is to get anything from this match, you can bet Morales will be involved.

Forwards

David Villa - The Spaniard can't seem to stop scoring, and I think he'll add to his impressive goal tally yet again this round. Service from Pirlo should only add to the chances he'll have in front of goal. Another strong captain option this round.

Cyle Larin - Last week, I mistakenly told Jeremy Spitzberg (one of NMA's founders) that picking up Larin could wait until this week. He made me look silly by scoring a hat-trick (sorry Jer!) in the thrilling 5-3 loss to NYCFC. While his price has jumped up to the $6M mark, the rookie is having an incredible season and could help you afford to bring in some of the other more expensive options to your team.

Bradley Wright-Phillips - With the announcement that his brother Shaun will be joining him in New York, you have to think BWP will be buzzing for the match against the Union this weekend. The two should link up quite well and have two matches to look forward to in week 23.

Alvaro Saborio - Players tend to give a little bit of extra effort when they come up against their former team, especially for the first encounter. Saborio just completed his switch from RSL to DC a few weeks ago, so he should be eager to show his new team what he can do, and remind his previous employers of what they let go.

Who are you considering for your team this week? Who will you transfer out, and who will get the captain's armband? I'm thinking of dropping Steven Gerrard and either Kei Kamara or Fanendo Adi to bring in both Kaka and Larin. After earning 32 points for me last week, I'm keeping the faith with Villa as captain, as well.

There's no Friday night games this week due to the midweek All-Star Game, so you have some extra time before you have to set your teams. The deadline is at 2 p.m. EDT on Saturday. Good luck!