There are plenty of reasons to be excited about 2025 fantasy MLS soccer. While the Eastern Conference has many of the top stars, there is plenty of enthusiasm and some great talent over in the Western Conference as well.
Looking to win your fantasy soccer contest? I have a few predictions and tips for who to pick for Week 1 of the MLS.
Western Conference Week 1 – Who To Pick
Los Angeles FC – Minnesota United
Los Angeles FC is one of the teams to watch this season. The LA side is the favourite to win the Western Conference. And Minnesota hasn’t had much success against them in the past. Expect a strong first showing and victory by one, two goals from LAFC.
Who to pick: D. Bouanga and O. Giroud are two of the star strikers in the MLS this season. Worth picking them! H. Lloris also looks like he has something to prove in goal.
Minnesota’s J. Pereyra impressed me last season. Good budget pick!
Austin FC – Sporting Kansas City
Austin can get over their middle-table team curse this season. Can the same be said for Kansas City? Hard to be as optimistic.
Who to pick: Brad Stuver is one of the best goalkeepers in the league. Always consider picking the Austin FC player. B. Vasquez and M. Uzuni are also at the peak of their individual abilities.
Dejan Joveljić was one of the best strikers in the 2024 MLS. He’s come to be the top player and focal point of this Kansas City side. With enough teammate help, he can achieve this.
Houston Dynamo FC – FC Dallas
It should have been a pretty quiet, uneventful season for both these teams. But what it wasn’t? Houston Dynamo is the slight favourite, but we’d love a hard-fought battle.
Who to pick: Not much to get excited about here. But Micael and Artur are good players and affordable alternatives.
FC Dallas has signed Luciano Acosta, one of the best forwards in the MLS. They’ll expect instant results. I also like Patrickson Delgado.
St Louis City – Colorado Rapids
Evenly matched affairs. St Louis can edge this because of the home advantage. Colorado has made plenty of changes to its squad and it may take time to get them used to their responsibilities.
Who to pick: Josh Atencio looks like a strong transfer for Colorado and an interesting pick. Roman Burki is an experienced keeper, and St. Louis is lucky to have him. Your fantasy draft can do the same.
San Jose Earthquakes – Real Salt Lake
San Jose was terrible last season. Meanwhile, Salt Lake is a decent side that ought to take advantage of the poor results and morale of their rivals. I predict an easy, away win.
Who to pick: Give San Jose’ J. Martinez and C. Arango a chance. Meanwhile, E. Eneli and L. Brook can boss the midfield for Salt Lake.
Seattle Sounders FC – Charlotte FC
This one is an exciting game. Seattle did wonderfully in 2024. Charlotte has an exciting side that now features the legend that is Wilfried Zaha. Expect a high-scoring draw.
Who to pick: Seattle has a very strong defensive line. Y. Andrade and J. Ragen are excellent defenders.
Charlotte’s Zaha is a luxury choice but could well turn into one of the players of the season.
Portland Timbers – Vancouver Whitecaps
Portland should win this. The Timbers were decent last season. Vancouver certainly wasn’t. Expect a 1-0 or 2-0 victory.
Who to pick: K. Miller and D. Zuparic are strong, experienced defenders. They’re affordable picks for your fantasy football draft.
Vancouver’s Y. Takaoka had plenty of work to do last season, and he’s developed into one of MLS’ top keepers. Ryan Gauld is the team’s captain and one of the Canadians’ hopes for a better season.
LA Galaxy – San Diego FC
LA Galaxy is the current champion, having won the MLS Cup final against NY Red Bulls just a couple of months ago.
Meanwhile, San Diego SC is a new club and a new addition to the MLS franchise. They’ll want to start strong but will face a difficult first test. Expect a comfortable victory from LA Galaxy.
Who to pick: LA Galaxy’s Marco Reus, Gabriel Pec, and Edwin Cerillo would be strong players in most leagues. Pick them for your team!
Hirving Lozano is San Diego’s marquee signing. The Mexican legend can have a great season. Luca de la Torre, a midfielder with more than 20 international caps for the U.S. team can do the same.
